The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1919-06-14
Love in the
Cobbler Shop
F.. r.
. By JANE OSBORN
By JANE OSBORN
copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure !
paper Syndicate)

There are advantages in having but
one pair of shoes. for when you go to
have them mended you can swing along
to the cobbler shop with the debonair
air of one unburdencd by the bundle
containing the other pair--if you had
one.
For it is only when you are down to
one pair that you will wear the worn
rair 10 the shop and sit there in the
old rocker in front of the cobbler's
bench reading much begrimed copy of
the Saturday Evening POST for some
time in July, 1915, and wearing-that
is the rather dreadful part of 1.-THE
CARPET slippers provided for such as
you.
So Nathaniel in his well-brushed
though somewhat shiny serge suit, his
carefully tied though mayhap thread
hare cravat, and last years hat well
rosed on irreproachably arranged
locks, stepped rather iauntily into the
cobblers shop. bent on concealing frO-a
the world any resentment that ne en-
tertained toward fortune for not having
made him n millionaire or toward ms
superiors at the "plant" for not having
Increased njs salary more rapidly.
For Natbehiel had mother ana
some sisters down state somewhere
who had to he provided for, and living
was very high in Burtontown, where
his 'plant" was located. You surely
never would have guessed had you seen
him that he was man with one pair
of shoes, man crossed in love and
fully determined since the one girl in
the world could never be his that he
would remain q bachelor for life.
When Nathaniel put on those old
slippers he tnrned the rocking chair
so that those who passed the cObbler
shop might not see his face and recog-
nZe him. Not that it mattered much,
but he would rather not have had his
associates at the plant know this d.
tail of his poverty. And then-did not
she, the 'Gco'lparable she, live in Il
country place not far distant from
tOntown, and might she not pass
~ -. ner limousine and see him sitting
there?
He was just bordering the artless-
ness of highly colored Autograph
calendar, an advertisement for shoe
polish, that graced the cobbler's wall
when he heard footstep on the cob
HERS floor that somehow thrilled him.
The door closed behind someone, and
then:
II want to get sOme-Some shoe
strings, please" 1t was the incompar.
able voice. 1t must be Ruth Blithers
Nathaniel seized the out-of-date week
ly and began reading an advertisement
for the 1916 model Of well-knowr
automobile as if it We're of absorbing
interest. He felt that she was look
ing toward him. He could see the
cobbler get the strings.
1t would be short transaction, hi
thought, and she would soon be out
Could anything be worse than to have
Ruth Blithers see him sitting there
with his toes thrust in the worn car
pet slippers, waiting for his one pail
of shoes? Somehow he felt over
whelmingly ashamed of those bare
stocking feet of his. yet there wa
nowhere to tuck them. 1t was al
agonizing moment, but it would sool
be over, and then:
lJ-"Come to think Of it," said Ruth
~1Tll have my shoes repaired. Can
sit here? It's so convenient havin,
them done while you wait"
NSomewhat surprised, the cobble
pointed to pair Of carpet slipper
that lay on the floor and to littl
bench, and then cast dark glance
from his Italian eyes at Nathaniel 70
not prOffering his more comfortably
rocking chair to so charming lady.
But Nathaniel appeared to be dee
in perusal of the magazine. He ais
appeared to be nearsighted, for he he'll
it remarkably close to his face.
Thanks to the industry of that sam
cobbler the repairs were completed o.
Nathaniels shoes in Is minutes, bu
it was the longest, most agOnizing i
minutes that Nathaniel had ever spent
Meantime the cObbler's assistant too
the heels from Ruth's shoes and re
placed them with some made of rub
Der. OF course Nathaniel realized tina
he would have to speak to her. s
he looked up, but by that time Rut
was deep in the perusal of shee
that had fallen from the 1915 period
ical. Then occurred to Nathaniel tn
reaSsuring thought.
When he had met Ruth the summe
before when on one eXtravagant tw
weeks-vacation at n fashionable water
ing place-before he had ever gon
to BurtontOwn-he had not told he
at first of his poverty. 1t was tn
old story.
He wanted to "m2ke believe TO
the space of the vacation. But Eutf
whom he danced with at the hote
walked with and swan with on tn
beach and in the surf. loitered with o.
the boardwalk and flirted with in tn
moonlight, had shown herself to be s
much more generously provided wit
this worlds wealth than he thai
though he felt that she returned Il