Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, September 29, 1914, Page 8

an hour before she made up her mind. Then, calm and self-possessed, she walked over to her desk and wrote a letter to the editor of “Youth.” Poor Miss Mayo! That was the editor’s thought when he received it. For this was not the ordinary school- girl’'s letter. It was the outpouring LITTLE MISS MAYD By GEORGE COBBETT. HUSTLING YOUNG MA By GEORGE ELMER COBB. of a heart that had never known companionship. Those few short, pithy sentences would have dope credit to a Balzac or a Turgeniefl, & Little Miss Mayo crept gulltily up the street toward the apartment block in which she lived alone. In her hand, turned so that no passerby = “He's a comer, sure!” declared Mr.l Earle, manager of the furniture sec- | tion of the Famous department store | at Rockton. Phone 46 THE ELECTRIC STORE 307 E. Mairl St. 1 “ < g o 8 g "only & cold formal bow for the past| oo two weeks. 0 | The Enterprise was glad to get|© | Wharton. His steady going, honest c- business methods were in accord with 3 those of the proprietor. Wharton , made some suggestions as to painting | & | the store front, engaging a window |& dresser and fairly and respectably meeting the lurid advertising methods of the Famous. The “Comer” had spread himself. He had a great two-faced clock set at the edge of the walk in front of the ] SAVE MONEY ON ELECTRIC LIGHT BivLs Thackeray or a Flaubert, so incisive t might see the incriminating title of 17 aid she paint herself, her b “Yes, they say he's a crackerjack! store. Then he sext out a band of Cut down vour electric light bills by using oy, | music along the country roads to at- the magazine, was “Youth.” Little Miss Mayo had never made any friends since she had arrived in the big city ten years before. She was much too shy for that, and, though she was only thirty-two, she had a settled look, the look of ome who has thrown her spinsterhood about her and means to maintain it. How did the little stenographer spend her evenings? She had spent them in much the same way during the whole ten years that had elapsed since Harry Leeson bade her a des- pairing good-by in their home village. Leeson had loved her, but he was & ne‘er-dowell. He could not suc- ceed. At twentyseven he was acknowledged a failure. And he had her poor aspirations. And all that she asked was that Mr. Trefusis would write her a letter, to her ad- dress (which she gave the editor in solemn confidence) and tell her something of his life. And would he send her a photograph? She would treasure both, and he would never know how much she would thank him. And then—this was the most des- perately wicked thing of all—in or der that he might not misunderstand, she signed her ' letter “Mrs. Harry Leeson.” ! That, of course, would prove to Mr. Trefusis that she was no school- girl, but a woman with whom there could be no possibility of personal gone west with borrowed money, in ' relationship, she being the wife of a last attempt to do something. He another. had promised to write, but he had! “Well, I'm blowed!” exclaimed the not written to her. And, six months ' egtor. later, when her mother died, the last Being s good edftor, his first im- of her relatives, Miss Mayo had pulse was to print the letter. Then, packed up and gone to the metrop- | peing also a gentleman, he changed olis to earn her living. his mind. Then he wrote a short It had been a tremendous ordeal, | note to the author, as follows: this striking out slone. She had “Our readers are still writing us by never summoned up initiative to the bushel about you. You sure have change her place of residence since.| made a hit with the girls. Keep up She lived alone, she drudged, a lone- | the stuff and you can't drown us. ly, pathetic figure in the office down- | We'll be able to take & couple more town. But her evenings were ablaze | serials from you this summer, and with romance. try to turn them out during the next Like many sensitive, shy, shrink-'month if possible, so that we can ing people, Miss Mayo had the soul , put our artist on the job. By the of an adventurer. And in the com- | Way, Mrs. Harry Leeson has written pany of “Youth” she took wonderful us & letter asking to meet you in an journeys nightly. Sometimes she | epistolary way. Queer sort of note Was swept along breathlessly in the ! to send you, of all people. How- wake of Napoleon's triumphant ar | ever, we're not parting with it, be- mies; sometimes, a captive maiden, | cause she doesn’t want you to know she longed for the arrival of m.