Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-07-02
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
| RING FOR FRANCES
BY MARGARET |. FEELEY.
wright, 1913, by the McClure NeWspa
per Syndicate)

Frances K simply detested her
alarm clock. Every morning it brought
her back from dreams of green fields
and babbling brooks to brick tenement
houses and city noises. Furthermore,
it impressed on her that R 4 co.
expected every clerk behind the coun-
ter at 80 sharp.
Although the mirror said her face
was getting thinner, Frances blamed
1t on the new style of hairdreSsing In
! another ten days she would have her
weeks vacation, while afternoons in
the park would soon put the color In
her cheeks again, she told herself.
She wondered if David B, the
new manager, noticed. Frances smiled
afterwards. Just as if he could keep
track of a half thousand salesgirls'
tired looks.
Surprising he did ask her to share
his umbrella TO the elevated station the
last rainy evening-it merely showed
he was a gentleman. Nevertheless, she
,, knew she was about the last girl TO
leave the store.
Guess you'll have TO set your alarm
clock little earlier" was Mrs lis
I greetings as Frances came down late
| to breakfast.
Scarcely ten minutes after her ar
rival at the store, David B APP
| preached the counter. Miss *,
he said, 1--WE are having special sale
on alarm clocks today. Miss NJ is
out sick. VIII you please take charger
Frances had no recollection Of reply
ing. She next remembered B ex-
planning how to regulate the clock. and
try her utmost she could not keep the
| flaming color from her cheeks.
| All that morning she wound and re-
wound the alarm device for prOspec-
| tive customers until now 1t seemed
as If her head would burst with pain
from listening to the ringing
| For lunch she had an ice cream,
hardly nourishing to tired clerk.
| During the afternoon how her head
throbbed. Would the public ever stop
buying alarm clocks? "Yes'm," Frances
remembered saying, this alarm rings
| every 80 seconds, then stops, then
rings"-how warm everything seemed.
the store was getting dark. It's funny
| the lights are out, didn't the alarm
sound far away and then-total
darkness. She thought she heard
David BIS voice, but oh, so family.
Frances opened her eyes in room
she had often read about, room that
existed for her only in story books
| cretonne curtains, a little enameled
bed, cool white paper and a nurse.
| Surely, this was dream. The nurse
| explained that R & Co had re-
served room at the hospital for any
| Of their clerks 'wNo might become ILL.,
This was news indeed, for the firm
never had the reputation Of being over
| kind-hearted.
| When she next awoke ii was early
| evening, while the corridor lights ac'
centuated the growing darkness Of her
| room. Suddenly, the smart trim fig
ure of the nurse appeared in the door,
way, followed by David B. Frances
was conscious that he was standing by
her bedside. Slowly she opened her
eyes, while the nurse switched on the
lights.
ut was nice of you to come, Mr.
B" she began. 81 am very thank.
full to the firm, also" With a NOD
B dismissed the nurse.
Miss X" he said in low modu.
lated voice, I'm awfully sorry / put
| you on that alarm clock counter, but
didn't know you weren't feeling
we'll"
Frances smiled family. ut was fool
ish of me-" she began, but B in
terrupted.
please let us not talk about that
now" he said, "but after little while
| / hope you'll be well enough to &C
down and stay with my mother. Oui
home is much too large for the two OF
us, beSides-a rest would"
t"Oh, but couldn't, Mr.. B
you see, II"
"Now, know you are going to say
you don't know me, but you do, al
though you've long forgotten"
Are you sureT Frances inquired
her voice trembling.
Am sure" B answered. TN
going to tell you something, then yor
may decide for yourself"
"You remember John M II
Northwood"
Frances nodded.
"He was my uncle" B. contin
ued, "and one summer along about five
years ago went down to visit him or
his farm. He was pretty cranky sor
| Of a fellow, but good hearted, just thu
same. There was family down the
road who used to supply him witt
| milk. A little dark-haired girl uset
to deliver it every morning. One morn
ing she was late. He was terribl!
cranky; he told her that she ought Il
| buy an alarm clock to wake her up
| In her haste and confusion she drop
ped the milk. ! felt sorry, but
knew my uncle's disposition, so hat
to keep still. left the next day, bu
| found out her name. When came
back the next year she had left TIT