The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-02-23
A Romance in a Flag.

lumpy pillow and rubbed her tired, |
aching eyes. She had cried herself
to sleep the night before, most un-
supposedly devoted to rest, though in
a measure it did bring relief of Il sort
to the girl who had spent two nerve
racking weeks in a basement sales
room, where low voices were at a
premium and the shrill tones of the
salespeople were only equaled by the
querulous high-pitched voices of the
bargain hunters.
Nora was in the tinWare, of all
places the last in which to look for
peace. She marveled hourly at the
composure of the other two girls, who
were unmOVed either by the impend-
ing horrors OF markdown sale or an
unlooked-for shower of cooking uten-
sis from an upper shelf. I'll maybe
get used to it, too, after a bit,
thought the shy girl from the Iowa
farm. She was lost in guilty vision
Of her aunt caring for all those fancy
fowl, alone, these wintry days, for her
uncle was too busy with the stock to
fool with Chickens when she sold
the thin-lipped woman an aluminium
kettle for the price Of plebeian tin.
The price-tag had been torn off, and
Nora, to whom kettle was kettle,
and nothing more, cast glance at
the red ticket on it's next neighbor
and glibly repeated its price. The
woman had seemed surprised, but she
aurriedly completed the bargain and
was walking away with her prize, be-
lore either Of the other girls became
conscious of the costly mistake.
1--WE don't dare call her back, be-
cause she has Scads of money" said
Ethel Ward, the older of the girls.
But you've got to tell the manager
| what you did, Nora. 1t would be
| aOund out anyway, and perhaps he'll
be a little easier on you if you own
| up. Goodness, how'd you ever do such
a crazy thing? Anybody ought to
know the price Of aluminium
We'll, for the love of goodness,
| ethel, what's the use of scolding the
! poor girl? She'll have to make good
| out of this weeks pay. even if moth
ng worse happens. Here he comes
! low. Go on, better get it over, said
! Lucy North, giving Nora q friendly
push in the direction of the cold-eyed
| individual who was making his way
! down the crowded aisle in response
| 60 the insistent call Of a clerk at the
| adjoining counter.
Nora had waited until the charge
slip had been properly signed and the
| customer was out OF hearing, before
she ventured from her place. Pos
5ibly many things had gone awry in
The basement that day, and Nora S
mistake may have been the last straw
! which was needed to completely de
| mOlish the suave managers patience
FOR an instant he was speeches., but
o Nora S unhappy mind his cold eyes
/ seemed to be darling blue flames into
Ter soul Then hd'rclieFed his mine
1 If many cutting and cruel sentences
most Of which he didn't really mean
md at another time would have
| 'corned to utter. Nora listened Will
1 one thought uppcrmoSt, would She
ave to pay, and would she lose hel
.jlace?' "Of course YOU will make
God the difference in the price, anC
! ;ince the sale is about over-let me
| see, this is Wednesday-you need no
/ :eport for work until Saturday. | vii
zee then if we can make a place fo1
l in Cf1
! 10 not promise anything" he conclud
I'd, as he turned to answer the quer,
| Of a broad-shouidered young man in {
lark blue uniform.
"What'd he say" whispered Ethel
stopping under the counter as if il
search of a special piece of her stock
THAT I'd have to pay the difference
in the price of the kettles, and oh
lear, I'm afraid my place is gone
He told me not to come to work unit
Saturday. What shall | do?' whisp
cred Nora
IF you need some money, | cal
lend you little You'd better keel
your room rent paid, whatever els'
YOU let co. said Lucy.
NO it isn't the money just now
I've enough to last for few weeks
You know l had some saved when
came here; but it will be so hard t.
get in any place now. | was tel
, days getting here" said Nora.
Don't you worry, if you've none.
. enough for more than 4 week! I'd cal
that riches. And you'l be given an
other chance on Saturday. He Onl.
wants to throw a scare into you.
cried Ethel. Il hope that miserable
old woman burns everything she put
in that kettle. | call that plain, every
: day stealing! She knew you had mad
mistake, BAH" exclaimed Lucy.
BE careful, Lucy, those kettles ar
supposed to be unburnable!" laughed
Ethel. Nora smiled a little, too, TO
the good humor of the girls was in
fictitious. She hoped they were RICH
about Saturday, and with revived
courage, finished out her day anon:
/ the noisy stock.
She did not set her alarm clock
since there was no need of early ris
ing; but she was awakened by he
Warm-hearted landlady the next morn
ing, who, not hearing the girl stirrin,