Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-01-04

neck: face tho very embodiment OF
Independence and self-conhdcnce. with
its brown eyes wide apart, It's high
brow under the parting waves Of
golden chestnut, broad humorous
mouth, and tiny nose slightly nibbed
upward: Miss Up-tothe Minute New
York, indeedl From the cooked red
feather In her hat to the dainty spat-
ted boots Jane Gerson appeared in
Warehouses; eyes perfect, virile,
vividly alive American girl. He'd met
her kind before; had seen them brow
beating bazaar merchants In Cairo
and riding desert donkeys like strong
young queens. The type appealed to
him.
The first stiffness OF informal meet
ing wore away speedily. The girl
tactfully directed the channel Of con-
versation into lines familiar to Wood.
house. What was Egypt like; who
owned the Pyramids, and why didn't
the owners plant a park around them
and charge admittance? Didn't he
Pharoahs had the right idea In adj
vertising-putting up stone billboards
to last all time? The questions came
crisp and startling; Woodhouse found
himself chuckling at the shrewd in
cisiveness Of them. Rameses an ad-
vertiser and the Pyramids stone
hoardings to carry all those old boys
fame through the ages! He'd never
looked on them in that light before.
IT say, Miss Gerson, you'd make an
excellent business person, now, real
! ly," the captain voiced his admira-
ton. @ @+
Gust capable that at my expense
to old Pop Hildebrand, OF Hildebrand's
department store, New York." she
flashed back at him. I'm trying to
! convince him Of just that very thing. 81
Really, now; 8 department shop;
What, may ask, do you have to do
for-ah-Pop Hildebrand?'
"Oh, I'm his foreign buyer" Jane
answered, with a conscious note Of
pride. "I'm over here to buy gowns
for the winter season, you see. Paul
| Poiret- Worth-Paquin you've heard
of those wonderful people, Of course?'
"Cant say have" the captain con-
fessed. with r1iefu1 smile into the
girls brown eyes.
"Then you've never bought a
WORTH" she challenged. "For If you
had you'd not forget the name-or the
price-very, soon."
"Gowns-and things are not In my
line, Miss Gerson." he answered sim.
ply, and the girl caught herself feel
ing secret citation. A man who
didn't know gowns couldn't be very
intimately acquainted with women
And-well-
"And this Hildebrand, he sends you
over here alone just to buy pretties
for New York's wonderful women !?
the captain was saying. Aren't you
just bit-ah-nervous to be over
in this part Of the world-alone?"
"Not in the least" the girl caught
him up mot about the alone part
/ should say. Maybe am fidgety
and sort Of worried about making good
on the job. This is my first trip
my very first as buyer for Hide
brand. And, of course, II should
fall down"
Fall down." Woodhouse echoed
mystified. The girl laughed. and
struck her left wrist smart blow
with her gloved right hand.
There 90 again-slang; vulgar
American slang you'll ~call it. II
could only rattle on the French as cas-
| lily as do New Yorkese I'd be won
der. I mean I'm afraid wont make
good"
"Oh!"
"But why should worry about
coming over alone?" Jane urged
Lots Of American girls come over
here alone with an American flag pin
ned to their shirt-waists and wearing
a Baedeker for a wrist watch. Moth
ing ever happens to them"
Captain Woodhouse looked out or
the flying panorama of straw-thatched
houses and fields heavy with green
grain. He seemed to be balancing
words He glanced at the passenger
across the aisle, a wizened little man
asleep. In lowered voice he began
"A woman alone-over here on the
Continent at this time; why, very
much fear she will have great Difficult
ties when the-ah-trouble comes"
| "Trouble?" James eyes were ques
tioning.
81 do not wish to be an alarmist
Miss Gerson," Captain Woodhouse
continued. hesitant. Goodness knows
we've had enough calamity shouters
among the Unionists at home. But
have you considered what you would
do-how you would get back to Amert
ca in case of-war?" The last WORD
was almost whisper.
] stvx7o .ho ANhnoA HVVhv yO1
don't mean all this talk in the papers
is"
.'Is serious, yes" Woodhouse an