The northwestern bulletin., 1923-07-28
Secondhand
Heart Throbs
BY JANE OSBORN

i
really expect me to 60 to that hospital
fair this afternoon" protested Molly
Yates, between bites Of toast and sips
OF coffee and glanees at Beginners
Latin" opened on the table before her.
II don't get through at high school
until two and, believe me, it's no cinch
teaching Latin when you haven't
studied 1t for three or four years and
never knew very much then. / told
EN- at the board that I'd rather take
math or even history than Latin, but
It's the only vacancy they had at the
high, and Of course I didn't want to
teach grade school II / could help.
SO you see I just can't go-it'll take
me two hours to get tomorrow's les
sons prepared and dear knows when
I'll have time to correct any papers.
! "Of course I'm interested In the
hospital. You know ! sent them IS
and I'd have loved to have dressed q
doll or something If I'd had time; and
just you take those books upstairs In
my room for the secondhand book
stall. / think that's a fine idea. Who
wants to keep trashy books after read
Ing them oncea Just you look through
my bookcase-take anything that Is
cheap or trashy that you don't think
we'd want. think everything on the
two bottom rows would be all right
and when Mrs. Dawkins comes with
her car let her take them over"
And after this mon0logue. Molly
Yates, feeling rather important over
her recent appointment to teach at
the Mapleton high school, kissed her
mother and departed.
Three blocks away this same hos
|pital fair was under discussion at the
Stockton breakfast table, while Mrs.
lStockton and her son, the mayor of
Mapleton. broke their breakfast rolls
together In the stately dining room Of
the old Stockton mansion.
"Now, Bob. DEAR" Mrs. Stockton
had suggested, ~ know a man hates
q fair, but In your position"
That's So" said Mayor Bob, look
Ing really interested. "The hospital
fair begins today, and I do suppose
ought to show my face"
Bob. I'm SO glad you didn't mind
lmy suggesting it. The ladies will be
Iso gratifed-and since the ladies
Ivote-"
"You arch-schemer, you," laughed
bob. "You'll have me governor yet,
[mother mine. But honest, I'd made
!up my mind to blow In and leave
maybe $50 at the fair. They'd rather
have it that way than sent in check.
lBut I'll have to 60 this afternoon
i've committee this evening""
Bob Stockton wasn't quite SO keen
Iabout going to the fair as his speech
might have indicated. he rather
dreaded the ordeal Of drawing up to
Iany Of the booths to face the charge
of smiling saleswomen who would be
$50 gratifled to see the mayor and so
Ieager to be able to boast that they
had sold him q potted plant, box Of
fudge, tea coy or baby doll.
Bob Stockton glanced about the room
from the vantage point of the entrance
hall Of the big assembly room. He
wanted to see the lay of the land. Doll
tables and fancy tables were especial
ly embarrassing. He'd have to make
1.-THE rounds eventually, of course, he
reasoned, but he'd begin somewhere
Ielse. He saw at one end Of the room
Ia table that looked like the outside
exhibit Of secondhand book dealer
tables crowded with books In neat
ARRAY. It would be simple matter
ito glance over these volumes and make
la selection Of dozen or so--not that
lthere'd be any book In the collection
that he'd ever want to read. Still 1t
would be easier than trying to make
selection at doll table.
The two young women in charge Of
Ithe secondhand book stall were too
Mustered at having their table the first
visited by the handsome young mayor
Iof Mapleton to start In any of the
Irapid-fre sales talk that might have
lgreeted Bob at any of the tables
manned by the older, more experienced
hands. So Bob had q chance to let
his eyes run over the titles of the
lbooks-just AZ II II really made any
difference which book he bought.
| The books seemingly had been ar
ranged according to colors and then
graded according to sizes in colors
with the result that Bob's eyes ran
from q book on caring for pet dogs to
10 volume on meditations; one on the
labor situation fifteen years ago, to a
book of housekeeping--a book of in
Istructions for playing bridge, ten years
lout OF date to-Bob's eyes caught the
title Of the book next--a twelye-mo.
lred volume with yellow letters that
lsaid "Heart Throbs." From some
where In the past Of Bob's experience
|drifted up shadows Of a memory that
brought the color mounting to his
lcheeks and made his heart beat little
fast. He felt enormous embarrass-
Iment and then chagrin. At least. he
concluded hastily. he could not ex-
anime the volume before the simper-
ling gaze of the two young women be-
hind the counter. So he lifted dozen
volumes from the table before him.
I'm take this bunch" he said. II
like red books. No. never mind wrap
lping them. I'll Just put them In the