Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-05-22
Love In the
Cobbler Shop
r.
ByJANE OSBORN

There are advantages in having but
one pair of shoes. for when you go 70
have them mended you can swing along
10 the cobbier shop with the debonair
cir of one unburdened by the bundle
containing the other pair-if you had
one.
For II is only when you are down to
one pair that you will wear the worn
old rocker In front of the cobbler's
bench reading a 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
bare cravat. and last years hat well
posed on iHeprOachably arranged
locks, stepped rather jauntily into the
cobbler's shop, bent on concealing frCA
| the world any resentment that he en-
| tertained toward fortune for not having
made him millionaire or toward his
superiors at the plant" for not having
increased his salary more rapidly.
For Nathaniel had mother and
some sisters tdown state" somewhere
who had to be 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 ne was a 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 those old
slippers he tnrned the rocking chair
SO that those who passed the cobbier
shop might not see his face and recog-
niDe him. Not that 1t mattered much,
but he would rather not have had his
associates at the plant know this de-
tail of his poverty. And then-did not
she, the Incompatible she, live in a
country place not far distant from
Burtontown, and might she not pass
in her limousine and see him Sitting
there?
He was just bordering the artless-
Dess of "a highly colored Autograph
calendar, an advertisement for shoe
polish, that graced the cobbler's wall
when he heard footstep on the cob
bler's floor that somehow thrilled him.
The door closed behind someone, and
then:
'"I want TO get some-sorae shoe
strings, please" 1t was the incompar-
Nathaniel seized the out-of-dabe week
ly and began reading an advertisement |
for the 1916 model Of a well-known |
as If it were of absorbing
He felt CHAT she was look
Ing toward him. He could see the
cobbler get the strings.
1t would be a short transaction, he
thought, and she would soon be out.
Could anything be worse than to have
Ruth Blfthers see him sitting there,
with his toes thrust in the worm car
oct slippers, waiting for his one pair
If shoes? Somehow he felt over
ashamed of those bare
stocking feet of his, yet there was
Nowhere to tuck them. 1t was an
lgonizing moment, but it would soon
,e over, and then:
"Come to think of it," said Ruth,
TIL have my shoes repaired. Can I
1t here? It's so convenient having
hem done while you wait"
Somewhat surprised, the cobbler
ointed to a pair of carpet slippers ,
hat lay ON the floor and to little :
ench, and then east dark glances ,
rom his Italian eyes at Nathaniel for ,
OF proffering his more comfortable Z
ocking chair to so charming lady.
But Nathaniel appeared to be deep a
/ pcrusal Of the magazine. He also q
ppeared to be nearsighted, for he held {
remarkably close to his face. e
Thanks TO the industry of that same e
,bbler the repairs were completed on "
athaniel's shoes in IS minutes, but
was the longest most agonizing 10
inutes that Nathaniel had ever spent.
eantime the cobbler'S assistant took a
e heels from Ruth's shoes and re- n
aced them with some made of rub [
r. OF course Nathaniel realized that "
would have to speak to her. So Il
looked up, but by that time Ruth ri
as deep in the perusal of sheet OF
at had fallen from the 1915 period re
al. Then occurred to Nathaniel the OF
assuring thought. re
When he had met Ruth the summer et
fore when on one eXtravagant two n,
,eks' vacation at fashionable water m
Z place-before he had ever gone til
Burtontown-he had not told her nj
first Of his poverty. 1t was the
story. XII
He wanted to make believe for VI
, space of the vacation. But Ruth th
ON he danced with at the hotel, or
liked with and swan with on the -
lch and in the surf, loitered with on In
boardwalk and flirtcd with In the clo
onlight, had shown herself to be so lie,
oh more generously provided with
$ worlds wealth than he that,