The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-06-13


Ing borrow, nothing pay. The only
way to get out of debt is to go iE
deeper-like getting fish hook out Of
your thumb"
Mrs. Chlvvis suffered herself to Be
persuaded. They visited the whole
salers and the jobbers and were well
received, having paid cash before
and. thanks to Mr.. Chivvis' suggestion,
having been astute enough 10 demand
discount for cash.
And now the motortrucks and the
delivery wagons and the cyclecars and
the messenger boys began to pour
stock into the little shop. 1t was pleas
ant not to have to pay for things
though the tips were reaching alarm
Ing proportions, and the bundle Of bills
for future settlement grew and grew.
Mrs. Chlvvis made a list of their
debts and tried to show II TO Daphne,
but she stopped her eyes and ears and
forbade any discussion that would
quench her spirit.
In the swirl of her tasks Daphne
almost forgot Clay Wlmburn. She
was too busy to care much. She had
no time to mourn. Clay was only one
among a myriad regrets, and his af-
fairs could wait. Her business needs
could not.
Clay did not come near her. He
spent lot of money trying to get her
Off his mind. He got a good deal on
his conscience, but not Daphne Off his
mind, He longed for her especially,
too, because there came a sudden dis
aster to his schemes. He was not so
rich as he had been. Indeed, he could
not be sure that he was rich at all.
Any day might smother him with
bankruptcy. This fear kept bin from
Daphne too.
The bouncing munition stocks that
were known as "war babies" had abb
ruptly fallen into q decline. The SUBJ
marine that torpedoed the Lusltania
shattered Wall streets Joy, threw the
dread of war into the United States,
and set every one to questioning the
problem of revenge and Its cost.
The slump in the market came at
the most unfortunate moment for Bay
ard and Clay. Any momeIt of slump.
indeed, would have come most uutimS-
iy for their ventures.
'Kip and Chivvis" were making a
picnic gIOund of the shop. Behind the
soap-vell ID windows they laughed and
debated on arrangements and price
tags and show cards.
Mr.. ChNYls, still out of a Job, acted
as maid Of all work and stevedore,
and grew so useful that they had to
put him cut. And OF last the Iaomcnt
arrived when they declared the shop
open, "raised the curtain" az Daphne
said.
She walled with a stage-fright she
had not felt In Reben's theater. There
was no la * of temperament in her
manner now. But there was no audS
ence, eitheh
At night Kip and Chtvvis locked
their doors and went home, discouN
aged beyond words and dismally
weary in the legs. also In tie smile-
muscles which had been kept at an en-.
pectant tension all day long.
Occasional purchases were made
but unimportant. Kip and Chivvis
tried to learn what interested peopls
and what did not. They realized that
they had far too much OF certain
things and far too little Of others.
They attempted to sell the deadwood
BY marking 1t down; but II would not
move.
"What do the womeE care for
prices?" Daphne rallied. "They ara
spending some mans money, anyway.
They pretend that it's to please him.
but they know and we know that tt's
because they hate each other"
One day q great lady who couiG
hardly squeeze through the doos
creaked into the shop and spilled her
self into a startled little chair like a
load of coal. Daphne felt that she was
about to die on their hands or ask for
an ambulance. but she asked instead
for an embroidered breakfast gown
from the window.
Mrs. Chlvvls fetched It and the old
ogress clutched 1t from her, holding II
up to her nose as If to sniff 1t, but
really to see 1t.
That's It'll That's what I've been
looking for" she wheezed. "Have you
got much of this sort of thingf"
"Oh yes"
"Agh, that's goodl My daughter Is
marrying In some haste-a young Inn
beetle who's going over to France to
run an ambulance. I'm Mrs. Romily."
Mrs. Chivvis waited unperturbed for
further Identification. Daphne had
never heard of Mrs. Romilly, either,
but she gasped as II she had been say
Ing her prayers at the shrine Of Rom.
lily from childhood and nov had been
visited by the patron saint, whom sho
had recognized at once. of course.
"Oh yes. of course"
Mrs. Romilly was coughing ont
"Tve been to several shops, and was
almost in despair until / saw your
sign. II you could do fe@ things In
n