Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-07-10
Love in the
Cobbler Shop
BY JANE OSBORN


idr OF one unburdened by the bundle
containing the otAser pair--if you had
one.
For II IS only when you are down to
one pair that you will wear the worn
pair 20 the shop and sit there in the
old rocker in front of the cobbler'S
bench reading a much begrimed copy Of
the Saturday Evening Post" for some
time in July, 1915, and wearing that
Is the rather dreadful part OF 1.-THE
carpet slippers provided for such as
you.
So Nathaniel In his well-hrushed
though somewhat shiny serge suit, his
tcarefully 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 fro
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 "A 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, man crossed In love and
fully determined since the one girl in
the world could never be his that he
would remain a 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-
tnil of his poverty. And then-did not
she, the incompatible she live In II
country place not far Distant from
Burtontown, and might she not pass
in her limousine and see him sitting
there?
He was just pondering the artless-
ness of highly colored Autograph
calendar, an advertisement for shoe
polish. that graced the cobbler's wall
when he heard footStep on the cob
HERS floor that somehow thrilled him.
The door closed behind someone and
then:
IL want To get some-some shoe
strings, please" II was the ineompar-
able voice. Ii must be Ruth BlRhers.
Nathaniel seized the out-of-date week
ly and began reading an advertisement
for the 1916 model Of well-known
automobile as If II were of absorbing
interest He feltethat she was look
ing toward him. He could see the
cobbler get the strings.
II would be short transaction, he
thought, and she would soon be out.
Could anything be worse than to have
Ruth Blthers 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
whelmingly ashamed of those bare
stocking feet of his yet there was
nowhere to tuck them. 1t was an
ngonizing moment, hut 1t would soon
be over, and then:
"Come to think of It," said Ruth,
I'm have my shoes repaired Can |
sit here? It's SO convenient having
them done while you walt"
Somewhat surprised the cobbler
pointed to pair of carpet slippers
that lay on the floor and to little
bench, and then east dark chances
from his Italian eyes at Nathaniel for
not proftering his more comfortable
rocking chair to SO charming lady.
But Nathaniel appeared to be deep
in peruSal of the magazine. He also
appeared TO be neursghted for he held
It remarkably close to his face.
Thanks To the industry of that same
cohher me repairs were completed ON
NathanlclS shoes in 10 minutes, but
it was the longest, most agoniling Is
minutes that Nathaniel had ever spent,
Meantime the cobhlers 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, hut 10y that time Ruth
was deep in the peruSal of sheet
that had fallen from the 1915 period
icul Then occurred to Nathaniel the
rcuSSuring thought,
When he had met Ruth the summer
before when on one eNtravagant two
weeks vacation nj fashionable water.
ing place--hefore he had ever gone
90 Hurtontown--hc had not told her
Mt first ~ his poverty, 1t was the
old story
Tie wanted to "mZle believe" for
the space OF the vacation But Ruth.
whom he danced with at the hotel,
walked with and swan with ou the
beach and in the SURF, loiaared with on
the boardwalk and nirted with in the
moonlight had shown herself TO be So
much more generously provided with
this worlds wealth than he that.
though he felt that she returned in
a 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 Is he
had pretended To he SO when She loft