Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-06-03

t1or ather Commands Ruth to Ne'
move the Gay Hair Ribbon and
Slippers.
held Rita Deane's eyes. OF course,
purchase was out of the question
since earliest remembrance her
father had drummed into her pretty
head that personal vanity was the
deadliest of sins. A heathen soul
might be saved from hell with the
money those slippers or that ribbon
would cost. And oesides.Mrs
keeper, held tightly to her arm.
Surreptitiously, Rita fumbled the
money in her purse. Yes, she had
enough-just enough. She looked
again into the window and hot re-
bellion seized her.
Che lifted her eyes to another win.
dow on the seventh floor of the grea'
office building across the street.
where James White, her fancee'
transacted the affairs of his huge
estate. She could see him dimly
pacing up and down in his office now now
and then glancing at letter in his
hand--a letter from her father for
AGldding him the house.
~ Again she turned to the WINDOW
Some sudden impulse of insurrection
frothed within her soul, something
which seemed apart from her rea
submerged self, yet something whlcn
delighted her. ,..s,,,
pointi: toward the end of the line
of blocked traffic.
Curiosity won. AS Mrs. Sharpe's
iron fingers relaxed upon their
grip. Rita Deane's feet glided
swiftly inside the doors of the
shop. It was a full five minutes
before she returned, innocently assum'
ing an air of injury at the housekeep'
er's reproaches for her dlsappearance ,
She had not thought of causing an!
worry. She was merely looking II
the windows to pass away the time
Lie upon lie she put upon her soul
unashamed of the deception, delighted
at the gullibility of Mrs Sharpe. The
slippers and the ribbon hidden be-
meath her little Jacket more thar
made up for any punishment tha'
could sver be hers.
Once in her own room she studlet
her reflection in the mirror, SURPRISED
TO fnd that the sins had left no mari
upon her pretty face. She had reallI
expected to find some marked change
20 be able to trace there bold, des
perate lines of wickedneSs.
Cautiously, a bit fearfully, shs
Ioosed the masses of her hair from
their tight braids, binding them with
the splendid ribbon, revelling in the
effect its contrast worked in her ap'
pearance, the way it set off the beau
tiful oval of her face instead Of
broadening it, the toning down of the
high color which youth and health
had painted upon her cheeks And
then she slipped her feet into the
dainty slippers
Carried away with her delight, with
this new sensation. this realization OF
her charms, her, feet-those beauti'
fully shod feet-began to perform
strange capers, began to steal away
her sense Of caution. They moved
in gay, spirited steps, faster, eveI
faster, until the dancing girl seemed
more like festive wood-sprite pris
oned in this house of gloom, thar
and round she whirled, pivoted, poised
touching the dingy carpeting disdain.
fully, as though the air itself might
prove substantial enough to support
one so light and graceful And al.
ways, always were her eyes upon the
slippered feet. feasting themselves
there, furnishing gluttonous Suanti.
ty of pabulum to her vanity-starveC
little heart. And then-thsn a hanC
fell upon her shoulder.
The hand left her shoulder. sht
darod not to meet the look she
knew was upon her fathers face. She
recalled a sermon he had preached
Only the week before upon VANITY
and the evils to which 1t led. She re.
membered the terrible expression
upon his face, the 6anatical CLEAN In
his eyes, as he fastened them upor
his congregation, transfixing individ.
uai members, his glance picking out
accusingly every bit of adornment
they wore, scorning them. condemnins
them
= She felt a little tug at her hair
hen a wild rage seized her as she
law the precious ribbon dangling
from her fathers hand. held in the
finger tips as though the very con.
tact defiled MIN. She lifted fiero.
eyes toward his own, hot protest upor
her lips, but the habit of a life Ions
obedience is not readily downed. Hil
trembling forefinger indicated the
slippers while his lips opened and
closed without any words coming. He
Ynotstened his lips with the tip OF
his tongue but still the voice wal
hoaPse with suppressed passion as hS
commanded her tn rAnoove the Of.
sanding slippers.