The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-08
THE AMBER BEADS
By ELDREDGE HOLT.

he was d tIdNSllllS Statesman IOI d
toothpowder concern.
She was prescription clerk in cut
rate drug store. Besides that, she had
a creamy, fair complexion and light
brown eyes, shaded, it is true, by a
pair of rimless. goldbowed spectacles.
But that. was because the light in the
pharmacy of the cut-rate drug store
was not of the best and there were
many prescriptions to fill.
He had met her at the school where
they make young men and here and
there a young woman into druggists.
so they both had their diplomas and
would some time have a little drug
store of their own, and they would
not have to keep clerk, because, no
matter what happened, Alice-that
was her name-cOuld manage to tend
store for a few hours day. You
know there Is a regulation that says
that every drug store must have
graduate pharmacist in constant at
tendance during the day and part Of
the night to put up prescriptions.
OF course one man cannot be at
the post all of the time. Alice and
Paul-that was the toothpowder
agents name-had it all arranged that
they could save money from the first,
for since she was registered pharma-
cist she could substitute in the store
for the few hours that Paul would need
to take off. Oh. yes, they were very
matter of fact and businesslike about
it and had talked over their plans for
the future quite frankly.
In the meantime Paul was vending
toothpowder, trying to save enough
money to buy his own little drug store
and by careful skimping, with what
savings Alice could add, it would take
two years before this purchase could
be made. A long time, you think?
Yes, but if you had seen the steady.
soft light in Alice's bespectacled eyes
and the lovely blush that came into
her creamy, pale cheeks when those
eyes met Paul's, you wouldn't have
wondered that he was willing to wait
Moreover, to Alice and Paul, marriage
was, besides being a beautiful adven-
ture and the one and only romance,
something of business undertaking
as well.
And there was no reason whatever
to be rash and hasty about it. Still,
at times when Paul was on the road
with his suitcase full of samples and
work grew very heavy at the cut-rate
drug store Alice's brown eyes grew
moist and she had to take off the gold
bowed spectacles and wipe away the
tears, tears not of discomfort, but just
of loneliness and little Impotence.
For Alice's mind was full of imagining
their wee home-it would probably be
little fiat over the drug store to
begin with-and two nights week
she was taking cooking lessons at the
Y. w. c. A. SO that she would be able
to concoct puddings as well as plas.
ters. And Paul sometimes snarled a
little at the necessity that made him
wait SO long, and when sales were not
as good as usual-that meant smaller
| commissions for him-he would write
| letter of impatience to Alice.
One particularly lovely autumn day
| Paul sauntered into the cut-rate drug
store. He had Unexpectedly come to
town and he wanted to surprise Alice
Alice dropped the test tube she was
holding when she heard his voice, and
slipping out of her acknowledging linen
apron, ran out to the counter outside.
1--WE had hurry call to New York,
Alice" he told her, land I've only a
few minutes between trains. But l
stopped over to see you. And, say,
Alice. I've had a specially good run of
, luck. That new patent cap top on the
powder makes a big hit. And am 60
| ing to be extravagant. l want to get
you something from the big city.
can't afford the engagement ring
| ought to have got you, but tell me
what piece of jewelry that doesn't cost
| so very much-say ten or fifteen dol.
| lars-you would most like
Alice clasped her hands before her
| and thought for a second.
| "A string of amber beads" she said
at last Il have always wanted them. u
Paul's face showed his disappoint
ment. Somehow he had always asso.
ciated amber beads with the fact that
F., some old woman he had known about
wore them around their necks to ward
| off chills and fever. If Alice had said
a gold-link bracelet, with a heart
shaped paddock and a key. he would
have been entirely satisfied with her
choice. But Alice stuck to her plea
! for amber beads. Il love the color OF
amber So" she said, and all my life
! have dreamed of having them some
time"
In ten days Paul returned one morn.
| ing, and, going straight to the cut-rate
drug store, found Alice and gave her
the beads. Again there was short con
nection between trains, and in a few
minutes he was off again. II don't
really like those beads" he said, land
/ can take them back and get the
money IL you say 50. III tell you
frankly that they cost twelve dollars
| got them at a pawnshop | happened
to be passing ] tried to jew the mar
down, out he wouldn't listen to a cent
less You might take them to some
regular !eweler and find out whether
! was buLco or not Maybe they are
only glass
Alice ned the beads up to the light
and reveled in the soft. golden radi
ance that slone through them. 81 an