Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-05-22

on the sidewalk and STOPPING quickly
lest II be crushed by the foot of some
pedestrian, picked It up and put II into
his pocket.
In the elevator he took II out and
examined II. II was a buckle on a
lady's slipper. He had II In his hand
when he opened the door Of his Of
flce, apd Miss Purcell looked up with
interest and surprise when he laid 1t
on her desk. That's what I've been
looking for for six monthtl" be said.
i don't understand she answered,
puzzled -<<flsssE;s a !. ,vT :
>stPQb't you remember my telling you
that was going to write book just
as soon as had a real clew to a plot
I've always held that there wouldn't
be SO much bosh ~ fiction Y authors
would choose real things to WSf* q "a
instead ef making them Up, Now, here
I have q mystsry>-a ZEAL One. To whom
does the buckle belongl -
: HYes, Mr.. Pendely, but that's only an
incident, finding It. not plot" Miss
Purcell felt It her duty to discourage
any literary attempt on the part Of her
employers son, in her employers alb
sence. She had heard so many alter
cations upon the subject. The older
Mr.. Pendery wished his son to devote
all his time and ability to learning the
business, that Of foreign trade, while
John, who had been assistant editor
of his college journal, insisted that he
wished to follow in the footsteps Of
Kipling, -. ss:s xssss's> ~ !. ---.---'-
mo. it's not q plot, but that viii
come. The thing was to get a real
start and now I have It. What kind
Of person do you think. Miss Purcell,
could have lost that buckle?" He had
drawn up a chair quite close to her
desk.
She picked 1t up and looked It over.
1t was of silver, square and plain, with
fine lines of black enamel tracing on
1t that gave 1t an Oriental look. II
should say" said she, that IL belongs
to person who knew something pref
ty when she saw 1t and who would be
very much chagrined when she found
1t gone" y
But that doesn't get us anywhere.
Let's leave the lady's feelings out Of
It," n
Miss Purcell was pensive. "She
might be old, of course, for any shoe
dealer would tell you that buckle is
modest enough to be worn by anyone"
Modest knew it. Wen leave
out the old" And John made an
item with his fountain pen in small
notebook.
"And it is good. It's marked sterling,
The lady would not wear an imita-
ton"
, s"Honesti" cried John with delight.
Modest and honest Holmes and Lee
cog were not in 1t with you. Go onP
I'm afraid can't. should like to
tell you the lady was beautiful, petite
and clever, but my powers of observa-
ton fail me here. This buckle could
come off a number seven as easily as /
two, and the lady may be as homely as
Three Eyes in the fairy tale. I'm
afraid she wasn't clever, either, or she
would have missed 1t instantly"
perhaps she did. There was an
immense crowd. l was probably right
behind her. wish I'd looked" ~
.c4r. Pendery, Ia choose a heroine
3. 4 n e f STa sasaleE A sssas!s 4 you So
Ike Tom the Water Boy hunting Mr..
Grimes. 1t will take you over seven
iu ms s years u .; as'H'--
Il have a bully idea," cried John,
springing up. you'd make fine
fitic. I'm going to do chapter every
lay and let you go over it, if you will"
John started his book, much to the
iisgust of his family. 1t was marvel.
Jus tale of an ambassadors daughter
who, after discovering the willingness
If the young man (who finds the lost
,uckle) to follow her to the ends OF
he earth, conceals her identity and
ises him to discover state secrets.
which she hastens to carry back to her
,wn country. The young man follows,
md then .rssss.-s,----n.
Up to this time Miss Purcell had
,een a great help. She had hurried
With her lunch every day and was
Jack at the office In time to give hall
lour's work to the manuscript. snow
vhatr asked John. putting the latest
,hapter before her one day. .~v-
"What do you meanT '~s' ''ae
"what shall I do nextf I've got the
,oor fellow In a dreadful box and don't
NOW how to get him opt. Besides.
ind ! hays pot made the girl affec
Tomato enough. She doesn't seem to
Ike him, really. .szsrEsssss--
MISS ,Ppyc5lkfwas aghast. do you
mean that you started your story with
yut finishing your plot firstf',.
He looked crestfallen. "Pm afraid