The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-13
BUSINESS REVIVAL
 IN FLORENCE IS A
 REMARKABLE ONE
Christmas Goods Moving Rapidly and Other Goods
 Moving Faster Than
 Merchants Expected

The cool, brisk weather of Friday is probably responsible for the mo- i ticeable increase in the number of 1 people on the streets and by noon | business had resumed it's usual stride for this season of the year. Christmas goods are going much faster than the merchants anticipated and other merchandise that has i moved very slowly is now being sold. Activity in the local real estate market continues brisk and investors l ate going ahead on the theory that Henry Ford's offer for the Muscle shoals nitrate and water power rroj- eets Will be accepted by the govern hent within the next few weeks The Eastep Insurance and Real Es- 1 the elevators and immediately decided that my clothes made me look childish and unsophisticated.
 l felt they would never do when l applied for movie job and after be- i Ing directed to the suit department, 1 plcked out navy blue street suit very, up-to date. When l was trying it on the salesperson, who was a girl about my own age, said: You ought to have hat to go with this. saw one in the millinery department this morning that would be just the thing. It was purple taffeta with queer little punches of velvet forget t-me-nots It was love"
 Purple with navy bluer I ex- claimed.
 Yes that is a beautiful combina- ton. 1 will send up for it."
 While the girl went out of the dressing room to send for the hat I looked at myself in my new finery | and phnnlr1aI a grandfather's wrath if he should see me. My narrow skirt came only a lit tie below my knees and I decided that when my legs and feet were encased Tn tan silk stockings and brogues l would be very fetching. l determined to buy some before l left the store.
 T like my legs" I acknowledged with blush as I turned and twisted to see them from every angle
 Just then the girl returned with two hats, saying: T saw this red hat and brought it along. When I looked at the purple hat again it seemed too old for you"
 I let her put the red hat on me first, although until I saw it a red and blue combination seemed worse to my ideas than blue and purple
 Isn't it a darling!" the girl ex- claimed. And to my surprise the red hat was Just the bit of color my cos tune needed.
 Why, you look like Mary Miles Mlnter,' said the clerk. "She was in here the other day and bought a suit very much like the one you have on"
 That settled 1t. If Mary Miles Min ter wore suit like this, it was cer- tainly the thing for me to buy. I or dered my old dress and hat made into as small bundle as possible and 1 started for the shoe department. There l purchased tan brouges and navy blue stockings with red clocks. l was perfectly delighted, upon leaving the store to find that nay taxi driver did not recognize me. and was further pleased when I arrived at the hotel to pass Mrs. Watkins without recognition.
 The nurse. however. said: Here is Miss Winston now" Her eyes were sharper.
 Mrs. Watkins looked me up and down approvingly "I was going to be very much put out with you,9 she smiled more graciously than l expect ed, but l see now that you had so much shopping to do that you knew you could hardly help me with mine" We went into luncneon then, but was so excited that 1 could not eat Surreptitiously l kept looking at my self in the long mirrors about the dining room. Finally Mrs Watkins caught me at it and said: Why, you vain little creature. I wish Theodore Stratton could see you now" And l knew that in my heart l had been wishing it. too, ever since I had got l ten my outfit.
 At the last it was a great rush and hurry to make the train, but finally Mrs. Watkins was settled in her drawing room and I found, to my good fortune, that I was in another car.
 Perhaps because had never been away from home, the trip to Califor- mia was one Kaleidoscope of color and never-ending joy to me.
 I was extremely anxious to see the desert. particularly after had heard the young honeymooners on the seat in front of me express themselves as dreading the trip across.
 But" said the young husband, you l must remember, dearest, that each time that you or I have crossed it before we were not together
 And under those circumstances" interrupted the little bride. T could not have been happy in the Garden of the Gods"
  | surreptitiously looked around to find that l was very much engrossed in one of my motion picture magazines.
 Then he bent over and kissed her. l do not know why that caress made me think of Eddie Montforth and regret that I had not kissed him goodby. Surely I was not in love with Eddie and most surely I never intended to marry him, but I felt now l would not have shattered my dig nifty or discarded my modesty had kissed him goodby forever. i l was not quite certain that I should be thinking such things. Grandfather and perhaps even Aunt Virginia would probably have considered it not quite decent. but the lovers in the seat be- fore me seemed so happy and oblvi- ous to all else but themselves. It was very human feeling of mine to wish 1 that 1 might have had little caress l from my boyhood sweetheart to re- l member.
 | 1 was so engrossed in watching the married pair in front of me that l hardly saw Mrs Watkins and her baby all the day Toward night, on her way to the diner. she stopped at, my section and rather complained tl,at I had forsaken her.
 Like all young people, my dear, you are prone to forget everything in the interest of the moment. The new <. T