Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 292, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1916 — “IN SEARCH OF A TOWEL!” [ARTICLE]

“IN SEARCH OF A TOWEL!”

By JOAN COSBY.

Jimmy, blinking and blinded by the shower, reached for a bath towel. His fingers, clutching the first one with which they came in contact, gave it a Jerk off the rack, but the towel caught on a faucet of the bathtub, and that had Jimmy known it, settled his fate forever, Tor his Aunt Brewster had given him the towel and Aunt Brewster was his chief hope for the future. “D n it!” said Jimmy. Suddenly the towel, or rather the lace of the towel, let go, and Jimmy didn’t. Out he went over the end of the tub. When the fireworks in Jimmy’s head had subsided and he had cautiously tested every bone for breaks, he swore again. “You blankety-blank fool thing, you, with your silly blue roses and lace. Get out of here!" And without any apologies to the donor, he hurled the cause of his troubles through the window and reached for another towel. We’ll leave Jimmy to dry and dress and rub his and follow the towel out of the bathroom window on tl»e sixth floor of the apartment hotel. It floated downward —hardly floated, either, for it was as wide and heavy as a rug—but it arrived, at any rate, at a certain point in the street over which a roadster was passing at the instant, and having a penchant for catching on things, it caught on a button of the car’s top. All unconsciously beneath her gay canopy of lace and blue roses sat Eileen Brannon. She saw people stare, laugh and point, but there was nothing wrong that she could see. But in front of “Anna Katherine’s Shop” she stopped to investigate. What was attracting such attention? And then "She saw the towel spread shamelessly over her natty little car. “Where did yogi get that towel so blue? Out of the sky as you came through?”' She turned quickly. “Oh, Charley, isn’t it the limit! Where do you sup|pse it came from? Get it down, will you, and I’ll fake it into Anna Katharine. These things are in her line and maybe she’ll know something about it." But Anna Katharine didn’t except that there were weeks of work on the lace.

“Then keep it,” offered Eileen. “May’ be some nice old lady will bqy it for her college grandson.” L r In the meantime more things were happening to Jimmy. The postman brought some letters, and there was one from Aunt Brewster. “I’m starting for Florida,” she wtote, “and I’m stopping to see you for a day en route. I forgot to take off the pattern of the lace on that towel I gave you for your birthday. Besides there’s something else I want to see you about that 1 can’t explain here. Until Friday then. Affectionately, Aunt B.” “For the love of Peter Jones!" groaned Jimmy. “Can you beat Itl Where in this nickel-plated town do you suppose that towel is?” Then someone rang the bell. It was Charley Blogett, he of the titulating rhyme. “Hello, Charley, come in. I just need a tonic like you after a bally hoc day. Aunt Brewster’s coming and as she carries my prospects around in her bank book we’ll have to concoct some way to amuse her. Proceed, Charles!” Charles ilt a cigarette. “Poor Jimmy i Well, I’ve got a story saved up for her that ought to help some.” And he told of Eileen and the towel. “Mine, by jingoes! Where did you say it is?” - . 1 “At a fancy-work" shop on Fifth avenue. Come along and I’ll show you the place.” But When they reached the shop and inquired for thejaath towel they were told that it had just been sold! “Heavens!” cried Jimmy in dismay. “Who bought it?” [I But the girl didn’t remember. A lady, 'she thought. “We’ll get Eileen,” suggested Charlie. “Maybe she can do something. Women can always think of a way.” So they took a taxi and went to her house. She had just cpme in and was still dressed for the street. Charley started an introduction, but to his surprise the two were shaking hands. “You’re Jimmy -Young, aren’t you?" smiled the girl, w’hile Jimmy was saying: “If it isn’t my little old playmate, Dot Brannon!” “We used to play together at Aunt Brewster’s,” they explained to Charley, quite forgetting to let go hands and looking back at each other with interest that hitd evidently been compounding rapidly for ten years. “Aunt Brewster is here!” went on Eileen. “I’ve just brought her from the station.” “But she was to visit me!” exclaimed Jimmy. “Funny, isn’t it!” . “But he doesn’t want her since he lost the towel, sq it’s all fight,” put in Charley. , “It’s all right,” said a quiet voice In the doorway. There stood Miss Brewster smiling, the; towel in her hand. “Eileen told me of her find on the way from the station, I was interested, so we drove around to the shop and bought it. I recognized it instantly. But the mystery is cleared up now, and it’s all right. The towel has done wW. I came/ to New York to do, to bring you and Eileen together again.” “The comedy is ended!” quoted Charley. / (Copyright, 1918, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)