Show I Daily Short I Fiction 10 n Story Sophie Advertises By MARY WILLIS MILLER Copyright 1916 by the McClure Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper News News- paper Syndicate She was a vague indefinite bl blond nd with the look of one born to be imposed upon Not that she ever really was for no one ever p paid id enough attention to her for that Her father was a re retired retired retired re- re tired farmer and she was the only child of a second marriage born when her father and mother mother were both ad advanced advanced advanced ad- ad in life Ufe They lived in a little Kentucky town and were the kind you call good substantial people but never invited any place She did not play with other children and she went to school just to study Every Sunday she went to Sunday school chool and by the time she was in n high school she was playing the organ She had no musical talent but she has as conscientious and she had nothing to do but practice A little Kentucky town is the nicest place in the world to live when you are between 16 and 2 20 1 There are dances and moonlight picnics at the springs and parties and lots of visitors but Sophie merely heard of these And a a. little town has nothing to make up for merely hearing Sophie was not even invited to the big teas at which nearly every everyone one was included It was not that she was Intentionally left out but no one ever thought about her She didn't really want to go to the parties but she did want to be invited But Sophie kept on practicing A few times she went to the picture show with a girl who lived next door who was in love with a boy her mother would not let her see He would meet them and walk home with them They both ignored Sophie but she rather enjoyed en enjoyed en- en joyed it anyhow in In time that diversion diversion diversion diver diver- sion ended and the girl forgot about her After she was graduated from high school she went to the Cincinnati conservatory conservatory con- con ry for the summer term Then she Rhe came home to teach music and be because because because be- be cause she played the organ at church she got some pupils from that congregation congre gation gatlon Most of them looked upon her heras heras heras as inanimate as th the piano they banged hanged upon by the clock Sophie herself neither liked nor disliked teaching It It simply took the place of some of the practicing The year she was 29 her father and mother both died For six months she lived alone with no one but th the old ola colored cook to be near her What Sophie was thinking during those six months months or for that matter what she had be been n thinking those twenty-nine twenty years years years-no no one ever considered But at the end of the six months months' Sophie appeared appeared ap ap- ap in a n new w spring su suit t. t Now there is nothing startling in a a. new spring suit but this was very early in the spring when whet only a a. few of the girls had new suits and besides this was i the first s suit it that Sophie had ever had I that any anyone one had noticed It wasn't an extreme suit and it was waa dark blue I I but it had a big white collar and style was written all over it Also Sophie had her hair hall curled and a new hat hat hat- and It wasn't a little Inconspicuous hat i either A few days later she again wore the suit and this time she was wearing a huge corsage of Ward roses and violets And ever every one saw Sophie I Curiosity plays a big part in our social relations People who had barely spoken to Sophie now began to talk to her And about her they talked even more Letters came to Her tier always by special special pe- pe cial delivery The postmistress told this Yes a mans man's writing and the letterheads of a Louisville paper A box of candy came from Louisville that week too They knew about the letters Sophie received but it was just as well they didn't know about the ones she sent Several weeks she had written the first and hardest one It was to the advertising manager of the Louls vIlle paper and she sent It because she had read some Talks on Advertising The talk said that you ou could get anythIng anything any any- thing you wanted if you advertise It was most convincing Sophie read it severa several times and each time she was surer that the only she way ever would get what she wanted was through advertising Only she wasn't sure how to do it so she wrote to the advertising manager Dear Sir I have read your Talks on Advertising and I 1 want you to help me I want a man good looking well educated to to come to Emfield to see me I 1 am 29 years of age and neither pretty nor attractive or I 1 wouldn't have to to advertise There is no Object matrimony to it for I 1 honestly dont don't want to marry I 1 do want to be rushed sent candy and flowers and all the rest of ot it even if it I 1 have to pay for it all I I have lived here in Emfield all my life and no one has ever noticed me If lt they do at all they simply feel sorry for me What I 1 want Is to make them think that some one is interested In me And he must be a II man they will notice and wonder what he sees in me I 1 will pay all expenses and whatever s salary lary seems fair fall It will not be easy for the man for I 1 am not at all interesting I I prefer a big man with dark hair hall And a corsage of Ward roses and violets violets vio vio- lets and Sweetman's candy SOPHIE BROWN The man who read the letter was interested in spite or perhaps because because be be- be- be cause of the frankness of Sophie's statement that she was not at all interesting in in- in He had lived in a little town himself and he could see the situation sit sit- He was going to take his vacation vacation vaca- vaca tion In two weeks anyhow and he I might night as well go down to Emfield and I talk to the woman It would make a good story some day In the meantime he could try the Ward Vard roses and vio vio- lets r He was big and his h. h lair hir ir was dark darle While he didn't want the job he could endure it for a day or so and get some local color So two weeks later he arrived in Emfield Sophie in the new suit curl curled d hair and a new corsage met him Of course he knew her by the corsage and she wasn't at all like he expected She wasn't ugly and her clothes were in good taste and she wore them well The indefinite look had gone and to a stranger Sophie was a rather attractive attractive attractive tive looking girl that girl that is to a stranger who had pictured her as much older looking and decidedly ugly There were a number of people at atthe atthe atthe the train When a man rushed over to Sophie and she greeted him with such genuine warmth speculation began To reach Sophie's home it was necessary necessary necessary sary to togo go through the main part of town In a few hours all the people I who had talked about her changed ap appearance appearance appearance ap- ap knew that a man had come When he went down to the hotel there were several men who had been I coached to find out about him He soon let them know of his interest interest interest inter inter- est in Sophie Sophie Sophie-It it seemed that he had known her for years but she would never let him come while her mother I and father were living This was re repeated repeated repeated re- re details added until the whole town knew he was in love with Sophie He had come to stay two days He stayed a week and then stopped by again for a II day on his way back from his fishing trip He had really enjoyed the campaign and he liked Sophie Sophie understood there was nothing personal in th the affair She was happy in the sensation she had created in the aroused interest of the town She I didn't want to marry him he was sure of or that But the night before he left he asked her to be his wife Oh youve you've made lit it perfect she said I r dont don't want to marry you but it is like all the parties parties parties-l I wanted you to ask me Ill I'll remember it always and be glad glad And I want you to be glad too that you have made me so happy Sophie went back to teaching music But she doesn't practice as much and she plays rag She gets popular music every few weeks ees from Louisville so the postmistress says She doesn't have as much time to practice for lor she has learned to play bridge and the new preacher who came about thE same time tim Sophie's new suit did is most devoted devoted The bridge and the preacher seem to combine very well too which proves that Sophie really is rather un un- un- un usual After all advertising is a a. great thing |