Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-11-12
The LITTLE SHOE
BY JACK LAYTON.

Copyright, 1918, Western Newspaper Union.)
Billy picked it up on his way home
from the theater. He had been about
to cross the road in order to hail a
taxi, when he noticed a dark object
half buried in the snow at his feet.
Bil1y's honest face .wrinkled in perplex-
ity as he turned the thing over in his
hand, to him it looked like a child's
bedroom shoe. What else but a bed
room shoe would be lined with quilt
ed satin, and furred around the top?
what" muttered Bill, would kid
be doing out in the street In bedroom
slipper?" He passed the question
over to the taxi driver.
s'That there's a womans carriage
boot" the man explained
Billy was not offended. He was glad
to find someone to talk to. New York
had given cold welcome to this big
free-hearted son of the West. Upon the
train coming he had noticed the diff
ference.
In Billy'S home town everyone spoke
to everyone else. His car companions
had turned up their collars at his ap-
proach and unsociably lost their faces
within them. Billy was very lonely.
He was discouraged. Perhaps it would
have been better to have stayed and
| spent his pile in the place where he had
made 1t; he was very sorry that
the age limit prevented him from going
| to war, there, one might find comrades
and sympathetic understanding. Even
| the home town had failed him In that.
The other boys had all married, while
Bill was absorbed in the success of his
fortune. Now they were satisfied in
| their homes and he was left outside.
| But then, there had never been a girl
| why, perhaps because he had continued
in the hope of finding one, like his
mother. She had been such tender
faithful creature. Bill couldn't think
| of her yet without lump in his throat
| yes, the girls he had met, were differ
ent. So he sat in the taxi looking down
on the little shoe and wondering what
| to do with 1t.
PUT an ad in the paper" suggested
the still grinning chauffeur. "You'll
find your Cinderella quicker"
The thing really might be valuable,
so Billy inserted his ad. Brief it was.
"Woman's carriage boot found on
Broadway. Apply to Western News
paper Office"
Then because Billy was so very lone
~ in the strange city, and because the
chauffeur had put the thought intOehis
head, he dreamed a dream about a
possible Cinderella. Wealthy, she
might be, to wear boot like that, but
then his own wealth might match hers.
And If she would only be kind-Billy's
dream had taken beauty for granted.
Well, he had record to show back
there in the home town of which no
man need be ashamed.
The answer came abruptly. "Will
finder return boot to suite 5, White
stone Apartments, where he will be
rewarded for his trouble !" The note
was signed Myra Burrows.
Bill felt the excitement of a youth
going to his first party, as he slipped
into his faultless overcoat and hast
ened to Riverside Drive. Unconscious
ly he was believer in "fate." Wasn't
there after all, destiny in that little
shoe lying directly in his path? He
wished that the modern Cinderella
might have dwelt in humble circum-
stances, his education had been good,
yet was this propitious environment
for a dream girl Of appealing gentle.
ness?
He was shown into luxurious room,
and found himself staring stupidity
down into the fretful face of a silver.
haired woman. sit is my boot, young
man" the old lady said brusquely.
IF you have any doubt, get down and
slip 1t on. Women are not wearing
No. 8 overboots as a rule these days.
I will repay your trouble"
The Westerner found his voice.
"Oh! no." he protested, that's all
right"
II insist upon paying for the ad.
vertisement at least" the woman said
sharply and pressed a bell at her side,
Then again Billy stared but this time,
not stupidity. His keen eyes had tax.
en- on the light o. Dreams A girl had
entered the room in response to the
ring. Her lovely face turned in imme.
date attention to the woman's. "Set.
tie with this man regarding the return
OF my carriage boot, Margot," Myra
Burrows directed and left the rsom.
1t was the dream girl who signed
check at the desk, the dream girl, who
put 1t into Billy's hand with a compre-
hending smile.
| "You may as well take it." she said,
Mrs. Burrows undetermined"
And the Westerner forgot New
York's code. He only knew that in
few moments he must leave perhaps
forever, the one girl whose eyes shone
clear as a child's, whose lips curved
in soft appeal, whose voice had the
tender ring that Billy loved to hear.
"Who," he asked abruptly, "are
your?
II am Mrs. Burrows secretary" the
girl answered simply.
Ruefully Billy touched the little
shoe. 81 wish that you were Cinde-
rella," he said. Then at her quick
glance of establishment impulsively
Billy told the tale of his loneliness of
the dream girl, so like his mother.
And as Margot listened her eyes soft
ened into understanding.
"Why that is my own story" she
said, "alone in New York, and friend
less"
Eagerly the Westerner bent over
her. 'Then sometime" he begged.
when you've learned more about ma
you will let me conner"
Sometime, soon," agreed Margot.
Effect of Poison Gases on Troops.
Certain gases have for their more