Gunnison news-champion., 1923-12-28
Manchester q u,,I. r-.I, ,-,,,,

I Ma,chesfes q little vaguely tryirc
now without succ.ss To remember the
latest name, "a kind Of fiaIn.-coior.-
-ii Is. Is liT said the tat-hnser-d
woman 18th N.E Money. i guess I
snow eoraI-as well as anybody
Possibly you are right. uaadam.-
murnured Nary Manchester
i guess ! am right said the wo1n-
an somewhat sirid.nrly. And guess
you are xrons- And guess you've
insui'et me eaouEh-for one day
-insuited yOu. madam = Mary Man
Chester was still able to eXciaIm-bui
4 little more weakly than before.
-F1rsi am fright the customer
observed with bitter irony. i look
ike thunder In the dress And then
I'm Iiar!'
Noh. madamr' exclaimed Mary
Manchester And suddenly. in defiance
Of all known prOprieties while waiting
on customer. she sat down. 1t was
a grave error. Of eours. But Il may
he said for her that It was quite u-c.
! essary for her TO do 50. as otherwise
she would have fallen.
What's the matierT- demanded her
I critic. And II seemed TO Mary Man
chester, in her ridicuiousiy nervous
/ stale, as II the woman we're some-
1 thing unnatural deyiilsh. growing
stronger every m"ment to torment
her What's the matter nov = she
was inquIrlng Can't you stand Up
when you're whiting on customersf
/ Haven't you the manners tor
The heat was evidently Irritating
her more and more. Il came here"
/ she said. "to buy iyp-bundred-dnilar
eown-and get inSulted. Itu be some
time before ! come In here again.
Don't forget that 80
Mary Manchester was unable TO an
swer that most dreaded OF all threats
from customer. Her lips moved. but
there Was It'll. that came through
/ them. She was using all her forces
/ to sit uprght-and smile little
And SO TO Mary Manchester. going
home in her black gown-Iike many
I others u her class. no doubt. that
same nleht-came especially sharply
not unfamiliar dread: How long
can | stand thisI' So. ns We said. in
her way-ln the sordld undramatic
way Of her class In Iife-she might be
termed desperate.
Pardon me-" said the voice OF a
| well-dressed mana man with keen
| face and slightly ohIique smile. And
Mary Manchester, turning. saw that
he was addressing her.
He was, she saw. a gentleman In
manner, very much so-well dressed,
| quiet not young; but most of all she
saw-as any woman would at a glance
that he had not that light which
burns In the eye of the usual street
adventurer with women. He had OBJ
| viously-as any woman would have
detected-some other purpose Mary
Manchester stopped. walked on-and
he with her.
Pardon me-" said Jasper Haig
| again, and drew from his pocket
small photograph. but is this your
portraitr'
And when she saw IL. Mary Man.
| chester stopped short again. Even
she could see. II was almost uncanny.
the likeness TO herself
No" she said finally. "it is not"
The woman was older, when you
stopped and looked carefully-oider
and not so well. and dressed as Mary
Manchester never was and never
could expect TO be.
NO" said the girl, returning II TO
him
Thank you." he said Ia his cold.
| definite voice. Now i would like TO
. ask you another question IL I may"
Certainly" replied Mary Manches-
ter. her Interest piqued-not unwilling
now, rs no doubt the man had
planned, TO go on with the conyersa-
| tion.
Are 20, \ business woman1 Do
you earn yodr own living"
Yes she answered. as crisp
spoken as he
Are you satisfied with your posi-
tiong"
| Afisfed." !" she repeated with
ne bitter laugh.
"May l talk to you." he asked, his
eIes. as she noted them. always study
- her keenly, seriously. about a
buaness opportunity for your
The girl hesitated. 1t was an un-
usual method of approach to such q
topic. certainly! The stranger, his
eyes upon her face, caught up her OBJ !
jections as II she had spoken them
AT any time" he said. "and under
your own conditions"
Perhaps" the girl ventured dubi-
ously.
! But now-tonight-if at aliw he
| concluded.
.But why tonighti" she asked him,
again suspicious. why not tomor-
| row."
at must be tonight" he repeated
sharply, III at ALL"
rs IT," she asked finally. easy
| dffYicult