Newspapers / Shelby Daily Star (Shelby, … / Dec. 21, 1925, edition 1 / Page 2
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Much Efficiency By E.J(^B>Ra/A BEGIN HERE TODAY JOHN VV. BROOKE. widower and hardware magnate, before leaving the city for two months arranges with a firm of effi ciency engineers to manage his home. He fails to say anything about this to his three grown children, Constance, Billy and Alice. They fail to grasp the. significance of it all until. H. HEDGE, assigned to the job, has taken over complete control of the Brooke household, occupied their father's suite and turned the library into an office. Hedge has been "monarch of all he surveyed" for about two weeks. While he refused to allow a Christmas trie in the house be cause "it is » useless expense” he has relented sufficiently to ar range for a New Year party. Imagine the shock of the “children” when they find all their guests being forced to take a physical examination before admittance to the "festivities." On this, tlte night of the party, everything is going along as well as can be expected under the cir cumstances. The guests that PH sued the doctor's close scrutiny have danced and are now receiv ing sterilized sandwiches and le nronaue in tne dininsr*room. NOW GO ON WITH TUB STORY But of all this Constnnee was un conscious. She had escaped to a far corner of the con: ervatory, where she wept dismally into a tiny square of lace. It was there that. Tommy Treadwell found her, and presently : h was weeping against Tommy’s shoulder while he tried awkwardly to soothe her, “J can never look anybody in the face again,” site wailed. “I can't stand it. I’m going to run away!” “Honestly, will you?” he demand ed eagerly. “I’ll do anything to escape this,” sobbed Constance. ‘‘Will you run away with me?" Tommy’s voice wras trembling and his eyes pleading ns she looked up at him. ”I’ve Miked you to marry mo three times already," he went on. "Won’t you, Connie? Please!" Connie buried her face against his coat again and tried to think. She was fond of Tommy Treadwell, and it was true that he had asked her three times. But Constance had never taken Tommy seriously, be cause she did not want to . She had never felt like marrying anybody. ’She was still living her gill day . There would be plenty of time to marry late on. As for Tommy— well, when the time came, ft might be him, or it might he somebody else. She did not love Tommy, she was quite sure; but she did like him tre mendously. It was hard think, although she wrestled with her problem heroically. A voice seemed to be crying into In curs, "F scape! Escape! It’s your chance!” The idea of escape domi nated her. And Tommy was offering the way to freedom. “Please marry me, Connie,” he urged softly. "I’ll be awfully good to you.” She knew thafTSha knew tommy Treadwell for true blue, apd she knew that he would walk Broadway on his hands and knees for her, if she commanded. But she did not love nim. “Escape!” urged the little voice. Tommy stroked her hair and talk ed pleadingly. “Marry me, Connie, and I’ll take yon away from it all. Yon ju;*t see if I don’t make you happy.” He talked with the fire confidence and sincerity of youth. “ArsWer me, Connie dear. Will you marry me? Constance did not answer. She did not have time. The voice of a third person intervened. “Miss Brooke will not marry you,” said the efficiency man calmly. Constance nprang back with a cry, and Tommy Treadwell flushed but stood his ground. , a “What have you got to say about it?” he demanded. “Everything. Kindly get your hat and coat from the butler and leave." “\ou mean to tell me I haven’t a light to ask Connie to marry me?" “No; I did not say that. You have the right. You have exorcised it. Very good. That settles it.” “But you—” “I do the answering; you do the asking," said the efficiency man blandly. “You will go now.” “And supose I don’t take your an swer ? ” “Take it or leave it—it goes.” Constance’s first emotion was one of utter humiliation, which was quickly succeeded by rage. She flashed a look of defiance at H. Hedge. s “I will marry whom I please!” she stormed. ! will—” “You will go to your room, Miss Brooke, interrupted the efficiency man coldly. “I wdn’t, I”l!—’” Tommy Treadwell with a sense of true delicacy, put an end to the scene. “You’re all unstrung, Connie,” he sa!d gently. “Better get some rest. Good night.” She hesitated, then buried her face in her hands and walked away slow ly, As she passed Tommy he whis pered swiftly: *I'll ’phone tomornw. Be ready. He did hot yven say good night to II. Hedge, but strode from the con servatory and a minute later left the house. As for the party, it ended accord ing fixed time limit, at eleven o'clock. There were not very, many left at that hour, so that no extensive hard ship was done. Only the efficiency, man v.’ii1 about downstairs when the New Year came in with a tolling of hells. "He looks rather sound and sensi ble,” mused H. Hedge as lie turned out the desk light. ‘‘But as for mar rying Constance— certainly not! I cannot permit it.” Constance arose early. It was scarcely seven o'clock, but there was a strategic reason for the? un usual event. Constance was going n way; she was about to quit the shel “Miss Ilronke will not marry you." tor of the Brooke roof-tree for that of another, uml it was essential that the efficiency man should be unaware of the fact until it had been accom plished. Constance was going to be married Veil, to Tommy Treadwell, of course. He wwi her refuge in time of tribu lation and despair. “It makes no difference.” mused Constance as she dressed hastily, "that I don't love Tommy. Ite under stands. He knows 1 like and admire him, and he’s going to be satisfied with that. I think ire’s