Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1915-11-25
A PAIR OF SLIPPERS
BY ALICE EDWARDS.


through the upper hall and he had
thrown her CHEEKY word of greet
I ing.
He stood in the doorway and
shifted suspiciously; then he strobe
down the hall and captured his land
( lady at the head OF the stairs
beg pardon. maam,' he said in a
hearty voice I've suspicion that
! you don't like tobacco smoke
"Wh-h--at?" gasped Mrs. Wicks.
81 don't mind smoking a bit. Why,
my husband smokes like regular
chimney. What makes you think
don't like your smoking"
Because thought you'd been
] sprinkling perfumery around or burn
( ing incense-or something / can't
say that l object TO it, only guess
+ I'll just stick to tobacco smoke, If you
/ don't mind"
Eyes, sir" groaned Mrs. Wicks, and
vanished down the dark stairway.
Capt Timothy Drew returned to
/ his room and lighted his pipe He
sat by the window looking off toward
I the wharf. where his work lay. He
was captain of a small freight and
( passenger steamer which piled daily
/ between the city and smaller town
! farther down the sound. He might
4 have slept aboard the Pennyroyal, but
/ he chose to spend his sleeping hours
away from the scene of his. days
work He merely slept at Mrs. Wicks'.
Now he went out to restaurant for
! his dinner and returned home at
eleven o'clock.
As he lighted the gas In his room
he once more shifted the air suspi-
ciously,
"Humph" he frowned looking
around Smells like violets. I Won
der II any inquisitive housemaid has
been poking around among my poor
belongings-well, I'll be blessed"
He stared down at pair of dlmin-
utive bedroom slippers gray suede
with frivolous pink pompons on each
toe. They were under his bed-his
| bed
Tossing his hat and stick down on
the table he gathered up the slippers
and put them into his pocket. Softly
he tiptoed downstairs to the base
ment, where he knew he would find
Mrs. Wicks.
At the foot of the upper staircase
he met the pretty girl he had saved
from fall on the stairs the previous
day. She was coming up and he has
tily stood aside to let her pass.
Slowly enough. Captain Drew went
down the remainder of the way. He
was thinking Of the girl She was
unusually attractive, he thought. He
really didn't care much for girls, but
this one He tapped at the door of
the basement sitting room
Come in" yawned Mrs. Wicks.
"Oh, it's you, Captain Drew" she
gasped affrightedly II hope every.
things all right"
He took out the frivolous slippers
and held them for her inspection, but
sound at the door had sent her
scared glance over his shoulder.
Il found these slippers under my
bed he doomed in his big voice.
What were they doing there, Mrs
Wicks?"
Mrs. Wicks," followed a crisp
voice at the door, q found mans
coat and stick in my room"
Timothy Drew whirled around at
the sound of the voice 1t was the
girl he had met on the stairs She
was looking puzzled now. Her glance
caught the slippers in his hands.
Why, those are my slippers" she
said in surprised tone.
And that's my hat and stick" he
retorted
l found them in my ROOM" said
the girl.
Il found the slippers under my
bed" he declared With one accord
they faced the wretched Mrs. Wicks.
She was bowed in despairing grief
over the discovery of her double deal
Ing. She s3bbed sad story--a con.
veutional tale of woe, interpreted
with information concerning gas bills
and coal bills and vacant large rooms
and oyerfull small rooms, and finally
confessed she had yielded to the
temptation of renting the same room
to two lodgers-one a day ledger and
the other a night tenant She de
clared that she had wrecked her nerv.
Gus system trying to prevent a meet
ing between these two. She told how
she had bundled Captain Drew's be-
longings out in time to make place for
Miss Moore's pretty things when that
sleepy young woman should come up
the stairs at half-past seven. and vice
versa
And now / shall lose two Iodgers,"
she mourned at last.
Timothy Drew's blue eyes twinkled
with mirth Hester Moore's eyes
dubbed over with glee at the funny
situation.
Sort of a Box and Cox affair."
grinned Captain Drew at last.
Il never heard of them gentlemen"
ayerred Mrs, Wicks, dolefully.
Well, Mrs Wicks, / think you1l
have to put Miss Moore in your best
suite tonight, and tomorrow Wen talk
matters over" And to Mrs Wicks'