Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1921-06-15
Window Shopping
as an Occupation.
BY R. RAY BAKER

Ruth Paige, "and pop corn. or make
fudge, OF something. I've had enough
walk, haven't your"
Some walk" growied John Gregory,
as they turned a corner which took
them OF Main street into a residential
thoroughfare. We've been at it more
than an hour and a half, but how far
have we gone, ask you? BY the
time we get TO your home it win be
exactly six blocks-One to get down
town, four to cover both sides of the
street in the retail section and one 10
return. And il wasn't really a walk;
it was just poke, with you dragging
me TO every window to stare in at the
iinery displayed"
Ruth's mouth became firm aud her
dimples disappeared, and fire flashed
from her eyes.
THAT'S TOO bad" she said sarcas-
tically. "Strange you wouldn't want
me to enjoy myself little. can't
have all those handsome gowns and
things, but you shouldn't want TO de-
prive me the pleasure of looking at
them. Just because I'm going TO be
your wife-maybe-is no reason you
can start in right now trying to take
all the Joy out of my life. I've en-
joyed myself this afternoon, only now
you had to go and spoil everything.
dearly love to look in the windows,
especially when the spring styles are
on display. The trouble with you is
you don't appreciate art, and those dis
plays are art, and the men that trim
the windows are artists. You're too
prosaic, with your dirty old job In a
musty printing shop, and you haven't
the finer sensibilities TO be affected
by the more refined efforts of men
who dress well and keep their hands
and face free from printers ink"
Window shopping is a great occu-
patton" John returned just as sarcas-
tically. I'm shut up all day in a
print shop. and when l suggest lit
tie fresh air and some exercise on
Sunday Afternoon you drag me down
to the stores and make me cape into
the windows like country Rube.
Well, you got fooled at one place
observation-disclosures they had the
window covered with a curtain"
Just the same I'd get look into
that window If l could" Ruth de-
CARED somewhat savagely, and you
and all the printers In town couldn't
stop me. If you're so fond of exer-
else and fresh air, you can keep on
walking right past my home. and you
needn't ever walk back this way
'Of course John returned, his own
eyes splitting fire, "if that's the way
you feel about it, I'll do just that"
From which It might seem that Ruth
Paige and her fiance We're mated
about as well as two positive poles of
4 magnet. On the contrary, this was
their first quarrel during the year
they had b zen acquainted. They we're
both possessed of stubborn DISPOSE
tions, with fiery tempers. but they
were genuinely in love with each other
and had c0-operated to prevent clash
es. 1t just happened, however, that
John was peevSh this Sunday after
noon, and his peeylshness happened to
strike Ruth when she was In an excep-
tionally irritable mood
After each had expressed himself
and herself, they walked ia silence the
remainder of the distance to her home.
AT the entrance to the house they
paused.
Surely you aren't coming in when
there is so much fresh air outdoors"
she said cuttingly, unable to resist the
temptation for a final ding.
"Of course not" he responded, ahsa
lifted his hat, as he moved off down
the street. "Good-by" he called, and
did not once look back.
Ruth stood looking after her de
parted fianee for moment, then walk
ed briskly into the house. Instead Of
popping corn or making fudge she
fi0unced to her room and held a pri-
waite session with herself. Ia which a
few teardrops flowed.
1t looked like an irreparable break,
for with their obstinate dispositions
neither Ruth nor John would take the
Ruth's makeup was such that she
would permit her heart to be wrung
dry by misery before she would yield
enc jot, and Johns temperament was
constructed of the same kind Of ma
terial. They were both wrong, but
they couldn't help It. What was
needed was a clever mediator who
could bring them together apparently
by chance. However, there was little
likelihood OF this. because Ruth kept
her own counsel and John was tacti- !
turn about his affairs. AS an example
of this he had been calling Oh Ruth
for about two months before she even
had an inkling as to his means Of |
making a living.
With John out Of her life Ruth took |
up with Susie Atterson who worked |
in the stenOgraphic department with |
her q. Miller Brothers Wholesale pa
per house. Every evening at the close /
of the days work they walked to- |
gether, for their homes were not far |
apart, and they yind0w-shopped to
their hearts content Susie suspected |
something was wrong with Ruth and |
John, because the latter no longer |
called for the former and escorted her
home, but rather adrolt questioning |
failed to bring enlightenment.
Hecksteeth's department store prov /
ed mystery to both the girls The
t.io dtqniaV window continued gcrpened /