Show SHO SECRET CRET r By Garry P Montgomery o 1 I II I SAID to my friend Paul Delmont Delmont Del Del- 1 mont You have a very pretty pretty pret pret- ty wife He smiled Ever hear how I came to get her When I shook 1 I a negative head that brought forth his story Ill I'll let him talk it One cold late winter afternoon I walked into a basement ders der's store on Main Street he said An elderly and somewhat stooped I repairman was working over a shoe on an iron foot Its so beastly cold outside outside- mind If U I wait in here a few moments moments moments mo mo- ments The man nodded I walked to the front window my friend told me and looked out and up Through this window one had to look up and one could see the bottom extremity of legs of men and women going by I stood there for some minutes and suddenly found the old stooped joining me Looking for someone he asked I nodded You walk a lot he said And Andou you ou use a pencil a great deal I turned surprised Why I yes I admitted eyeing him Id say you were a salesman only that your hands are not that of a salesman the old der said The middle finger of your right hand has a callous Offhand Id I'd like to guess that you are a newspaperman using newspaperman using a pencil all allday allday allday day long The startled me with his accurate descriptions He talked again You see one in my my profession profession profession pro pro- learns to observe especially especial ly about shoes Speaking of watching I told him I have been watching for someone someone-a a slim wonderful young woman who may be down on her luck and said to live in this neigh neigh- Your intentions asked the mender suspiciously I made no hesitation in replying Marriage Ive I've fallen in love 1 with her A set heavy fellow went by with brawny leg muscles Hes a wres wres- wrestler wrestler tier the said In the next few minutes he guessed the occupation of the man and women women women wom wom- en who tapped h heels els by his basement basement basement base base- ment shop j t How long we stood there I dont don't exactly recall But suddenly theold theold the old man said Up there I suspect suspect suspect sus sus- is your girl I looked saw two trim ankles and bounded from the shop When I returned to the he basement shop the girl was with me my arm linked into hers She was the sweetest thing black blackhair blackhair blackhair hair sparkling dark eyes petite Id I'd met her a couple of times tunes watched her when she had jobs dancing Had been properly introduced introduced introduced in in- once Now her eyes shone And I guess mine were on fire too We walked in fn and the old shoe- shoe mender looked up We came back I said because because because be cause you were kind enough to to let me wait here a little while I want to introduce you to Rose Hose who will be my future future wife The mender left his machine and came forward and even his old eyes sparkled He seemed happy because we were But But ButI I asked him hini how did did you know that this was the girl I Iw Ij I w was s searching for f The old man grinned openly You must notice things more minutely my boy if you are a a. a newspaperman Notice her feet feet feet- her shoes They are unusually small shoes arent aren't they Notice too the metatarsal bones bones gust just above the toes They're broken Sign of the true toe dancer The old guy was clever I wondered wondered wondered won won- dered what I could do to thank him for my shoes were not in need of repair or even of a shine I Youve been wonderful to me I said lamely Then Rose spoke Besides my dear she said softly now squeezing squeezing squeezing ing my hand this old is ismy ismy ismy my my father |