The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-10
four DANCING FEET
THE POSTWAR LEAVES A
PACKAGE.
BY JANE PHELPS



PACKAGE.
Chapter 81.
The excitement of the raise in salary
had died down. Mrs. Cummings had
her new dress and Gertis a few things
she needed-and could not have had
but for the extra SIS.
'Ain't you feelin' well. Gertie?" her
mother asked often. Always Gertie
treasured her, yet as the days passed
her face grew more wistful. She be-
came more quiet.
Then one day the postman left a
package for her. Some books. Care
fully she hunted thru them leaf by leaf
to see if there was a card, a note
That Tom had sent them she was sure.
He must have written to the publish
ing house-since they had been sent
direct from there. But if he could
write them for books, why couldn't he
write her?
He had kept his promise to help her
improve herself, she thought, but he
didn't intend to be mixed up with
her" as Lilly expressed it. Gertie felt
a bit reckless that night and when Len
O'Connor urged her to sit down and
be sociable. she Joined the crowd at
his table. She was young. She would
not let Tom Norris spoil her life. She'd
have fun, too. like Lilly and the other
girls.
Now Len 'O'Connor was no better,
no worse, than many other young men
who haunt the cheap cafes at night.
He had watched Gertie for months.
and had arrived at the conclusion that
he wanted her for his girl But she
had been so Stand-offiSh, had given
him so little encoura gement-that he
was almost discouraged. Then she
had changed, so it seemed to him.
How was he to know the change was
caused by her aching heart, her lin
ability to forget Tom Norris; her dis
appointment that he did not write.
You made hit last night, Gertie,''
Lilly told her. Len O'Connor is crazy
about you. And he amt such a bad
plumber. My friend knows him and
says he makes slathers of money. He's
generous, too. I saw him slip a girl a
five spot one night and he didn't take
her home neither. Guess maybe she
put up a hard luck story,
Hes nothing to met
Il know what's eatin' you, Gertie.
Can't you fergit that Tom? 1 never
saw such girl! Just because a swell
looked at you once no one else is any
Gertie. Moonin' over him won't git
you nowheres and a girl nowadays has
to be lookin' out for herself"
Il haven't any heart to talk to them
Lilly. 1 tried the other night, really I
did, tried to be like you SOS 1 could
forget. But it isn't no use. 1 can't
reel like doing it; can't feel like laugh
ing at their jokes. eand answering them
Ddck IKE they expect me to. 1t isn't
any use, Lilly. I just can't
Fond as Lilly was of Gertie she had
scant patience with her at this time.
why she could have most any fellow
setting things out of them TO make
her look better-more stylish,
I only wish had her chances"
she said, 'altho don't do so bad my
self"
Jennie's teacher had become Ain-
tensely interested in the Cummings
and ever since she had brought Gertie
to see her; to ask her advice, she had
wanted to help the pretty dancing girl
who seemed to be the main support
of the family.
She had visited them in their poor,
but spotlessly~ clean rooms; she saw
the sort of woman Mrs. Cummings
was-good, honest, but ignorant. She
had talked with her oEGertie, and
went away filled with admiration for
the girl who could struggle against
such odds.
We had to cheat about ~Gertie's
age. We had to-" Mrs. Cummings had
told her. There warn't any other
way That's why she's so set on Jen-
nie's sayin' in school. She won't hear
TO nothing but she must be a teacher
like you.,'
The teacher asked about Gertie,s
associates Here she had struck
chord in the mother that was always
quivering; always fearing.
"Gertie is good gifl-don't take
up with any wild fellows, hut she is
young and pretty. Sometimes 1 can't
sleep with worrying about her. She
amt hard like her chum, Lilly. Lilly
can take care of herself. She thinks
Of nothing but what she gets out of
the fellows. But my Gertie is diff
ferent. She's soft, Gertie is. That's
what makes me afraid. I'll be glad
when she gifts away from Rosenburg's.
That Mr.. Jones, he's the manager, is
after her all the time and. she has to
put up with it. Girls has to put up
with a lot in places like that, Miss"
Jones had renewed his unwelcome
attentions, and it was one reason Ger
tie had been friendly with Len O'Con-
nor. He would keep the manager
away. That her friendship might
mean anything to OConnor. more
than she intended, Gertie did not
think. Indeed she did not think of
him at all save as a means of keeping
Jones al a distance
But O'Connor held other views
(Tomorrow-Gertie tries to improve |
herself.)