The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-03-01
| copy right, 1914, by Newspapers
Enterprise Association

and the shop was full of people.
IL was the first time that Kitty
had seen Mary, and she thought
she was one of the prettiest of
women.
The plain gray uniform that
Mary had adopted for the store,
with its wide. turnover collar and
cuffs. is extremely becoming.
Mary told me she had heard
nothing from Jack. was sorry |
asked about him when | saw the
change come over her face.
Kitty, with her usual curiosity,
had gone roaming about the shop.
Over I'm 'the little ROOM" that
portion set aside for the old books
and those who cared to examine
them at their leisure, she found
Max Pendleton.
II did not know him until he
spoke to me-" she told me after
wards. IL have not seen him
since he wore short trousers. He
Is the son of those enormously
rich Pendletons, who made their
money in the brewery business.
Evidently Max does not intend
to follow in his fathers footsteps,
because he told me he had begun
collecting what he intended
should be the finest library in the
west.
He said: Mrs. Waverly is
the only woman | have ever
known who has any idea of old
books. She has taught me lot.
Through her | have made con-
nection with some of the best
connoisseurs in the country"
why, Kitty, that must be the
boy whose picture and story occu-
pied the first page of all the
papers a while ago." / interrupt
ed. 1T seems his father wanted
him to be college athlete, make
the football team and all that,
but, instead, he took all the hon
ors in literature and the old man
was so mad he threatened to dis
inherit him. Before he could do
1t he died, leaving this lad of
barely 81 millions and millions of
money. The old gentleman was
hardly cold in his grave when the
son sold his three breweries to
the trust and publicly made the
announcement that he had no
aptitude nor inclination for bust
ness. This brought herd OF
sharpers down on him, but the
young man, who they had expect
ed to find an easy mark was too
sharp for them. He landed three
bogus book statesmen in jail and
had two policemen arrested and
proven guilty of conspiracy with
his chauffeur in arresting him
many times for exceeding the
speed limit. The story formed
the middle spread of one of the
big Sunday supplements about
three months ago. Mary has sold
him a number of fine books and
made some splendid commissions
on a number of rare editions she
has found for him. Dick thought
it a great stroke of business.
DO you know, Margie, that he
is in love with Mary?"
Kitty, don't be foolish. Every
man is not in love with every
woman he sees. Mary is 26 and
this boy is barely 81"
THAT makes IL a cinch. A boy
of that kind always falls in love
with a woman older than he when
he falls in love the first time.
could see it was Mrs. Waverly
more than the old books that was
keeping him in that shop day
after day. He told me innocently
that he always spent his mornings
here, as Mrs. Waverly generally
has some news of new purchases
to tell me and advice to give me
as to whether l should buy them
or not.
"Why, Kitty, that's business.
Mary has done wonderfully with
the shop. Dick told me that she
made more money last month
than Dad had done all last year"
"Of course, she did. Max is
placing all his orders through her
and | don't blame him. Little
Mrs. Mary is about the most at
tractive shopkeeper l ever saw in
my life. Why, do you know, Mar
gle, counted five. old bookworms
in the store who were patiently
waiting for her to wait on them?"
THAT only means, my dear,
that she is probably the only
woman in town who really knows
books"
And which makes her more
dangerous to Max's peace of
mind"
kitty, you only think of the
romantic side of life. Even your
work with Herbert among the
sordid and sodden has not taken
your sentimentality from you"
We'll, Margie, you know as
we'll as l do that IL two young
people of opposite sex are thrown
much together you can count
more or less on emotional disturb
ances. Where Is Jack? Why
isn't he about taking care OF his
wife?"