Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-11-10

most depressing things Claire had
ever met with. 1t took all her cour
age to get down from the fourth floor
to the basement
Claire was not only dewy, fresh and
rosy, she had cultivated an air of dash
and she was wistful, but of this latter
quality she was utterly unconscious
When she entered the dining room
she found stranger at her table
New York is over filled with pretty
girls, the subways are crowded to the
doors with them, Fifth avenue reeks
beauty; but Gilbert Brown sat w
when he looked at Claire. BY the
time Claire had finished her soup he
was looking at her with kind OF
tenderness and little awe.
| Claire looked him over completely
without, apparently, taking her eyes
from the cream pitcher in front OF
her He was too big, she decided. She
shrank from men so broad and with
such square chins. She liked gentle
slender men with receding chins
There was something so delicate about
her, she seemed a little beyond Gilbert
Brown, but he started to talk any
way. To C,aires dismay he persisted
in talking. However, the expression
of his eyes when he looked at her
! Illuminated the drabness of the gloomy
dining room, so Claire dimpled and
flashed her white teeth in his direc
ton, instead Of giving the sparkling
replies he had hoped for. But the
reverence she awoke in the breast OF
Gilbert made up in part for her fragile
mentality.
Lunch finished. they went up the
stairs to a still gloomier room, known
as the library. After another half
hours acquaintance he felt free to in
quire, Haven't you anyone to look
after you?' l7a ID 81. ,t,7.
! She answered with lilting laugh
mo ones ever taken care Of me.
only have Aunt Annie, who was glad
came to New York"
well, you don't want to stay here, .
he told her. You're too young to
stay here alone, you're-too pretty"
Claire elevated her eyebrows, But
love it!'
Taking him into her confidence she
leaned tensely toward him. u shall
20 on the stage, or be modelS she
said, "but if ! fail in that" she looked
earnestly into his eyes, I'll be pri-
vate secretary to a Wall street finan-
cier. You see, | must do some kind
of work, and soon, because I'm very,
very poor"
GO back home, child" he warned
her; "you won't stand being banged
about here"
She gave the man long, specu-
lative glance 81 haven't any home to
go to-" she laughed lightly. dismiss
ing the subject forever. thought
flashed into her golden head that
here was a chance for adventure. She
wanted to dance and dine in the
restaurants and her week in New
York proved that she probably never
would, unless she went alone. She
astonished the man by telling him
this. All her girlish desires for ex'
perience beamed trustfully from her
brown eyes as she talked. Breath.
lesslv she waited for what he would
say, and his advice as to how to gain
admission to the delights of the city,
"I'll take you to show he offered
eagerly. Claire's pink cheeks grew
warmer pink. She hesitated. then
sent him dimpled smile. She really
had not meant just that.
First we'll have dinner with a
cabaret, then show AFTER he urged
Still Claire hesitated. The big,
broad-shouldered man did not at all
fit into Claires scheme of things. Be-
sides it seemed like dizzily plunging
into all the pleasures in one leap. The
opportunity SO suddenly presented
took her breath away. His eyes were
burning into hers in an uncomfortable
way. The temptation to seek adven-
ture was too strong to deny He be-
gan to look like knight OF old through
her little-girl eyes, come to her rescue,
and she promised him she would go.
Upstairs in the tiniest hall bed
room ever built into boarding house,
before a long. gilt edged mirror,
relic of the day when the house was
in it's glory. Claire dressed for the
evening. aglow with the wonder OF the
adventure on which she was starting.
When she met Brown her eager
brown eyes looked directly into his.
Her tight grasp on his arm gave him
the feeling of being protector in
deeper sense than ever before. She
carried her head high, animated with
the Joy of living. She intoxicated.
Brown.
The cheap dazzle Of Broadway
wearied him, but Claire laughed up at
him in childish excitement. Her
dainty self caugh; and reflected the
spirit of gaiety that swayed the crowd.
He felt sick to see how quickly she
became part of the sordidness of her
surroundings.
"Do YOU like this sort Of thing?" he
questioned wonderingly.
81 can't thank you enough for TAX
ing me-, she chirped; ITS all more
beautiful than | ever dreamed, much