The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-11

Before the opening of the doors on
saturday there was a lineup of pros
| pect1ve customers, and when Clara
opened up it was necessary to keep
part of the crowd outside until those
that got in were waited upon and
| started on their way. Whether the
things fitted or not they seemed to
| buy them What wouldn't fit one child
would fit another member of the fam
lily, and SO long as their money lasted
they bought. One old woman bought
her life and would have kept on buy
ing if there had been anything left to
fit her.
i've wanted to be dressed up like
wealthy woman all my life and this
is my chance" she confided to Clara,
who did most of the waiting on her.
Now. if you only had some high
| heeled pumps that you would sell
cheap, 1 think 1 would buy them"
Here's some here" Clara rooted
them from among big pile of shoes.
They are dancing pumps; size three"
! The old lady gave a grunt of disap-
pointment. Il wear mines" she sigh
| ed Cant you find some nipes?"
| Il am afraid not Clara said with
out trace of the laugh she was try
ing to keep back in her voice. There
are some gentlemen's pumps here that
might fit you. but they haven't high
! heels. Would YOU but the old
woman mad passed on to another part
of the room-insulted.
Business kept up all day. keeping
| Clara from lunch. AS evening came
| on the rush subsidized a little, b 1t there
were still stacks of clothes left By
nine O'Clock the piles had diminished
! considerably, but it looked as if there
would still be some fine things left I'M
j sold. I'll have an auction" Clara de-
clared. I'll be one auctioneer, but we
need two to get it done properly"
+ Miss Toohey's brother. DR.. Tcohey,
has just come in. He will help. am
| sure" one of the ladies suggested. DR..
/ Toohey was secured and introduced to
! Clara, but she merely gave him a
glance she gave him his instruc-
lions.
II! You sell everything on that side
of the room and I'll sell everything
over here" she told him.
I'll do my best" he assuredsher, as
he slipped his oyercoat off and put it
down OF a table that had been cleared
of clothes
Then the auction began Clara never
did anything by halves and the way
she sold the remaining things would
have done justice to market crler.
Standing on the top of a table she
gave such glowing recommendations
of the things handed to her that they
were sold one after another-nany at
higher prices than they had been
marked. DR.. Toohey did his part, too.
Whenever Clara stopped for breath
she could hear him making speeches
like real auctioneer. The news of
the auction seemed to travel In less
than half an hour new crowd filled
the rooms, buying everything that was
offered. At eleven o'clock the aSsiS-
tant that had been handing thingy up
to Clara announced that there was
not salable thing left, and there was
still an anxious swarm of customers.
Just as Clara was attempting to
aEght from the table she caught sight
of a mans overcoat on table, and
she motioned to one of the people to
pass it up to her.
Here is a splendid gentleman's
overcoat-" she called out: Fur lined,
in wonderful order. The gentleman
. who donated this was too stout to
wear it. Just the thing for this cold
weather! How much for this coat?
How much?
AS she held it up for view the excel
, lence of it did not escape the men.
There was more competition for it
| than there had been for anythting
, previously sold. When it was finally
knocked down for twelve dollars,
Clara hated to give it up. IT'S a
beauty" she remarked regretfully as
the purchaser claimed it,
After the customers had departed
Clara sank down in a chair, exhausted
heard one of the ladies say, but she
was too tired to answer.
where is my overcoat." Clara
looked up to see DR.. Toohey search
|
what was it like?" she asked in a
; panic.
TT was fur lined and had a fur col
lar" he answered.
"Horrors!" she shrieked, Il sold II.
sold it?" everyone echoed.
II Yes; 1 mistook it for one of the
donations. 1t was the last thing
: sold and 1 got twelve dollars for it
1T cost three hundred" DR.. Toohey
exclaimed That was too much Tor
Clara She promptly tainted.
| When she recovered, DR.. Toohey
: was leaning over her: There. you
: feel better" he said Don't feet dis,
. tressed about my coat. 1 won't need
it anyway. 1t was unintentional
nearly sold a set of furs that belonged
Ito one of the ladies, myself.
, shouldn't have left my coat where il
was 1t is all right"
But the next day Clara couldn't see
that it was all right. She would have
to recover that coat or make good
its value to DR.. Toohey. she decided
She called at his sisters to tell him so
II won't listen to such a thing" he
said after she had made clear her in
tention. 81 would likely have made
:. it a present to someone, anyway. j
won't need it, for l will be in uniform
{, tomorrow. l have charge of a Red
f Cross party that is leaving for France
next week"
I'D love to go with you.' Clara
+. cried. excitedly. I'm a trained nurse
and have my application in. Coule
! you arrange it, DOCTOR"
IT think 1 could he smiled. I'll
/ you are as good a nurse as you are al
auctioneer. 1 couldn't go without you
Besides we are just beginning to be
come better acquainted. You were
present at an operation 1 performed 6
= year ago, but of course you couldn
recognize me in my gown and cap
You don't think 1 am rude for think
ing of you, do you?"
Il Not a Bit she biushed, especially
s lift it is going to get me overseas"
MMRMTmv MTw TANKS