The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-19
Euening Story
Squeaky Shoes
BY VINCENT G. PERRY.

There was a sharp rap on Marshall
Bells bedroom door and he started
from his sleep. It was not two minutes
before he had thrown his bathrobe
over his pajamas. slipped into his slip
pers and opened his bedroom door,
but in that short time whoever it was
that had raped. had disappeared.
Marshall was about to close the door
when the odor of hot coffee reached
his nostrils; there it vast large cup
full on a tray at his feet and there was
a plate of steaming mullins, too.
sWeil. this is the best yet he mutt
tered as he picked up the tray. My
rooming-house lady certainly is at
tentive 20 her roomers."
He did not wait to dress before
tackling the muffins and coffee.
"Great!" he exclaimed when the last
crumb had been washed down by the
last drop of coffee. Il made a change
for the better when 1 moved here
Breakfast wasn't included in my bar
gain, either. I can't understand 1t.
This is probably a little favor because
it is my first morning here. 1t is too
good to last"
But it did last Morning after morn
ing for the whole week there was the
same rap on the door and the same,
tray waiting for him. There was al
ways a cup of coffee and muffins or
breakfast rolls. After the second morn
ing he took it as Il matter of course.
Z,
ed the tray where he had found it and
when he came hime in the evening it
was gone.
Marshall was clerk in a shoe store.
Saturday night, the busiest of all the
week for him, came and was almost
gone. He was tired thru and thru,
and the prospect of sleeping late on
Sunday looked bright. II hope it is
muffins tomorrow morning" he
thought, as the clock neared closing
time. THE rolls are good but the
mullins are greati"
He was the last one to leave the
store that night and was just turning
the key in the lock to close up when
he heard a faint pant beside him. He
looked and, saw a pretty young woman
who had been hurrying.
ooh, am top late to get a pair OF
shoes % she parted 81 have been
working late tonight and did SO want
to get them!"
There was an appeal in her tone and
he liked her face. 1T won't be any
trouble to open up again" he answer
ed as he pushed upon the door and
flashed on the lights. What style of
shoe do you want and what size do
you wear ?,'
She did not take long to make her
choice. Almost the first pair he show
ed her she liked, and altho he warned
her that they would squeak for
time until they were broken-in, she
was bent on the purchase.
1T is late for you to be out alone.
Perhaps L am going your way" he
suggested.
Il live in Marlborough street; num-
ber thirty-seven.'
THE very place where [ ROOM" he
said in surprise. Il have just been
there a week"
"It is strange that we have never
met at the rooming- house." she said
as they were walking home. "I have
been working SO hard at the office the
last two weeks that haven't had time
to notice any changes Where is your
"At the end of the hall ON the Sec
ond floor
I She started. Are you sure?" she
asked.
Certainly"
Has Miss Moore. the former occu-
pant of that room, left the house alto
gether?"
1.-THE landlady told me that they
! had taken her to~a sanitarium. The
room was fumigated before I went
| into it,
Poor little thing, I was afraid it
| would come to that" There was gen.
uiae sorrow in her voice. II used to
| drop in to see her often and was able
to do little things to help her, but
since the rush at the office I haven't
had time to make my calls"
| 1t was not a long walk but 1t seemed
! shorter than usual this night. As
Marshall wished her Goodnight, he
| asked her her name
Grace Atkinson" she answered,
and he, wondered why she blushed SO
furiously.
Mine is Marshall Bell he told her,
"and 1 hope 1 will be able to renew
our acquaintance sometime soon.''
She muttered something in an em-
barrassed way, then begged to be ex-
/ fni hcv J. crfe, ,fY--
way and went to his room. He wasn't
too tired to stay awake for a few min
utes to think of her and what a nice
girl she was. Girls had never made
much impression on him before. but
| this one was SO different from any of
! the others that he liked her. A man
could not be single all his life and
enjoy it, he decided, and the balance
he had in the bank was enough to buy
bungalow somewhere and furnish it.
What was the sense of existing in a
| boarding house when real home com
forts were possible. Then he started
to figure, but his mind no sooner got
on the figures than he dropped to
sleep When he awoke it was past
noon. He jumped out of bed, hur-
the knock, The coffee and muffins
, would be cold. He opened the door
and gave a gasp of disappointment
| The tray was not there
| AS he passed thru the hall on his
way out to dinner, he looked into the
sitting room. where he spied the
young woman of the evening before,
| sitting reading.
| Won't you come out to dinner?"
he invited.
| She hesitated for a minute, then
rose. Thank you. I WILL" she said.
As she walked toward him he noticed
the squeak of her new shoes.
| THE landlady must be SICK he re-
marked after they had had dinner.
She always leaves a nice tray of
muffins and coffee for me in the
morning, but this morning she did not
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