almost heroic to marry a girl that he knows doesn’t love him. But 1 can't exist hero. And 1 must—yes, must—find a new home for Billy and Alice. Tommy has pro mised to take both of them until father returns, I suppose it will get into the papers, hut—-Oh, anything is better than this!" The breakfast gong had not sound ed when Constance made a final sur vey of herself, seized a big muff, picked up the grip, and moved brisk ly to the door of her room. At the threshold she paused long enough to look up and down the hall. She did not want to meet either Billy or Alice; she would telephone them after it was over. The hall was empty of life, r.o Constance stepped out and headed for the rear staircase. One flight she descended rapidly, I which curried her as far ns the main | floor, and then she began to follow \ more cautiously the second flight, which was poorly lighted and had two >hnrp turns. At the first turn ■WWSTT Mg.” she paused abruptly. Slip heard foot steps in tile semi-gloom below. Somebody was coming up the stairs. Constance peered over the balus trade and held her breath. A servant she did not mind.. But it was not a servant.—it. was H. Hedge. Tier first impulse told her to turn and run; Ijut the time was too short and the grip too heavy. “Face it!“ she told herself quickly. But site did not want to face the efficiency man with the grip, so she tried to hold the latter behind her rk'rts. It.' was an awkward maneu ver. The grip hammered at her heels as she resumed descent of the stair case. Then it slipped from her f'ngcrs An instant later it struck her in the hollow, of a knee. Constance stagger id swayed, and pitched forward, ut tering a sharp cry. > She came to a halt half a dozen steps below. Tighly gripped around her waist was one arm of the effi ciency man; the other was clinging desperately to the rail. Both of Con stance's arms were around his neck. She could feel him struggling desper ately to maintain a balance. With a gasping intake of his breath he presently achieved it. The grip shot past them, rounded a turn, and land ed noisily on the floor of the base ment hall. He twisteu ms neau to poor into her face; Their eyes were not six relies apart in the half list. ‘It’s Constance!” he exclaimed. Never bad the efficiency man call ed her that before. ‘Yea, it’s I!’ “You're unusually early this morn ing." “ Possibly. ” H. Hedge seemed willing to pro long the conversation. “It’s not eight yet.” he remarked. “I know it.” ‘ Didn’t you drop something?” “Of course.” “I'll go down and get; ii for you.” But he made no move. “Don’t bother. I’ll get it.” “But 1 insist.” “No!” He paused and considered. “It’s a nice morning,” he observed irrelevantly. “1 belive so.” “Going for n walk?” “Yes-—no!” “Why not say ‘perhaps’—you get the same idea compressed into one v/ord,” Constance was becoming anxious. She knew that Tommy Treadwell and his blue roadster were waiting below in the court-yard. “ me go!’ she exclaimed. Up to that point she had been toe bewildered to notice that there had been no change in their positions since H. Hedge interrupted her head long plunge. NEXT CHAPTER: Hedge frus trates an elopement. STEEL PtA TMS ****n>%FIC[ t-PUl **Krs MiK CHARLOTTE WHY NOT THIS WEEK? Most of the severe eases of eye trouble are caused oy neg lecting the eyes after the symptoms of eye strain are plainly marked. An immediate examination and the relief of the strain will in almost every case pre vent furtheB trouble. If you have any symptoms of eye strain, why not have your eyes examined nov. and get glasses if they are need ed? DR. D. M. MORRISON Upstairs Over Fannings. PHONE 585. Coal AND DRY WOOD Ideal Ice & Fuel Co. PHONE 250 NIGHT OR DAY WE NEVER CLOSE. M LATE SHOPPERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE NOT FULLY DECIDED WHAT TO GIVE WILL FIND THIS STORE AN INSPIRATION AND GREAT HELP IN MAKING QUICK SELECTIONS. GIFT SUGGESTIONS ARE DISPLAYED ON EVERY HAND. There are thousands of pretty handker chiefs here in all the various kinds for wom en. for men, for boys and girls. If you don't know what to give, visit the handkerchief section and you’ll be able to solve the gift problem quickly. Beautiful Qualify BOX HANDKERCHIEFS FOR LADIES 25c 50c 75c TO $1.00 Box Madeira Handkerchiefs ..59c to $1.00 MEN’S KERCHIEFS Fancy woven borders. Some with initials, some plain. GIVE HIM Shirts, Ties, Gloves, Pajamas, Socks, Bath Robe or House Slip pers. MEN’S TIES 50c Ask your neighbor about these ties. They are real beau ties and well worth more than the price asked. BETTER TIES In gorgeous coloring. The* kind that hold their shapes af ter constant wearing. $1.00and $1.50 ! MEN’S FANCY SOCKS Just the kind he’d buy for himself. 50c 75c $1.00 i BROADCLOTH SHIRITS When you say broadcloth, enough had been said. We have them at— $2 $2.50 t0 $3.50 DRESS GLOVES $1.95 to $3.50 ww ww w w w uu *nnnr*nnrmn;. w ^ DRIVING GLOVES $2.50t0 $7.50 ******* »■m#www «*%*wm*m*m^m*wwm* ww w w bath robes $5.85 to $12.50 * f' ? SILK STOCKINGS \ Hosiery is a dress ac \ cessory one can’t have j too many and, there j fore, always appreci j ated as a gift. } Humming Bird $1.50 ? Chiffons.$2,95 | U wcr ur -1-# i_» r_« ' SILK UNDERWEAR _ _ j The intimate gift— \ the gift that always i pleases is one of silk 1 underwear— Teddies | Gowns, Bloomers, J Step-ins. Reasonably \ priced. 5 Shelby High School VANITIES > The gift with a per ! sonal touch. A vanity j with rouge and pow \ der, with High School t colors and monogram ! $l.and$1.50 UMBRELLAS In Gloria and Silks are here in large range og colors and shapes. $3.50t0 $10 W. L. Fanning & Co.
Shelby Daily Star (Shelby, N.C.)
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Dec. 21, 1925, edition 1
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