The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-15
EARNIkG 4 TROUSSEhU
BY MAUD eEASLEY.


OF stores, was man between sixty
and seventy years of age He had a
fringe of white whiskers under his
chin. he was not particularly well
groomed or spruce; in short, he wal
not in the least the kind of elderly
gentleman who would attract the af
fections of pretty girl of twenty.
Lizzie had secured her position the
first day she looked for one She had
come up from the country. and when
she had saved up the price of a trous,
seau-a really elegant one-she meant
to let George Robbins. at present EN-.
ployed in their home town as mana.
ger of little local store, lead her
to the altar.
Simmonds certainly appeared inter
ested in Lizzie. Before the girl had
been in the store a month he had
already contrived to have her sum-
moned to his private office at least a
dozen times.
How would you like to act as my
stenographer, Miss Holt?" he inquired
upon the last of these occasions.
Il don't know much about stenog.
raphy." admitted Lizzie. But could
learn, l suppose she added, think
Ing of the increased salary and the
improved trousseau that would re-
suit therefrom.
well, I'll tell you what I'll do"
said the old man, staring at her in a
way that brought the bushes to her
cheeks. "Ill pay for you to learn at
the night school on the next block
Then when you are competent, maybe
there will be place for you in here."
The stenography lessons were
failure. Lizzie made no progress at
all. Her vain little head was filled
with the thought of the trousseau, and
the hooks would turn the wrong way,
and the consonants turn themselves
into impossible angles. Meanwhile
Lizzie continued at the store. Sim.
mond's attentions were now the talk
Of everyone. Lizzie could stand it no
longer.
We'll. I'm going in to resign" de,
clared Lizzie. and stalked toward the
private Office.
The girls waited. Exactly at the
noon hour Lizzie emerged. a bright
crimson. by the side of Simmonds,
whose arm was drawn through hers.
Down the aisle they walked, Lizzie
crimsoning still more as all eyes were
turned on her. So they went into the
street. and Bill. the boy who swept
up, reported at one o'clock that they
were having dinner at Haffneys
Lizzie Hollis vain and childish
mind was fairly turned by her en-
ployer's attentions. She spent the
afternoon careless of the black looks
Of all around her. She was living
over that delicious hour again. Mr..
certainly was a gentleman,
even If he was old. But that night,
when the reaction had come, the girl
faced the problem in her room alone
more seriously than she had ever faced
but that she could see the meaning
Of her employers maneuvers. But she
was ignorant enough to feel helpless.
She could not face the crowd In the
store again. Either she must be true
to George Orwell. she saw the alter
native quite plainly as the hours wore
away. And to her credit the thought
Of George triumphed
The next day she left her rooming
house and engaged room in anoth-
er. She did not return to the store.
She obtained a position with Mar.
shalrs, and in week she had COM
pletely forgotten the incident, except
that che felt little proud of herself
IS the heroine OF u quasi-adventure.
Then one day a familiar figure en-
.ered. He was an old gentleman with
l fringe OF white beard, and he was
by a very motherly look
Dg old lady. They came slowly up
70 the perfumery counter. Simmonds
0oked up. to encounter Lizzie's fright.
sned eyes fixed on his.
why. bless my soul, it's Miss
Holt" Here. mother! This is the
young lady | was telling you about.
who disappeared so mysteriously from
he store"
The motherly woman came up to
Lizzie.
"My husband has been talking TO
ne 30 much about you," she said. Il
Am sorry you went away. But | IN
1erstand how you felt. You see, Her.
nan is a little abrupt and strange in
his ways. Go away, Herman! l am
going to talk to Miss Holt now
you see, my dear" she continued,
we lost our only daughter year
ago, and Herman was passionately
devoted to her. And after you got to
working in the store he came home
md said to me, Mother, one of our
new young ladies is the very image
II poor Lucille.
Il told him that 1t must be mag
nation, but he kept talking about you
and SO | promised him that | would
call and see you. You know Her
man Is always interested in his young
ladies', but he really felt like father
toward you. And he knows how hard
a girls life is in New York, and want.
ed to do all sorts OF things for you
But you mustn't scare the girl,
kept telling him. He did, though,
didn't he? But now you understand
the situation. and-youll forgive Her
nan, won't your"
And the trousseau was finer than
anything Lizzie had ever dreamed of.