The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1938-01-07

you got in the navy with those in your
j mouth" she thought, but she was
listening to him say: You're all right,
sister. Put it on the check"
If it wasn't for his eyes he might be
/ an Eyetalian," Elsie's rowing thought
went on. She did not return to her
station by the wall but rested the flat
of her palms on the table and tried
to make him smile again.
you must be looking for a job the
way you tie into that paper"
But he only glanced at her and went
on reading. Not exactly" he said. She
wasn't fooled, though; he was just
staring at a printed column.
She tried again. They were always
quick on the uptake when she took a
little trouble and why should this n
be different? She gave him n OF her
Say, you must be looking for your
picture in the gents furnishing ads"
That failed, too, because there vas
nc snap to it. She had seen what paper
he vas reading and her heart gave a
funny little jump, just like when in a
crowd o see the face of an old friend,
long forgotten. LeaVitt was watching
and she teetered back or her high heels
and looked over his head to show her
indifference. "Oh. Do you know any
one in Kansas City?"
"A few"
He got up suddenly, leaving the stone
cold coffee and went away without Civ
ing her a look.
He left a tip, though. She had half
a mind to dust it off the table. 1t inst
went to prove hat her instinct about
sailors was right. A girl vas foolish to
waste any time with them. Eyes and a
smile like his were sure to have 4 date
hat afternoon.
Dull tiredness came back as she
cleared the table. So neal Christmas
everybody had dates he had left
his paper n she carried it under her
arm when she went to the dressing
room TO get into her street things.
The shift was changing and girls were
chattering and croWding each other to
look at Christmas presents. Only five
days now. Some of them had families,
a child or two or a boy friend. They
all had somebody.
But presently they all drifted away
and Elsie sat on the rest cot and read
the paper. She decided that it wasn't
worth while going back to her room
because she would be on the 10 o'clock
shift again.
1t was like being hungry to read the
Kansas City paper. She read For
Rent" ads and the Lost and Found
and she discovered a crumbled spot
where the sailors thumb had pressed
in hard over the Personals"
There were a lot of personals. Would
E. B. please write? Who was the lady
who took the black pocketbook by mis-
take? Viro makes you a new mar
and then she saw the one that was
meant for her!
1t leaped out like a live thing from
the meaningless print. 1t was like a
voice calling to her. 1T can't be- she
told herself, sit just can't Debut 1t
is
She discovered that she was crying.
herself. The other girls might think
that Jake Leavitt had hurt her feelings.
But it wasn't that. Jake didn't mean
a thing in her life.
She told him so later, when h came
out of the dressing room with her coat
and hat on.
I'm leaving, Jake" .
You're sore? Aw. forget it, sister,
Y have. The minute it happened
Then why
II just decided I'd go. home and see
my folks
The %eastbound overland bus had
every place taken. Her seat was third
from the front and when she looked be-
hind her she could see the tops of other
peoples heads rolling on their back
rests like funny kind of marbles. They
all lay relaxed in their chairs. as II
they had never really rested before.
And then it was a supper stop and she
saw the black-haired kid who had been
a sailor.
CTo Be Continued