The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-11-27
The Magnet
@@
BY R. RAY BAKER

Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)

dblt IetbIu.
BY this it is not meant that the pres
ent generation Of men and women Is
so ruled by fcLleness that three years
Of being true is out Of the ordinary, al
though you will find soured-on-the-
world cynics who will assert that such
is the case.
One of the extraordinary things
about the fealty Of Leah and Grover
was that during the three-year period
In question they were in different cities
and yet did not exchange a letter or
postcard But the feature that really
justfes the use of the world remark
able" is the fact that the young lady
and young man concerned never had
formed an acqulintanceship-dld not
in fact. know each others names.
Leah was CLERK i'm the magazine,
cigar, popcorn candy, postcard counter
at the Union station In a city Of some
100000 souls I'm Illinois. Grover was
one Of those hustllng young men who
can convince you that not to take out
Insurance on your life is rank treason
against the human race.
Grover arrived at the station one
evening. weary from slow, humping
ride on a local train that appeared to
scorH the rails and insist on traversing
the ties between them. He had a
crouch which ne directed against the
railroad, the insurance business and
the world In gencral-untll he spled
Leah
Leah was not in a joyful mood. She
was obliged to work overtime because
the night clerk at the stand was sick
and She had to miss a theater party
with four girl friends. She sCOwled as
she sold fat man a package Of gum,
but when She looked up from the cash
register and saw Grover wreaths of
smiles adorned her countenance.
There he is at last" brcathed Leah
"the handsome man I've dreamed about
so often. [ always knew I'd meet him
some day"
"By George, That's the girl I've
been waiting all these years for
Grover told himself. isn't she the
pretty thing?'
As a matter Of fact, neither of them
was beautiful or handsome although
each possessed the normal amount of
attractivcncss.
Grover at once approached the stand.
She smiled welcome at him, somewhat
timidly, for her experience with men
had been limited, as had his with girls.
lie was far from being at ease, and
somehow he could not decide on what
To purchase from her. Naturally, when
stranger approaches a place where
things are sold ana stares at clerk,
Che clerk expects to sell something he
argued, and still he could not think Of
thing lac needed.
He looked over the magazines, finally
selecting one, but when he thrust
hand into his pocked ne found that his
purse had vanished. She was rolling
up the magazine. q
"No, I don't want that after ALL" he
fHltorcd. 81 have read il, come to think
Of it,
She laid it back lie ranSacked his
brain for the name Of some magazine
that me- did not see on the stand. 1t
was useless. The supply laid out be-
fore him apparently included every
publication in the world.
She was Visiting and he was being
tossed hclplessly on a stormy sea Of
distress. He tidgctcd and perspred. At
last desperately, he blurted out:
"The magazine | want is The Mag
net Have you the last issueW
The smile left her face and disap-
poulmrut crcpt into her eyes She
wanted 10 please this stranger, to fur
nish him with the article he desired to
purchase She had failed.
"No. SIr' She answered, eve don't
Keep that magazine in fact, never
heard Of ID, and thought | was an au-
thorily On prriodicals,'
He thanked her and trudgcd home
ward with "a curtain Of gloom settled
over him. He had made mess Of It,
hr ragged aud hr went TO sleep 10
dream tat hr had met the girl tbot
was meant for him. and that inst os ne
WAS about to lead beer to the altar to
mako. Inc. L,. LriJ. a. ,,ftrh dogc.nI.d
from Tine cruuds and transformed him
into douLry.
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