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Show si a wwsssiMsssswsBsssBsssissMsaaaisaaaawPwaBssjsaaaaaisaaaai S SQUEAKY SHOES E Ssi Ssj Ssi By VINCENT a PERRY. VtotataiastotototoasmasiV (Copyrif ht, int. y the McCluro Nwp ear Syndicate ) : f There was a sharp rap on Marshall Bell's bedroom door and he started from his sleep. It was not two minutes before be had thrown his bathrobe over his pajamas, slipped Into his slippers slip-pers and opened his bedroom door, but In that short time whoever It was that had rapped, had disappeared. Marshall was about to close the door when the odor, oft hot coffee reached his nostrils; nos-trils; there It was a large cupful on 'q. tray at his feet and there was a plate, of steaming muffins, too. r,,,Well, this Is the best yet," he muttered mut-tered as he picked up the tray. "My rooming-house lady certainly Is attentive atten-tive to her roomers." He did not wait to dress before tackling tack-ling the mufflus and coffee. "Great I" he exclaimed when, the Inst crumb Imd been washed down by tho last drop of coffee. "I mode a change ,for the better when I moved here. .BreaUfnst wasn't Included In my bargain, bar-gain, either." Marshal! wns a clerk In a shoo store. Saturday night, tho busiest of all tho week Tor him, came nnd wns almost gone. Ho wns tired through nnd through, mid the prospect of sleeping Inte on Sunday looked bright. Ho whs tho last ono to leave tho store that night und was Just turning Ihe key In tho lock to close up when he heard a fnlnt pirtit beside him. Ho looked nnd saw n pretty young womun who hud been hurrying. "Oh, nm I too late to get a pair of shoes?" she panted. "I hne been working work-ing late tonight and I did so want to get them I" There wns an appeal In her tone and he liked her face. "It won't be any trouble to open up again," ho answered aa ho pushed upon the door nnd Unshed on the lights. "What stjle of shoe do ou want nnd what size do you wenrV ? Sho dld not take long to mnke her choice. Almost the first pnlr he showed her she liked, and although ho warned her thnt they would squeak for n time until they were broken-tn, sho was bent on the purchase. "It Is late for you to be out alone. Perhaps I nm going your way," ho suggested. sug-gested. "I live In Mnrborough street ; number num-ber thirty-seven." "The very place where I room," he said In surprise, "I have Just been thcro a week." It Is strange thnt we have never tnet at the rooming house," she said as they were walking home. "I have been working so hard at the office the last two weekB that I haven't had time to notice anjr changes. Where Is your room?" ", v "At the end of the hall on the second floor." She started. "Are you sure!" she asked. "Certainly." "Has Miss Moore, the former occupant occu-pant of that room, left the house altogether!" alto-gether!" "The landlady told me that they had taken her to a sanitarium. The room wns fumigated before I went Into It." "Poor little thing, I wns afraid It would come to that." There was genuine gen-uine sorrow In her voice. As Marshall wlshedfher good-night, he asked her her name. "Grace Atkinson," she answered. , "Mine Is Marshall Bell," he told ber, "aaa X hope I wlU staki to renew re-new our acquaintance .josm time soon." Then he went to bed. When he awoke It was past noon. He Jumped' out of bed, hurriedly. Why hndn't;he"wnkened at the knock 1 The .coffee 'and muffins would be cold. He' opened the door and gave a gasp of dls- appointment. The -tray was not there. As he passed through the hall on his way ont to dinner, he looked Into the sitting room, where he spied the 'young woman of the evening before, sitting reading. "Won't yds come out to dinner?" be Invited. She hesitated for a minute, then rose. 'Thank you, I will," she said. As she walked toward him he noticed the sqaeak of her new shoes. "The landlady most be sick," he remarked re-marked after they had had dinner. "She always leaves a nice tray of muffins and coffee for me In the morning, but this morning she did not do bo. I love muffins and coffee 1" ' "I think the landlady Is quite well," Grnce answered, as she put her handkerchief hand-kerchief to her cheeks to hide a blush. Monday morning Marshall woke with a start. Had he been dreaming? Ho would have sworn that he had heard a rap on his door. He listened. There was au unmistakable sound of squeaking squeak-ing shoex going down the hall. He opened the door Just a little. The odor of coffee greeted him and he seized the tray. After he had finished he dressed, and as he was going out stopped to put the tray buck where he had found It but, struck with n thought, he put It back In his room and locked his door as be went out. Grace Sterling was preparing aup-per aup-per that evening when there wns n timid knock on her door. She opened It and was confronted by Marshall Bell tray In hand. "I have come to bring back your tray and dishes," he said, "and I wish to thank you for your kindness. I crown you queen of muffin makers, even though you meant them for a sick girl." "I didn't think that this morning," she laughed. "How did you guess It "The next time yoa want to play fairy, don't wear eqaeaky shoes." -. e m 4 |