The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1918-02-21
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s SQuEAkY SHOES 5
BY VINCENT c. PERRY. s
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There was a sharp rap on Marshall
Bells bedroom door and he started
from his sleep. 1t was not two minutes
before he had thrown his bathrobe
over his pajamas. slipped into his slip
pers and opened his bedroom door, but
in that short time whoever 1t was that
had raped, had disappeared. Marshall
was about to close the door when the
odor of hot coffee reached his nos
trils; there it was-a large cupful ON
a tray at his feet and there was q
plate of steaming mullins, too.
swell, this is the best yet" he NUT.
tered as he picked up the tray. my
rooming-house lady certainly is atten-
tive to her roomers." m
He did not wait to dress before tack
ling the mullins and coffee.
"Great!"' he exclaimed when the last
crumb had been washed down by the
last drop of coffee. II made q change
for the better when I moved here.
Breakfast wasn't included In my bar
gain. either"
Marshall was a clerk in q shoe store.
Saturday night, the busiest of all the
week for him, came and was almost
gone. He was tired through and
through, and the prospect of sleeping
late on Sunday looked bright.
He was the last one to leave the
store that night and was just turning
the key in the lock to close up when
he heard a faint pant beside him. He
looked and saw a pretty young woman
who had been hurrying.
"Oh, am I too late to get a pair of
shoes?" she painted. II have been work.
ing late tonight and I did so want to
get them!"
There was al appeal in her tone and
he liked her face. ut won't be any
trouble to open up again." he answered
as he pushed upon the door and flashed
on the lights. "What style of shoe do
you want and what size do you wear?"
She did not take long to make her
choice. Almost the first pair he showed
her she liked, and although he warned
her that they would squeak for n time
until they were broken-in, she was bent
on the purchase.
1T is late for you to be out alone.
Perhaps I am going your way" he sug-
gested.
II live in Marlborough street; num-
Der th~irty-seven."
'The very place where I ROOM" he
said in surprise, II have just been there
q week."
ut is strange that we have never
met at the rooming house," she said
as they were walking home. II have
been working so hard at the Office the
last two weeks that haven't had time
room?"
"At the end Of the hall on the second
floor"
She started. "Are you sure?" she
asked.
Certainly"
"Has Miss Moore, the former occu-
pant Of that room, left the house alto
gether?"
'The landlady told me that they had
taken her to a sanitarium. The room
was %fumlgated before I went into it."
"Poor little thing, l was afraid 1t
would come to that" There was gen.
uine sorrow In her voice. AS Marshall
wished her goodnight, he asked her
her name.
"Grace Atkinson" she answered.
"Mine is Marshall Bell" he told
her, land 1 hope I will be able to re-
new II acquaintance some time
soon." Then he went to bed.
When he awoke 1t was past loon. He
jumped out Of bed, h%urriedly. Why
hadn't he Weakened ut the knock! The
coffee and mullins would be cold. He
opened the door and gave a gasp of dis
appointment. The tray was not there.
AS he passed through the hall On
his way out to dinner, he looked into
the sitting room. where he spied the
young woman Of the evening before.
sitting reading.
"Won't you come out to dinner7" he
invited.
She hesitated for a minute, then
rose. 'Thank you, I WILL" she said.
AS she walked toward him he noticed
the squeak of her new shoes.
"The landlady must be SICK" he re-
marked after they had had dinner. "She
always leaves q nice tray Of mullins
and coffee for me in the morning, but
this morning she did not do so. l love
mullins and coffee"
II think the landlady is quite WE'LL"
Grace answered, as she put her hand
kerchief to her cheeks to hide q blush.
Monday morning Marshall woke with
a start. Had he been dreaming? He
would have sworn that he had heard
4 rap on his door. He listened. There
was an unmistakable sound of squeak
ing shoes going down the hall. He
opened the door just a little. The odor
Of coffee greeted him and he seized
the tray. After he had finished he
dressed, and as he was going out
stopped to put the tray back where
he had found it but. struck with u