‘hor address, but this is the gist iof cavalier who was to rescue her from | it So it you feel inclined, her oppressor. Sometimes she lived ;send us a kind word to band out to on an uninhabited island and saved | the poor lady.” 8 shipwrecked university man with| The letter went off at five in the blond locks curling round his hand- | afternoon. At nine the next morning some head. Sometimes she was a|Mr. Harold Trefusis was wajting out- simple country girl, wooed by the mil- | side Mr. Bernard's ofice for him or lonaire of the district. But some- | the stenographer or somebody, mo thing of this sort was always occur- | matter whom, to come along and let ring to save Miss Mayo from going ; him in. It happened to be the editor spellbound and breathless, none could i , ;i?fiiifii i i A mad with ennui. Of all the writers who hefd her 1! = In the Company of “Youth” She Took Wonderful Journeys Nightly, equal Harold Trefusis. She pictured him, a dark-eyed, dashing hero, draw- ing upon his own adventures for his materfal, with countless love affairs behind him and countless hearts still waiting to be broken. And this, in fact, accorded with the editor’s own statements. For instance, in the cur- rent number, “Our readers will be glad to learn that Mr. Harold Trefusis is returning to the scene of his last success— Cuba—in his forthcoming serial, ‘The Maid of Lonely Key.' Mr. Trefusis spent several months In the West Indies, and he may be relied on to ginger up the goods from his own experiences.” Then on the editorial page: “Dear Mr. Editor, do, do print a photograpb of Harold Trefusis. . I am wild about him, as are a dozen girls I know. I picture him with dark hair, rather long, flashing blue eyes, and a half-cynical, half-tender smile. Am I right or wrong? Madge Thomp- son, 886 East First street, New York City.” And somehow, absurd as they were, those contributors’ letters always made little Miss Mayo mad with Jealousy. She had finished the first install- ment of “The Maid of Lonely Key,” and it was eleven o'clock. Miss Mayo sat in her arm-chair, a pathetic lit- tle figure, dreaming of the world that was never to be hers. The years of loneliness drew in on her, behind and before. Surely a little slice of life might have been granted her! Harry Leeson had been but an episode, an affair of a few short weeks which lay in that dim region of the past to which dreams go. “l want to live!” sald little Miss Mayo passionately. “I want to do something worth while; I want to taste life as others do.” And a thought so daring, so shock- ing, came into her mind, that she be- gan to trembie. She crouched in her chair for balt | 1 himself, who had come down early to finish up some work. “Why, hello!” he began, extending his hand. “Show me that letter or I'll strangle you!” yelled Mr. Trefusis. “What's wrong?" inquired Bernard, as he unlocked the door. He shook his finger archly under the writer's nose. “I didn’t know you were that sort of chap,” he sald in mock re- proach. “Say,” he continued, “It isn’t serious, is 1t? I thought some- body was putting a horse on you.” “Bernard,” said Trefusis, with the calmness of despair, “you're a kind man and you mean well, and you've raised my price again, but unless you turn over that letter to me right smart I'll pulp you in your own type- writer.” The editor put the letter in the writer's hands. Trefusis cast one glance at the address, and a moment later he was in the street and speed- ing toward the place where Miss Mayo lved. Miss Mayo was out. Trefusis walted till noon; then, realizing that she would probably not return till evening, he went home. But that eve- ning he was back, and at eight o'clock Miss Mayo was amazed to hear a ring at her bell. This was an unprecedented event. With beating heart and fingers that trembled so that she could hardly press the opener, she waited in her apartment. But, remembering that the ringer would have hard work finding it, she did what we all have to do, we flat-dwellers. She went out and leaned over the banisters. And there it was that she set eyes | upon Harry Leeson again. He was | coming up the stairs, two at a time. Fear held her to the spot. Her brain was whirling. Had Harry heard of the use that she had made of his' name and come to threaten the law? | How had he found her? What was he doing here? Anyway, she would die of shame and humiliation. She must kill herself—she must—if she could only get back into her apart- ment. Buf since she was too terrified to move she did the best thing possible under the circumstances. Miss Mayo fainted. She must have fainted dead away, for when she opened her eyes she was lying back in the old chair where she had passed so many adventures, and Harry was—kissing her! “Darling!” he cried. “Darling' I couldn’t find you—I have wanted yoa all these years. You are not mar ried? That message was for me, wasn’t it? And you took my name so that I should understand.” “0, let me die!" murmured Mics Mayo. “I shall die of shame.” “Why not get married first?” sug- gested Harry. “It only takes a few minutes, and