Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-01-11
The AMBER BEADS
BY ELoREDeE HOLT.

Tie was traNelnB salesman LOT
toothpowder concern.
She was prescription clerk in a cut
rate drug store Besides that she had
a creamy, fair complexion and light
brown eyes, sha,Sad, it is true, by a
pair of rimless, goldbowed spoctacles.
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 20 oil.
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 alc
would some time have little drug
store OF their own, anG 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 a 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.
or course one man cannot be at
the post all of the time. Alice and
Paul-that was the toothpowuer
agents name-had it all arranged that
they could save money from the first,
for since she was a 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
1t and had talked over their plans for
the future quite frankly.
In the meantime Paul was vending
toothpowder, trying 10 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 Pauls, 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 a business undertaking
as we'll
And there was no reason whatever
to be rash and hasty about 1t. 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 sine had to take on the gold
Sowed spectacles and wipe away the
tears, tears not of discomfort, but Just
Of loneliness and a little Impotence.
Tor Alice's mind was full of imagining
heir wee home--it would probably be
little fat over the drug store to
begin with--and two nights.sas. week
she was taking cooking lessons at tb Z
Y. w. C. A.. so that she would be able
to concoct buildings as well as, plas
ters. And Paul sometimes snarled q
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
l letter of Impotence to Alice,
One particularly lovely autumn day
Paul sauntered into the cut-rate drug
store. He had Unexpectedly come to
own and he wanted to surprise Alice.
Nice dropped the test tube she was
folding when she heard his voice, and,
slipping out of her all-enveloping linen
apron, ran out to the counter OUTSIDE
I've had a hurry call to New York
Alice" he told her, "and I've only .
few minutes between trains. But I
stopped over to see you. And, say,
Alice. I've had a specially good run o.
uck. That new patent cap top OF TIL
powder makes a big hit And l am go.
ing TO be extravagant. | want to sc;
YOU something from the big city.
3an't afford the engagement ring
ought to have got you. but tell me
what piece of jewelry that doesn't cost
20 very much-say ten or fifteen dot
ars-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.
Paul's face showed his disappoint-
neat. Somehow be had always asso
ciated amber beads with the fact that
some old woman he had known about
wore them around their .neeks 70 ward
)ff chills and fever, If Alice had said
4 gold-link bracelet with heart.
shaped paddock and a key. heiwould
nave been entirely satisfied with her
choice, But Alice stuck to her plea
for amber beads. Il love the color Of
amber so" she said. land all my life
have dreamed OF having them sotie
time" NJ
In ten days Paul returned one morn
'ng, and, going straight to the cut-rate
lrug store, found Alice and gave her
The beads. Again there was sl6rt con
lection between trains. and in a few
minutes he was on again, Il don
eally like those beads. he said. and