The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-08-22
The Shoe Didn't Fit
BY JANNIS PARKER
G. Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service.

was that there might be a shortage of
women.
She certainly couldn't be in love with
Lindsey, whose reputation was even
less attractive than his pot-bellied, sal
low-looking self. They wondered why
shed ever married him It'll they remem-
bered that Doris, an upstate girl, stage
struck and anxious to try her wings,
had doubtless been fattered by the at
tentions of one of the biggest men in
the business.
All her friends wished she'd realize
what life could hold by changing her
name to Mrs. Dick Manning. And Dick
who logged her footsteps wished it
most.
Doris" he said one afternoon on
the tiled terrace encircling the Mund
penthouse, you're going to Paris this
summer, aren't your"
She nodded assent.
Come back single" he pleaded.
"On what grounds?" she smiled.
Cant accuse him of non-support,"
she contended.
Cant get it on incompatibility," she
went on. 1--WE don't see enough of each
other to know whether we're incom-
patible or not
"And couldn't get it for cruelty. He
never puts hand Oh me-"
How about infidelity?" interrupted
nr hn .1H,
every night like a fond little husband
and toast his toes before the hearth o.
Doris smiled again. "You could
hardly expect a man up to his eyes in
rehearsals to come home early every
night" she pointed out.
Dick felt like taking this woman he
adored and shaking some sense into
her lovely head. Did she really think
Lindsey was impeccable, or did the
Puritan strain in her rebel at divorce?
But because he knew that should he
touch her to shake her, he'd change his
original intention and take her in his
arms instead, he sat stiffly silent beat
ing his clenched hands together softly.
The minutes passed. Doris" said
Dick finally loyalty to the man whose
name you bear and whose name I can't
bear because it's attached to you, is
all very pretty, but want you to snap
out of this forgotten-woman role and
let me prove that as far as I'm con-
cerned all other women are forgotten.
"Dick you're sweet" Her fingers
lightly touched his sleeve.
Sweet nothing, I'm bitter! Oh
Doris, don't you think you could love
me little if you tried"
Her graygreen eyes chung to his.
"Tell me. If whenever mans
name is mentioned you culver all over
If whenever you hear his voice it's as
If something lifted you up and held
you there; if whenever he looks at you
your eyes drop lest he read your an
swering message. Tell me is that
love, Dick? Because if it is 1 don't
think l could stop loving you if
tried"
Doris"
But before he could reach out to her
she had risen and walked quietly to
the edge of the terrace where she
spoke duly as she watched the flaming
streamers of the sunset wrinkle into
the darkening canopy of night.
81 happen to be married. took him
for better, for worse"
x,o,,sro GO ,,,,,o+;I;o,,- 1o+ !,
forget: :. and keep myself from
all others, unto her alone'? Dick
wanted to know. But doubtless Lind
sey was too busy cycling the brides
maids to hear the stipulation. You're
just a silly martyr, Doris, that Lind
sey uses for safety-valve. AS long as
he's neatly married none of his soft
voiced sirens can put up a howl"
You're a little harsh on him, Dick
A man in his profession has to be OF
the lookout constantly for new talent
"Um. Doris, when are you going tC
see him as he is?"
when the shoe fits" she answered
And so Doris spent the summer II
Paris without resorting to its law
courts. Just before she returned Lind
sey gave up the penthouse for much
smaller place in the same building. Nc
one was going to the theater any more
| he said. Actually the amount saved
was feathering another nest, but OF
course that would have to be proved
! to Doris Dick sighed.
1t was proved the night after hel
return. Doris, Lindsey and Dick were
in the living room of the new small
apartment having their after-dinnel
coffee when the doorbell rang and {
freckled lad of about twelve handed
Doris a pair of strange, tiny slippers
They were spike-heeed, snub-toed, anC
Haunted perky bows.
We've moved into your penthouse,
grinned the youngster, "and my mother
sent me down with these shoes YOU
forgot. She found them in the bed
room closet"
Dick thanked the lad and hastil!
bundled him off. Doris found hersel
holding a pair of slippers that coul(
not have been hers by three sizes.
At the corner rummage sale the littl,
old woman in charge looked distressed
Didn't fit at ALL" Dick boomet
jovially, his arm flung across the shoul
ders of a freckled youth whose eye
danced because of Dicks generous
bill.