Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-04-05

meeting occurred It was at the cor
ner grocery. Freda came hurrying IN
with the base of an old stove, her SELF
consciousness at having to carry thisl
awkward burden only making her
cheeks pinker and her eyes rounder-
please I'LL this with OIL" she told
the grocer's boy. and then blushed al
little roster as she realized that Victor,
Paige was standing at her elbow. He
look mis- hat of, and then. when Fred4
averted her look he awkwardly waved
his hat In the air and stroked the cat
with the brim of it to try to convince
himself that he had meant to take it
on anyway. and that he was not 3 bit
embarrassed by Freda's hautenr.
We amt got no oil-all sold out"
came from the grocer's hoy, just as
Victor Paige was fnquiring OF the
grocer himself whether it happened
that oil stoves were part of his
equipment. In the grocery store back
In his New England home town he re-
called that such trIfllng articles were
always sold. And as the n ocer as
sured him that the only places to get
such things were the household fur
aishing stores. and they were all
closed because it was c0alless Mon
day. he conided to him. He knew the
grocer didn't care. and he didn't care
whether he did care, but he spoke in
a :oud. clear voice. Could II have been
that It MAS for Freda's benefit?
you see, the woman that keeps
house for me suggested that If I
bought some oil could manage TO
keep warm, even when the steam was
not up in the apartment. and was
such an ass as to forget that one
really needed something to burn 1t in.
have gallon Of oil. but what good
does that d0?''
Freda did listen. and for just one
moment she was tempted to tell her
neighbor that between the two they
might manage to get sore sort of
result. But she didn't tell him. She
hurried home, walking faster and
faster as she heard his footsteps be-
hind her. He overlook her just as she
reached the landing off which both
their apartments opened. and would
have spoken to her only that she
closed the door rather unceremonious-
~ in his face. She knew she had been
rude, but for some unaccountabIe rea-
sons she took satisfaction IN her heart
lessness.
A half hour later. when Victor Paige |
answered slight ring at his doorbell, |
he wore skating cap. bathrobe. an
overcoat, hockey stockings and gal |
loshes. He found Freda Tilson on the |
landing. She was very sorry TO dis
turb him, she told him, but she had |
received word from the editor In the |
office where she worked that, because |
he had been unable to dispatch some |
copy for her TO do nj home. he would |
like her to put in the day taking die
tation on the typewriter from Mr.. /
Paige. Wasn't 1t funny that Mr. Paige
happened to be connected with the |
same office? Did he wish to come into |
her apartment. or should she come
into his? There was small choice; |
both were arctic.
Ten minutes later Victor Paige. carry /
ing an odoriferous gallon of kerosene.
some ill-kempt notes on stray bits of |
paper. and dish of apples-Vi Victor
could not write without apples for re-
freshment--went into Freda's small I
apartment. When lunch time came t
Freda had forgotten her resentment.
and Vicfor firth RI foil UaS q . .nYch /
10 love with her as he had ever been
with any girl.
IF | had some eggs I'd make an /
omelet and ask you to lunch" she said,
just a little timidly.
And although Victor knew that his
Dinah was coming to make lunch in
his apartment that day, he hurried to
get sorre eggs that he was right in
guessing she had left in his ice box
And so they Iunched. and so the.
worked on through the afternoon.
whats the use of resisting the in.
avitable," he said as she handed him
the last page of his manuscript from
her typewriter. Eve can't either of
as ret along without the other. We
would both have been miserable today
alone"
sit does seem strange. Do you be-
ieve IN fate?"
And apparently Victor did, for he
was always sure it was fate that threw
him and his wife together that coal
ess Monday.