The Coolidge examiner. [volume] (Coolidge, Ariz.) 1930-current, 1933-11-17

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And she couldn't help it-her
eyes were blinded with tears she
couldn't keep back.
She collided with a good looking
young man blocking the aisle.
He needn't have blocked it-that
is, If Lee had not been half blinded
by tears she would have had no
trouble in sliding deftly around
him. But as it was she walked
straight into his broad back.
He turned around and looked at
| her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry she exclaimed.
You see, it's the slippers"
THE slippers?' questioned the
young man, puzzled.
He smiled at Lee.
"Oh, l see, the slippers"
He stopped to get them from the
floor where they had fallen when
Lee collided with him.
ITS l who should be sorry. l
amt was awkward of me to be
standing" He stopped, looking
searchingly at Lee. why, what
on earth's the matter? The slippers
aren't hurt, are they? You're"
Lee nodded miserable negative.
"No-they're not hurt. I'm sorry.
! Excuse me, l have customer wait
ing"
And she tried to push past him.
But the substantial young man
blocked her way, purposely, now.
Then what is it? Because l
want to know. Do they-is any
body here cross or unjust?'
He had taken off his hat.
Lee liked his steady brown eyes,
his thick, straight, rather stiff hair.
He looked kind and understand
ing, and for a moment she thought
of telling him about her disappoint-
ment But she quickly put on her
most professional salesgirl manner
the manner she knew would get
her promoted upstairs before very
long.
ITS quite all right" she said a
little stiffly.
Everybody here is very kind and
| just. Pardon me, please"
Get your package and change
and then come back here" said the
young man in a voice of authority.
And without reasoning why she
did so, Lee obeyed him.
Then he got the story out of her.
But not until he had told Lee he
was young Bert Bumsted, and then
only because he would have blamed
her tears on unklnd treatment from
other salespeople or department
heads If she hadn't told him.
Bert's face was smiling when she
got through.
why, that's all right" he said.
You see, one of my jobs is going
about seeing that everybody is be-
ing well treated-the employees,
mean. You're new, so you hadn't
seen me here beforehand l don't
advertise my identity. I'd rather
people didn't know me, of course !;
makes il easier 10 get at what's
really happening. But say, isn't
it funny? was just up in the reg
ular shoe department and l saw an
other pair of those shoes ready to
come down here. What size were
| those?"
Five B." murmured Lee.
yep. Same size" and without
more words Bert Bumsted disap-
peared.
He was back ten minutes later, a
little GREATNESS, but flushed with
pleasure.
Under his arm was box, with
the coveted slippers inside.
Lee knew then-wel, she knew
the copper-color slippers Bert
brought her-for which he solemnly
took three crumpled one dollar bills
from her, returning two cents to
her in change-were not damaged,
to be sold in the bargain basement.
But she knew, too. that the spirit
that prompted Bert's kindness was
something too fine to be harmed by
trivial objections.
She accepted the slippers quiet
/ ly. almost solemnly. But she gave
Bert a sweet, shy smile as she left
him that made the crowded. close
basement seem like paradise in
springtime to him.
Three months later the newspa-
pers carried photographs of young
Mr.. and Mrs. Bertrand Bumsted, Jr.
1t might have been noticed by a
discriminating crltic-in the shoe
line-that the bride, pictured in a
soft and becoming afternoon dress,
wore pair of slightly worn
but very pretty evening slippers.
But perhaps nobody noticed.
Such radiant smile cleaned on
young Mrs. Bumsteds pretty face,
and such look of happiness glowed
on her husbands, that it would have
been a captious critic indeed who
! could have criticized her shoes.