then we'll consider the matter anew.” And Miss Mayo, staring at him in wonder, realized that this was really Mr. Trefusis as well as Harry. And she was going to—going to—marry— HIM! (Copyright, 1914, by W. G. Chapman.) The man of few words doesn’t have to take so many of them back. Going to double up trade in a month and ruin all business rivals in the district.” These two townsmen casually echoed what was constantly current! among. the excited and expectant em | ployes of the great mercantile estab-| lishment under general discussion. The proprietor of the Famous, Ira Stein, was a plunger. herited some money and had started known in the district. Already thmi was the Enterprise, which filled the was a pusher and hoped to IOOIII corner all the trade of the section. things, he drew custom, and Msrle' Wharton, hfs young manager, had| .Stein happening to visit a friend who! had made a great success in the big | expansive ideas in his migd than, ever. the biggest department store ever local bill very comfortably, but Stein He had done some bold and amazing | carried out some bright ideas. Then | city, came back to Rockton with more | 'l't;o whole essence of your proposi- tion, Btein,” advised his friend “is' Sifh t0o” a friend put it rather ', having a live wire up-to-date advertis- ing man. We have bulilt up this busi- ness of ours on publicity, novelties, bargains.” “Where will I get one?” questioned Stein. “They're hard to get,” was the re-, ply. “The good ones are all grabbed ' for. The bad ones are worse thnl Do good. We tried one or two in the ' latter class and they nearly ruined us.”® Stein went back to Rockton with this bee in his bonnet, after instruct- ing another friend in the city to ad- A Brisk Hustling Young Man. vertise for the man he wanted and to send him on as soon as he got him. One day there alighted from the train a brisk bustling young man who | might have suggested the circus' epider or three card monte man to | the sophisticated. Rural Rockton, however, swallowed him whole. He was arrayed in the latest style, wore & dlamond big as a hazel nut, walked through the town as it he soon in- tended to own 1t and entered the Fa- mous and the presence of Mr. Stein. ! It took the mewcomer, who named ! himself Roger Lane, about an hour | to convince the merchant that he was the one man in the world who knew how to get all the customers and money the district had. He even flashed a card showing that at ome time he had been advertising man for the rich friend of Stein in the clity. That settled it for Stein, who was too hypnotized to think of finding out why this rare jewel of efficlency had left such important employ. “T must have a free hand,” declared Lane. “Oh, certainly, certalnly.™ I leave it to you,” Stein hastened to say. “Expense must be no object. I'm golng to wake up this dead town. As! & business doctor, I first want to 80 over the establishment and see what kind of working timber you've got.” There was one man who demurred at the sky rocket schemes of the new comer when he had _outlined his plans. This was Merle Wharton. He ! Wwas a valuable employe or the house, but Lane was peremptory. “He'd kill my good work with his conservative back-country ideas,” Lane told Stein, so Wharton was told to go. “It's all right, Mr. Stein,” he said. “Better an understanding now, than a squabble later. If I am not in accord with your new business policy, I would be useless to you. I shall tell you, however, that I shall go over to your rival, the Enterprise.” “That's all right,” bobbed the chip- per Lane. “There will be no Enter prise in a month. We shall have all the businees.” For one thing Wharton was sorry to leave the Famous. He had been court. ing pretty Nettle Duane, the store stenographer. A senseless quarrel had come up. She was miffed, he Wwas proud and they had exchanged ! tract the farmers. He had a grand fireworks exhibition in front of the store. He gave away one thousand clay pipes, so the children might blow bubbles. Alas, for the crude Rockton! to buy. The big clock post obstruct- ed the sidewalk space allowed by ordinance and had to be removed. The band of music caused a runaway and the store was sued for damages. A stray rocket set fire to a barn and there was another bill to pay. The pipes were put to other uses than blowing bubbles. juvenile Rockton tried surreptitious ideas of rural smokes with real tobacco and church- | going Rockton held up hands in hor ror. The Enterprise people smiled at this plece of news—all except Whar- ton. He had heard that Lane was paying marked attention to Nettie Duane. “Robbed you of your place and your bluntly. “I say, Wharton,” remarked the pro- prietor of the Enterprise one day, “what do you make of this?” He handed Wharton a typewritten page without date or signature. It read. “A