American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-05-02
and that she had traded autographed

photographs with Mr.. Kelley.
Neither did he know that Honest Bin
again was a respected citizen, and that,
the reform wave over, Twelfth street
c~ontentedly was saying: II told you
So" His information came from
Mary's letters, and he had an Idea that
honest citizens were being sent to the
~penitentlary for matching for carfare.
The green baseball diamond was
winning the fight from the green gam
bling table. Mary was puzzling her
brain every few moments, wondering
how she would break the news to
Terry that she had promised to marry
Mr.. Kelley.
Kelley was known IN Twelfth
street as a "swell fellow and a grand
dresser" and he was proud Of his rep
| utation. He liked to tell his fellow
baseball players about his %conquests
with ~wOmankind, and he had an
nounced that he had a girl he had
taken away from "a big Chicago gam
bier"
In place Of Terry's diamond, Mary
was wearing an engagement ring set
with a topaz which Mr.. Kelley said
was her birthstone, and therefore
much more appropriate than a dia-
mOnd.
Mary still liked Terry very, very
much, and she kept putting off send
Ing the message that she NEW would
pain him. She stiled her worry by
working "Ks" In fluffy things, and con-
tlnued to write Terry love letters, tell
Ing him that she loved him dearly,
but that the police were still looking
for people to put In jail.
One afternoon, just after she had
returned from Il ball game In which
Kelley had struck out twice when
men were on bases, in came Mr..
Davenport, one of Mary's regular Gus
TONERS.
Then came a surprise.
"Tm shy Il shirt" Mr.. Davenport
said.
at can't be, Mr.. Davenport" Mary
replied, declsively. "All the parties
that bring laundry In here get all OF
Il back. | check II myself"
Mr.. Davenport insisted, and Mary
became angry.
"You might have put It In another
package" he suggested.
"All my customers are honest men,
Mr.. Davenport she replied with a
toss of her big pompadour, which
Twelfth street said was all her
"and II they had got n shirt that wasn't
theirs they would have returned IT.
What kind of n shirt was itf'
Mr.. Davenport explained that 1t was
a soft silk shirt for which he had PAID
three dollars. lie Ind had II laun'
dered twice, he said, and II vas blue,
with little white horseshoes In It.
Mary remembered It. Did 1t hav'
a red stain just below the second but
toni
lie considered for a moment
1t did. Mr.. Davenport had bough
Il for half price because of that stain
"Well 1t hasn't been lost here
Mary assured him with n finallty tina
meant just what she said.
There was no chance for argument
so MIR. Davenport departed.
Mary told herself that she was al
abused girl and that no gentleman eve
would have come In and accused he
of making Il mistake In returning one
laundry. She worked herself into sue
II temper that she decided that nov
wns the time to write to Terry and tel
lin that she loved another. but tina
she always would be Terry's, very hes
friend. Her ending was:
Remember It's best for MS both,
always,
MARY.
"P. S.-The police are stlll on tn
lookout. NJ"
, She regarded the letter a long tint
4 Finally she sealed II and Ibid II on tn
4 cash register so she would be sure I
A remember to mail 1t. She sat dow
and regarded It l~ntently and question
ingly.
i The atmosphere cleared when NJ
@ Kelley came In.
n all, Mary" he said.
3 "Hl, Spike" she smiled,
lie slipped an arm round her, DIRE
v her back where they couldn't be see
from the street and kissed her, IL,
Is head nestled on his big chest a m
4. ment and then she pushed him ba'
- with n cry.
r. Her face had rested on n blue 81
d shirt with white horseshoes on II, al
one OF her eyes almost had touched
IS red stain below the second button.
Ie "Get out OF here, you-you," h
voice choked and she beat him wi
le her fists.
d whats the matterT" said Mr.. X
rs ley.
IL Mary dragged the topaz ring of h
finger and threw the clrclet of gold
rs him. Then she pushed the wonderir
rs startled Mr.. Kelley, who was too 81
H. prlsed to resist. out onto the sldewa
slammed the door and locked II. O.
r. orlng her face with her hands $
dropped into n chair. Just for IA II
81 ment she sat there. Suddenly $
I'd looked up at the letter on the ca
register, and, as II In fear the let