Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-07-25
Love in the
Cobbler Shop
BY JANE OSBORN
SooooooooSooSooooS
Copyright. 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)

Copyright. 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
There are advantages in having but
one pair of shoes, for when you 60 to
have them mended you can swing along
to the cobbler shop with the debonair
air Of one unburdened by the bundle
containing the other pair-if you had
one.
For 1t is only when you are down to
one pair that you will wear the worn
pair to the shop and sit there in the
old rocker in front of the cobbler's
bench reading much begrimed copy Of
the Saturday Evening Post" for some
time In July, 1915, and wearing-that
ls 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 irreproachably arranged
locks, stepped rather jauntily into the
cobbler's shop, bent on concealing from
the world any resentment that he en-
tertained toward fortune for not having
made him a millionaire or toward his
superiors at the plant" for not having
Increased his salary more rapidly.
For Nathaniel had mother and
some sisters "down 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 he 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 bachelor for life.
When Nathaniel put on those old
slippers he tnrned the rocking chair
so that those who passed the cobbler
shop might not see his face and recog-
nize 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 q
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-
ness of highly colored Autograph
calendar, an advertisement for shoe
polish, that graced the cobbler's wall
when he heard u footstep on the cob
blers floor that somehow thrilled him.
The door closed behind someone, and
then:
81 want to get some-some shoe
strings, please" 1t was the incompar-
able voice. 1t must be Ruth Blithers.
Nathaniel seized the out-of-date week
ly and began reading an advertisement
for the 1916 model Of well-known
automobile as II II were of absorbing
interest. He felt that 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 Blithers see him sitting there,
with his toes thrust In the worn car
pet slippers. waiting for his one pair
of shoes? Somehow he felt over
whelmlngly ashamed of those bare
stocking feet Of his, yet there was
nowhere to tuck them. 1t was an
agonlzing moment, but 1t would soon
be over, and then:
"Come to think of it," said Ruth,
"Tll have my shoes repaired. Can I
sit here? It's so convenient having
them done while you wait"
Somewhat surprised, the cobbler
pointed to pair Of carpet slippers
that lay on the floor and to a little
bench, and then cast dark glances
from his Italian eyes at Nathaniel for
not proffering his more comfortable
rocking chair to so charming a lady.
But Nathaniel appeared to be deep
In perusal of the magazine. He also
appeared TO be nearslghted, for ne held
1t remarkably close to his face.
Thanks to the industry of that same
cObbler the repairs we're completed on
Nathaniel's shoes In Is minutes, but
1t was the longest, most agonlzlng IS
minutes that Nathaniel had ever spent.
Meantime the cobbler's assistant took
the heels from Ruth's shoes and re-
placed them with some made Of rub
Der. OF course Nathaniel realized that
he would have to speak to her. SO
he looked up, but by that time Ruth
was deep In the perusal Of a sheet
that had fallen from the 1915 period
90 No -, -
reassuring thought.
When he had met Ruth the summer
before when on one extravagant two
weeks vacation at fashionable water
ing place-before he had ever gone
to Burtontown--he had not told her
at first Of his poverty. 1t was the
old story.
He wanted to "mDke believe" for
the space Of the vacation. But Ruth,
whom he danced with at the hotel,
walked with and swan with on the
beach and In the surf, loitered with on
the boardwalk and firted with in the
moonlight, had shown herself to be 80
much more generously provided with
this worlds wealth than he that,
though he felt that she returned In
measure his devotion, the thought
Of possible continuation Of the friend
ship was out Of the question.
Besides, he could never let her know
that he was not as well to do as he
Ind pretended to be, so when she left
him, giving him to understand that she
wished TO hear from him and mention
Ing lint ahe lived not far from Bur
''7n saiinniel felt convinced tfat
Phone Mt. Airy 118. Farmers phone 1881.
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