good friend gives you this use ful hint: The Famous is arranging to open the season with Japanese Pana- ma hats at fifty-nine cents. This, as you know, is ridiculous. They come from a factory where there was a fire. They were scorched and damaged; and are bleached and varnished over. ‘When they get wet they are all out of shape. Work up an homest bar gain hat sale on real good hats, and { you will win.” “I don't know who our anonymous correspondent may be,” sald the mer chant, “but I'm going to explore this tip,” and by the next day both he and | his assistant were satisfled that there was some fourfdation to it. On Monday came the big fifty-nine cent hat sale. There came up a rain- The crowds came, but not Ambitious Sunbeam Mazda Lamps, the most economical lamp on the market. With a cheap lamp you pay enough more for current during the life of the lamp to pay for two of our Sunbeam Lamps. B IGLOTOIGIODOIGIGIG LG OO TOL DRI ’ § 4 @ | Better Light. We give you { Cheaper Light. HOHEHCEGHONEHCH EATEEHDHEHDHEHCHEHO) BFBINBIE BB B BACH B BACH SN A AN Ficrida Electric and Machinery Co E KELLEY'S BARRED Plymouth Rocks BOTH MATINGS Better now than ever before High class breeding birds at reasonable prices. Fggs from high class pens for hatching. Write me before ordering else. where, H. L. KELLEY,{Griffin, Fla. | place. | & duped public took up the cudgel and | Hkely to glance off the nail-head. The storm. Disconeolate wearers of Jap- anese Panamas trailed by the Famous in drooping trim, ready to mob the Next day came the Simon-pure hat sale at the Enterprise. The papers sald something about “shoddy goods,” the “Comer” came never again to the Famous. “1 encouraged that Mr. Lane, just to find out how I could pay him off for getting you discharged,” confessed Nettle to Wharton when they wer reconciled. “It was you who sent us that tip, then!” questioned the happy lover, and kissed her fondly when she flushed with consclous guilt. “Keep the Quality Up"’g has been our watchword | E ! i i painted. purpose from foundation to roof. blow is squarely delivered; and when | managers tried hammer heads with g Painting g § g - % - Let us help you brighten up your home, X a The Brighten-Up Folks (Copyright, 1914, by W. G. Chapman.) sl Agents Sherwin-Williams Paint The hammer is a useful tool, but its the nail is of cast metal, its head often files off and inflicts quite severe in- Juries. scored faces as an experiment. Owing to the success of the experiment, the polished-face hammer has been abol- | & Is not an expense L3 but an investment A recent investigation proved that the loan value of a use is not quite free from danger to § PHONE 384 2l3 Sou. Ky' Ave, the user or from injury to materials. MOWWWW One firm, says Chambers’ Journal, had innumerable accidents from this ished in that firm's factory, except for epecial classes of work. 9 g painted house is 22 per cent. more than if it were not l Our stock includes a finish for every The flat, highly polished surface is likely to glance off the nafl unlees the | cause, and some of the men were per~ manently 1injured. Thereupon, the When the hammer’s face is scored or roughened it is very much less G 2 SH You can’t whistle away the fact, the one great big point that in- dicates this Store’s Betterness Ouality In Merchandise A Step Ahead in Quillty-- A Step Behind in Price ATES STORE Every piece of WOOL GOODS in STOCK ABSOLUTELY NEV spst fact that this type of hammer has proved so conspicuously successful | and safe should encourage manufac- turers to put it on the market. T , Seeds Carried by Birds, The way in which feathers and other forelgn matter will adhere to and accumulate around the seat of injuries to the feet of birds is well known. The most famous case is that quoted years ago by Darwin. This was that of a red legged par tridge, which was found to have a ball of earth measuring 7% inches in cir- cumference and weighing 6% ounces ground one of its feet. After soften- ing the earth a number of seeds were removed therefrom and sowed. N fewer than 82 plants came up, senting at least five species. This ex- periment demonstrated one of the many ways in which birds perse seads. - s Rinderpest in Philippines. Rinderpest, the dreaded cattle dis- ease, has broken out again among the Philippine herds. Its principal dam. age is done among the carabao. The | stock cattle are now comparatively | few, and flourish ‘on the remote ranges among the foothills. But the ! carabao are the chief reliance of ag- | riculture in the islands, and abound | wherever there is cultivation of tho: soll or the transportation of crops. The disease is now reported from the most Important agricultural inces, and the death rate amo; draft cattle is very large. A DOEOI D BODGTO DN OHBCHEOH S CHSCHEH IHOMEHE GBS DI DOPIP ISP IO prov- | ng the