The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-04-04
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Love in the Cobbler Shop.
BY JANE OSBORN.

dBhB are advantages IN having
but one pair Of shoes, for when
you 30 to have them mended you
an swing along TO the cobbler shop
Nth tie debonair air Of one unburden-
81 BY the bundle containing the other
Dair-if You had one.
ForiitIs only when you are down to
me pair that you will wear the worn
'oair 10 the shop and sit there in the
Ga fockor in front Of the cobblers
,tuch readiug a much begrimed copy
81 the Saturday Evening Post for some
lime IN July 1915 and wearing-that is
the rather dreadful part OF 1.-THE car
set slippers provided for such as you.
So Nsthaniel in his well brushed,
Ehoueh somewhat shiny serge suit, his
carefully tied, though mayhap thread
bare cravat, and last years hat well
posed IN irTesproachably arranged
locks, stepped rather jauntily into the
e6bblers slop, bent on concealing from
the world any resentment that he en-
teftainsd toward fortune for not hav-
M made him q millionaire or toward
&c superiors at the plant" for not
having increased his salary more rap,
dly.
For. Nathaniel had mother and
iome sister down state somewhere VINO
had to he provided for, and living was
very Eign in Burtontown, where his
6la1f was located. You surely never
would hayo guessed had you seen HIM
mat he was man with one pair OF
shoes. a man crossed in love and fully
determined since the one girl in the
world could never be his that he would
remain a bachelor for life. -,
When Nathaniel put on these OLD
slippers he turned the rocking chair so
nat those who passed the cobbler shop
might not see his face and recognize
him. Not that it mattered much but
be would rather not have his assoclat-
Is st the plant know this detail OF his
boyerty. And then-did not she, the
incompatible she, live in a country
place not far distant from BurtontoWn
aud might she not pass in her limou-
sine and see him sitting there.
He was Just bordering the artless-
mess of a highly colored Autograph cal
ender, an advertisement for shoe pol
ISL, that graced the cobblePs wall,
when he heard footstep on the cob
blef's floor that somehow thrilled him.
The door close behind some one, and
then:
q want to get some-some shoe
strings, please 1t was the incompar'
able voice. It must be Ruth Blithers.
Nathaniel sliced the out of date weekly
and began reading an out Of date adj
9ertisement in it for the 1915 model OF
8 well known automobile as II it were
St absorbing interest. He felt that she
was looking toward him. He could
ssesthh d0bbler get the strings.
II would be short transaction, he
thought, and she would soon be out.
Could anything be worse than to have
Ruth Bhthers see him sitting there,
With his toes thrust in the worn car
pet slippers, waiting for his one pair
81 shoes3 Somehow he felt overwhelm
lnety ashamed of those bare stocking
feet Of His, yet there was nowhere to
tuck them. It was an agonizing mo-
oient gu: 1t would soon be over and
then:
Acoms to think Of IT," said Ruth,
''T,il have ny shoes repaired. Can sit
hefe2 It's so convenient having them
done while you wait"
Somewhat surprised the cobbler
pointed to apair OF carpet slippers that
lay on the floor and to little bench
ana then cast dark glances from his
Italian eyes at Nathaniel for not prof.
feringt his more comfortable rocking
chair 10 so charming lady.
But Nathaniel appeared to be deep
IN pet1sal Of the magazine. He also
appe5red tc be near sighted, for he
held Ii remarkably close to his face.
Thanks to the industry Of that same
cobbler the repairs were completed on
Nathaniel's shoes in fifteen minutes,
but It was the longest and most agon-
King fifteen minutes that Nathaniel ev
e. spent, Meantime the cobbler's as
sistant took the heels from Ruth's
shoe8 and replaced them with some
made OF rubber. OF course Nathan
81 realized that he would have to speak
70 her. So he looked up. But by that
Time Ruth was deep in the perussl of
sheet that had fallen from the 1915
periodical Then occurred to Nathan
iei the reassuring thought.
When he had met Ruth the summer
before on one extravagant two weeks
vacation at fashionable watering
place before he had ever gone to Bur-
tontown-he had not told her at first
u bis poverty. 1t was the old story.
He wanted to make believe" for
he space Of the vacation. But Ruth,
whom he danced with at the hotel, ana
walked with and swan with on the
the Boardwalk and flirted with in the
moonlight, had shown herself to be so
much more generously provided with
this worlds wealth than he that tho
be felt mat she returned in a measure
bis devotion. the thought Of q possible
continuation Of the friendship was out
q the question
BESIDES, he could never let her know
that ie was not ase we'll to do as he
had prAtended to be, so when she
ieft him. giving him to understand that
she he'd to hear from him and men.
tfonine that she lived not far from
BnrtohtoRn. Nathaniel felt convinced
that Vas the end.
re DID not even write to her but
When little later, he went to Burton
toNn u work he was filled one moment
With the fear that he might see her by
chance and then with regret that he
did mott But TO have her see him sit.
ding there in the cobbler's carpet slip
pefs vas agouiEing. Then came the
lls1t She had had her shoes repaired
Ehile ehe waited. She too possessed