The Era-leader. [volume] (Franklinton, La.) 1910-current, 1920-12-02


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 f."
he said, 1--WE are having special sale
on alarm clocks today. Miss NJ IS
out sick. Will you please take charge"
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? "Yesn," Frances
remembered saying, "ths alarm rings
avery 30 seconds, then stops, then
rlngs"-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, 50 family.
Frances opened her eyes In 4 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 nurse.
Surely, this was dream. The nurse
explained that R. & Co. had re.
served a room at the hospital for any
Of their clerks VINO 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 &C.
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.
1T was nice Of you to come, Mr..
b." she began. ~ am very thank.
ful to the firm, also" With a nod
b. dismissed the nurse.
Miss H." he said in low modu'
lated voice, "I'm awfully sorry | put
you on that alarm clock counter, but
I 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
l hope you'll be well enough to 60
down and stay with my mother. Oul
home Is mitch too large for the two Of
+, u.s. besldes--a rest would"
"Oh, but I couldn't, Mr.. B.
j YOU see, IL"
"Now, I know you are going to say
J, you don't know me, but you do, al
though you've long forgotten"
!, "Are you sure?" Frances inquired
her voice trembling.
d "Am sure7" B. answered. I'm
going to tell you something, then 70,
may decide for yourself"
"You remember John M II
:, NorthwoodT
= Frances nodded. J..
"He was my uncle" B. contin
ued, "and one summer along about nv
years ago I went down to visit him o.
his farm. He was pretty cranky sor
Of q fellow, but good hearted, just tn
same. There was a family down tn
A. road who used to supply him wit
milk. A little dark-haired girl use
70 deliver It every morning. One morn
inr she was late. he was terribl
cranky; he told her that she ought I
buy an alarm clock to wake her VI
In her haste and confusion she drol
0. ned the milk. I felt sorry, but
knew my uncle's disposition, so ma
TO keep still. I left the next day, bu
ID I found out her name. When l cam
-, back the next year she had left tn
" village.
~ 81 didn't suppose you'd rernenbs
g. me. but I wanted to make sure.
70 guess you didn't understand, becaus
Of YOU never mentioned It the night 70
walked under my umbrella. but som
th how or other I didn't forget. rye bee
waiting for Just the proper time to t.
YOU and I hope you won't think +
taking an advantage. but I've just 8
to tell you-youll come. France
won't your" -
Frances lips qulvered.
3pel .st ,,,,fIA.if-tf-~"