The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-05-18
CHAPTER xvI.-continued.

IL
Every little while there would be &
spanking of steps through the yard, {
a furious beating on the temper gong
''Take that, will your" Lettie woult
cry, addressing spirit within herself
often addressed before. ''Lordy, III
beat you. You make me-tired-al
time trying to-get me Now how dc
you feel?"
The temper gong had long since
ceased to be thing of wood. Lettie's
Imagination had endowed II with a
fraction of her own nature, the unde-
sirable fraction, and she scolded and
threatened and pounded 1t with fury
that was sharper because Of the per-
sonification.
Mrs. Penfield traced the frequency of
these demonstrations to undue exer-
ton "Lettie, DEAR don't work so hard,
she demonstrated.
"Penzie, darling, l GOTTA" replied
Lettie firmly. "There amt much time,
and the old thing balks on me-"
But In the middle of the second. fore.
noon Lettie came into the house with
impressive triumph. Her steps were
measured, her head high.
'She works." announced the child.
with a brief nod toward the contriv-
ance she was carrying. 1t was long,
slender stick with wires at one end,
but Lettie gave no explanation of Its
purpose. Instead, she took 1t into the
bedroom and hid it jealously behind
her own sleeping box.
She scrubbed her face and hands to
the full capacity of soap and water,
brushed her black curls with conscien-
tious vigor, and put on her better ging-
ham dress. For moment she stared
In dlsmay at her shabby shoes. Mrs.
Penfield had bought them when Lettie
first arrived, but they had necessarily
been cheap ones, and the inevitable
had happened.
sT don't carei' decided Lettie, with
toss of her head. 1.-THE upper part of
mes as good as anybody, and I'll keep
folks busy looking at that Some day
I'll have lots of shoes-lots Of EN-"
Upheld by the redundant luxury of
the future, Lettie set forth. Her OBJ
jective had been in mind from the
first. Part of the information which
she had picked up in her open-air life
was the system by which advertising
material Is distributed. She had
known more than one boy who was en-
ployed by The Wideawake Advertising
agency, and her present visit was to
headquarters.
The office was an informal affair, a
narrow room on the ground floor. The
company consisted of one man and an
Office boy. 1t was the latter who
stepped forward when Lettie entered.
She Rugged tight to the counter by
way of conceallng her shoes from the
view of the critical, but her head was
very high.
''Is the manager inT
The manager was undeniably in.
Lettie herself could see him, a stout
man with heavy eyebrows, sitting at
desk behind the counter. But the
young man was a person of evasion.
"What can l do for your" he said,
with lazy smile.
"You can let me see the manager"
informed Lettie, coolly. Il got bust
ness with him."
"Have your" drawled the young man.
who'll I tell him ?"
Lettie considered swiftly. This was
a business errand. 1t was a time for
dignity. One could not be too careful.
"Tel him Miss Penfield," she replied.
proudly.
The young man laughed aloud. but
Lettie stared at him with unhinching
composure. The room vas so small that
every word uttered in it was distinctly
audible to all its occupants. Therefore
the stout man at the desk was accu-
rately posted on the interview to date.
Nevertheless, his assistant turned to-
ward him, seemingly by a pivotal
movement of his elbow on the counter,
and inquired:
"Mr. Abbott. feel like seeing Miss
Penfield2'
Mr.. Abbott faced about, appraised
Lettie without any indication of JOY,
and shrugged bored shoulder.
LET her come In" he said indiffer-
emily.
Lettie went.
Mr.. Abbott smiled lazily at the small
creature who had settled into the chair
at the side OF his desk. He was evil
IDENTIFY inclined to underrate the seri-
BUSINESS of the impending interview.
whats eating you, kId7" he In
quired good-naturedly.
Lettie shot him glance Of scornful
reproof. II come to talk business"
she announced coldly.
SWELL talk it then. What's the
hitch?"
Thus encouraged, Lettie Jumped
straight from the shore into the mid
die Of the pond. 81 gotta scheme--a
grand scheme that'll save you heaps OF
money Heaps and heupsI" she added.
waving her lean arms to Indicate !