The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-01-24

iating smirks from the male gluttons
and an occasional cold thank you or
pleasant day" from the feminine
diners.
If Esther had been able to save
enough money TO pay her fare back to
Brown City she would have been
tempted TO return. But she would not
have yielded to the temptation, be-
cause she felt that she had burned her
bridges when she turned her back on
the place of her birth for the great
| opportunities that beckoned.
! Every night when she crawled be-
tween the torn sheets on the by
bed she visioned the clean, shady old
town where she had grown up, and
she longed for glimpse of Boorbon's
store and all her former associates
there, and she wished she could go
canoeing on Mirror lake and have the
moon shine, and-yes, ii would have
been rather nice TO have Ralph WELD
ing the paddle.
At the end of two years, after sur
viving variety of jobs. Esther held
dry goods counter In the Climax five
and ten cent store and every Satur-
day night she went out of the place
with SO in her pocket. Twice she asked
for a raise, and twice she was refused.
There are any number of girls wait
ing to take your place." she was told.
Nothing was said about 'affording" it,
because the Climax covered a whole
block and was doing more business
than any two stores of the kind in
the city.
One Friday evening. discouraged,
heartsick, hungry, Esther walked
across Seventh avenue, near Times
square, immersed in thought. Her
gaze fixed on an approaching automo-
bile, she was struck by big touring
car coming from the opposite direc-
ton. She was knocked off her feet,
but was not seriously injured because
the driver applied the brakes in time
TO prevent a bad accident.
The car stopped and a young man
clad in plain brown suit got out.
picked Esther up in his arms and
placed her in the front seat. Then he
got in beside her and drove away.
She was somewhat dazed and did
not recognize the driver until they had
gone several blocks. BY that time she
was coming to her senses and she
gazed in wonder at the face of the
man beside her.
Can that be you, Ralph Long?" she
incredulously. He smiled
and extended an arm to indicate he
was about to turn a corner.
1T can be-and it Is" he affirmed,
as they went up Broadway.
'Why-why-what are you doing
here in New York;" she stammered.
I'm driving this car" he replied, as
he threw out the clutch and eaSed the |
through traffic congestion. |
Il left Brown City soon after you did |
to make good. And now I'm driving |
this car"
"Oh, chauffeur - she said, but tho
scorn that might have been in he- tone
two years ago was strangely lacking. |
where are you taking me?" she
inquired.
Dinner" he said briefly. THE own
pr of the car won't care if | keep it
)ut awhile.
During the meal she told her story
without reserve, and he listened with
grave interest.
That's the way it is" she said when
;he had finished. "And | want to tell
7ou, Ralph, that / was all wrong and
I'm sorry 1 didn't marry you. If you
-ou-f you think you care for me still
md want me now you can have me.
With your wages and mine We'll be
bile TO get along"
Ralph lighted a long. formidable CT
,ar and looked across the table with
whimsical expression.
"Of course 1 want YOU" he declared
But my wages Will support us. And
low you've lost your job"
"What do, you mean?" she asked,
uzzled.
81 mean that you're fired from your
OBJ at the fiye-and-ten," he answered.
5 he blew smoke ring ceilingward. ,
You see, l happen to be general man.
ger of the Climax"