The Tupelo journal., 1916-10-20

made good by. handin' over u wad as
big as your head n
At titat moment John happened to
glance at her, and their eyes met.
Some magnetic bond seemed to draw
them together. John took from the
counter an article which he did not
want, beckoned to her, and secured a
charge slip. He merely wished to do
the girl a good turn by crediting her
with q sale.
After his departure, Helen's wits
went a-wool-gathering, and she was
spoken to sharply more than once by
a domineering floorwalker.
That was destined to be a day of
surprises. During the afternoon, a
girl named Alice Martin, who once
had worked in the store, came to the
counter and shook hands with her old
friends. Though Alice was attired in
the height Of fashion, she was by no
means a snob, and greeted them heart
lily. Time was when Helen and she
had lived on terms of the utmost in
timacy, and Alice's present finery was
so completely at variance with her
vague prospects when she left the
store that Helen couldn't help asking
what good fortune had befallen her.
"Oh, I've found a gold mine," she
answered airily. The retort meant
nothing. Apparently, it was by way of
being a joke.
81 wish you'd tell me where to Dig"
was Helen's mild comment. Things
are going from bad to worse in our
joint"
Alice ran an appraising eye we her
friend.
'Why, kid" she said, with your
looks and that shy little smile of yours
you needn't search very far. Here
comes my gold mine now"
A stout, bald-headed, lashily-attired
man, with a heavy jowl and a big
paunch, had just appeared from an
other department. He hooked a fieshy
fOretinger at Alice.
Hurry up, grille" he said. "You
can drop me at the office, and then the
car will take you for an airin' in the
park"
Alice nodded to Helen with a sig
nificant smile. Then she went out with
her gold NINE" leaving the other to
stare after her and take in every de-
tail of her smart garments with the
quick eye of woman
Meanwhile, Burton had been stopped
by II of those well-meaning ladies
who somehow condOne the luXuries of
their own homes by Summing among
the poor.
Don't tell me you are too busy this
morning to come with me among the
submerged TENTH" said the lady. a
am sure your lordship can have little
idea of the abject poverty which lies
within a block of the most fashionable
thoroughfares. DO come, Share my
car Tell your man where to wait for
YOU, and III drop you there, in an
hour
John smiled. Far better than the
doll-like creature addressing him, he
knew how the poor live. But there
was no special claim on his time that
day, and it humored him to watch the
methods of these superior creatures
as they picked their dainty way
through the Slums.
They visited a number OF tenements
and finally happened upon that which
housed the Rays.
Your lordship really ought to take
up settlement work." murmured Johns
companion. II can't tell you what a
gallant fight some of these wretched
people make. Now, here's a wom-
an"
She knocked at q door, and Mrs. Ray
appeared, looking more slatternly than
ever, and wiping soapsuds from her
hands on al apron which itself might
well have gone to the waShtub. Mrs.
Ray was not lOath to tell her visitors
the tale of her hard, daily grind, nor
did she need to add any touch of ex-
aggeration to the story.
John had his own ideas about these
things. He knew Mrs. Ray and her
like only too well and he knew too
what victims of circumstances such as
she were. Nevertheless, preferring to
be charitable rather than scientific, in.
his attitude toward the poor, he hand
ed the woman a ten-dollar bill. Her
eyes g%listened. That pampered son of
hers Cat that moment swearing effu-
sively because ne had missed a shot in
G poolroom) wanted a new suit. Here,