Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-18
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
A RING FOR FRANCES
BY Margaret I. Feeley
FRANCES X simply detested her

alarm clock. Every morning It
brought her back from dreams Of green
fields and babbling brooks to brick tene-
nent houses and city noises. Further
,,,oro a. ,n,nressed on her that R &
70 exnected every clerk behind the
counter at $3.50 sharp.
Although the mirror said her face
was getting thinner, Frances blamed 1t
IN the new style of hairdressing. In
another ten days she would have her
,veel's vacation. while afternoons In the
mark would soon put the color In her
cheeks again, she told herself.
She wondered IL David b, tne
new manager, noticed. Frances smileo
afterward. Just as II he could keep
track of half thousand saiessris
tired looks.
Supposing he did ask her to snare
his umbrella to the elevated STATION 'he
last rainy evening-lt merely showed he
was a gentleman. Nevertheless. she
knew she was about the last girl 10
leave the store.
"Guess you'll have to set your alarm
clock iittie carrier was ,n,,. w." ,,,o -
greeting as Frances came down late u
breakfast. Her landlady had most un-
.,,. ,,,or,or ~ saving things. but
Frances Gas too tired to even prete,lu
| 10 boar Il was one of those hot, sticky
,trs .nd sbo wished she were
| MORNINGS an" on" -, g., .,.,
! ending instead or beginning Hel u"S
work
coa,,o,,, .on ,,,,rutes a fter her arrival
scarceiy' Ten lii''iu'ea "i'e' a.a,,o od
at the store David i appio"e"
| the counter Miss k, ne sald
m,,o are having n special sale on alarm
we are iia''"e sp - o,,t ,,ol,
CLOCKS To-Day MISS !" ~, So,
Will you please take CHARGE" Frances
,, raoo,,oot;on or replying. She
next remembered B explaining how
to regulate the clock, and try her ut
a,,n could mt keen the flaming
| 'host' She C
color from her cneeks' KS. o,,.a ,,d 70.
,,,o,,n5 tbo alarm device for prospective
"ou"u 'no .;, =. .oe.,,oa a.. a
customers, untli now seeh'eu as :.
her head would burst with pam from
''stehi's ~ .n , Nd Too croam-hardIv
For luncn she "au ice u '' ~
nourishing for a tired clerk.
During the afternoon nov her neau
buying alarm clocks? "Yes'm.' Francs
remembered saying: this alarm TIDES s,
every thirty seconas, tneh s.ops, ,,,ad Ia
rings" How warm everything seemed
the store was getting ,In,t aaIk ,ha s aIarn,
the lights are out didnt tne aiarEl darInI
sound far away? And thenIototal 6a darki i,ii
ness. she thousht sne fat,ti,,
B--s voice, put, on. SO .i, Iatr''s' ,n roon,
Frances aS ftep oPenea read "s about a room that
she hau ol'e. an,,r IN storv hooks
cretonne curtains @ al h'a'e ne'rsa erse sursIv pI
cool, Wnlle paper anu /" huioS'
this was cream bG ane resnrwed narse sAp' room
aHat t,a bosnitaI for any Of their clerks
AT the Sa nSs hanonSa III This was news
,ndeod Mdo d''S sor the firm never had the repu-
'"SlV, When " she next awoke it was early
o,,apinr wben the corridor lights ac-
centuafed the growing darkness of her
ronm Suddenly. the smart, trim figure
of the nurse appeared in the doorway
! toIloyed nv David B. Frances was
conscious that he was standing by her
bedside. Slowly she opened her eyes
while the nurse switched on the lights
ut was nice of you to come. Mr.
B" she began. II am very thank
dismissed the nurse.
Miss K" he said in a low mod
ulated voice, I'm awfully sorry ! put
you on that alarm clock counter but
Frances smiled family. ut was TOOL.
ish of me-" she began, but B. inter.
rupted.
please let us not talk about thai
now" he said, but after a little while
hone you'll be we'll enough to gc
down and stay with my mother. Oul
house is much TOO large for the two o.
us. besides-a rest would"
.'Oh, but 1 couldn't, Mr.. B.; yol
CO. ;,
'e1tNo;,, 7 Lno,y WI, ,re poinp 70 sa,
,.o,, ~ Ior,t kno" me bnt yn,, do al
itough o yo,,,~n ,onp forgotten
u.s. go .mrn D, Erancea jnouired
are Sou euie 'HN' VIZ
ana her voice tpempiea. oa "r,,
co;na Gu taii yo,, sonoethinp then vol