The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-05
A PAIR OF SLIPPERS
BY ALICE EDWARDS.

ODen and the curtains were DioWiuS-
He had met Mrs Wicks scurrying
through the upper hall and he had
thrown her a CHEEKY word Of greet
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, ma'am," he said In
hearty voice. 1--WE a 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 q 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, II 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 OF toward
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
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 if any inquisitive housemaid has
been poking around among my poor
belongings-well I'll be blessed"
He stared down at pair of dimin-
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 a 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. Wioks.
"Oh, It's you, Captain Drew" she
gasped affrightedly. II hope every
things all right"
and held them for her inspection, but
q sound at the door had sent her
scared glsnce 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 . crisp
voice at the door. II found . mans
! coat and stick in my room"
Timothy Drew whirled around at
the sound Of the voice. It 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.
Il found them in my ROOM" said
the girl.
II found the slippers under my
bed" he declared. With one accord
they faced the wretched Mrs. Wicks
She was bowed in despairing grief
ing. She sobbed a sad story-a con
ventional tale of woe, interpreted
with information concerning gas billi
and coal bills and vacant large rooms
and overfull small rooms, and finally
confessed she had yielded to the
temptation Of renting the same roon
to two lodgers-one a day ledger ani
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 fol-
Miss Moore's pretty things when tina
sleeny young woman should come MI
the stairs at 'halfpast seven, and vice
versa.
And now I shall lose two dodgers,
she mourned at last.
Timothy Drew's blue eyes twinkle,
with mirth Hester Moore's eye,
dubbed over with glee at the funn!
situation.
Sort Of a Box and Cox affair,
grinned Captain Drew at last.
Il never heard of them gentlemen,
averred Mrs. Wicks, dolefully.
We'll. Mrs. Wicks, l think you'll
have to put Miss Moore in your bss
suite tonight, and tomorrow we'll tall
matters over" And to Mrs. wicks
delight 1t was settled thus.
Ever afterward Mrs. wicks n
ferred to 1t as a "jinuine" romance