The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-07-01
LAURA's HEEL
By JAMIE OSBORN


q. 1850. BY Mcclure Newspaper syn diea,s.
If you had happened to be buying
shoes on certain May morning in
Dawson's smart shoe shop you might
have seen prepossessing young shoe
salesman with his footstool drawn
close to a bewitching young customer,
and you would have thought their con-
versation was more heated and more
intimate than the purchase OF q pair
Of shoes or SO would usually warrant.
II you bad overheard you would
have got this:
But think It was extremely un-
derhanded of you." from the sifl.
You told me you were learning your
.fathers business In every detail ana
I knew be Was in ths shoe busik Us
but l never dreamed that yoH wSfe
sstuallZ waiting on people, selling
women's shoes. - f'
7 sAeeldn't think you'd want to.
Ana yea didn't want me to know, I
,am sure of you would have told me
80 right out. II Just hadn't hap.
pened to walk right up to you before
I even recognized you I never would
have fcqnd It ont. OF course 1 didn't
know that your father ,wa5 really at
the head o. Dewsohh"
i had nothing to be ashamed o."
said ycp1g Dawson, With .considerable
,asperiiy ssspefity that ct vefy Vel
':In my letters I did not 60 into de-
tails because 1 didn't know you would
be Interested. told you what I
thought would be Of most interest to
you. I told you that / would soon
be promoted to the post Of vice ,ppesi-
dent Of the concern with a quarter In
terest In the business. told you
what my income would be within a
few months. told you because I
thought 1t only fair for you to know
these things in considering my pro
posal." Then followed an awkward
pause. =
+ Poor little Doris seemed to be blush
ing with intense embarrassment and
there was nothing for her round blue
eyes to do but to glance down at the
white buckskin pumps that young
Dawson had showed her before she
realized that he was young Dawson at
all. For Doris. In fact had been too
preoccupied thinking Of the letter of
proposal that had come that very
morning from Young Dawson to notice
the young shoe salesman who waited
on her. even though he was as OBJ
viously good to look upon as was
Dawson.
swell. suppose might as well
get the shoes anyway" she said lame
iy. "Yes. I think that those VIII do"
mot II have anything to say about
It." came from Dawson, and he was
surprised at his own tem&rity. Per
haps he had sort Of caveman desire
10 subject the little blue-eyed girl to
oven more enhancement than she
slready felt. to punish her IN Sirt for
ths opinion she had expressed con-
cerning his present hdmbie csinns.
/. If ! am going to have anything, T.
cay about what you do and don't do.
I am never going to let you wear
shoes like that-I guess I know ffbm
my experience here As salesman,
Heels IKE that lust ruin. the shape Of
women's feet. oh, perhaps they are
an right for dances and parties, but
you want these shoes to walk in. /
wouldn't talk to any ordinary custom
er that way, but I've got to tan to
you straight from the shoulder l
never imagined women tortured their
feet the way they do. and it's some
-
and retailer ought to know. That's
why I'm glad am spending these
weeks selling shoes"
"But I think I have a right to buy
the sort Of shoes wish. Besides you
don't know how am answering year
letter." As q matter Of fact the let
ter was on It's way c6ntaihine an an
ever unequivocably iii the ,anif1ba tive.
Doris had planned to get these deIect-
able shoes for a spring house party to
which they were both invited the next
weekend. High-heeled white buck
skin pumps were essential to produc-
ing the picture that she contemplated.
'Iook at the shoes you've got ON
now," ruthlessly went on youne Daw-
son. holding up dainty high-but-
toned boot with exaggeratedIy long
pointed vamp and the. extreme of high
heel. "That's ridiculous. It'n ruin
your health and I'll bet it's fiendisbly
uncomfortable"
Doris did not relish this frankness.
IT think I've stood all am going to
stand from you." she said. You are
toLinU a varv unfair advanta pe nf mo
to get down and say things about my
shoes and my feet" She was trying
desperately to tuck little silk-covered
foot under an abbreviated skirt
please put my shoe back on and let
me CO."
The shoe was eventually buttoned
I'M and Doris rose. Forgive me-"