Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 256, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 October 1918 — BETWEEN FLOORS [ARTICLE]

BETWEEN FLOORS

By SOPHIA B. COHAN.

(Copyright, 1918, by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) “And I don’t think there is any virtue in helping all these war funds with money given to me by dad, so I’m going to work, and besides buying more War Savings stamps and contrlbutlng to the Red Cross, I’ll be releasing some man fbr the service.” Marcia Gray spoke earnestly, at the same time unfolding a small piece of paper, which, she proudly displayed to Bob Eaton’s astonished eyes. “An elevator operator’s license,” he gasped, then smiled. “To think of a woman running an elevator, and of all women you!” And Bob, usually so sympathetic, could control his‘ mirth no longer, and was now shaking with laughter. Marcia’s eyes filled with tears. She had worked so hard to gain that precious bit of paper, and had been so in earnest, and here was Bob ridiculing her! Her chagrin gave way to anger. Folding the license w-ith a snap she ran into the house with a curt, “Well, you’ll see, Mr. Robert Eaton, and don’t ever speak to me again,” and shut the»door in his face.

The following day, as Bob stepped into the elevator in his office building, he was amazed to see Marcia at the wheel. Then, regaining his composure, he greeted her cheerfully. Marcia met his smile with a cold, unseeing glance as she closed the door and started the elevator. Bob had ample time until Marcia let him off at the eighth floor to change his mind about her capability. He had “to admit she was much more polite and efficient than the boy whose place she had taken—and she looked sweeter than ever in her plain gray uniform! All that day Marcia’s face, framed in the black curls which rebelliously refused to stay under her severely serviceable little cap, was hopelessly mixed'with Bob’s letters and reports, and it was with difficulty that he restrained himself from running to the elevator. At last, at five o’clock, he saw her again, and again she ignored him. ‘

So Bob rode np and down in the elevator, hoping against hope that she would relent. Then, when a month had passed without any result he decided to walk, rather than see her so often and not be able to speak to her. Perhaps Marcia missed him, for many times as she saw him running swiftly up the stairs, she felt an impulse to call to him.. However, she still remembered how he had laughed at her; and restrained herself, happy that in spite of his unbelief, she was succeeding far better than she herself had dared hope. Then one day,._at the end of two months of arduous stair climbing Bob was very late, and tp save time, took the elevator.' Besides, he was wearing a new, wonderful oliye-drab uniform, which he was very anxious for a certain little lady to see. Bob was the only passenger in the elevator. Marcia’s heart leaped, but she said nothing. And then a curious thing happened. She stopped the elevator between the seventh and eighth floors, and, turning around, said.warmly, “I congratulate you, Mr. Eaton.” She turned swiftly back, the light in her eyes forbidding Bob to say anything. Matcia’s heart sank—the brakes refused to yield 1 Bob w as er s ’de immediately. She silently accepted his solicitous offer to help, and for fifteen minutes they worked together. Marcia sank to the floor when Bob filially told her it was no use for them to try, and that they would have to wait until they were pulled up. z-'' Half an hour later they Were released from the elevaton/ Marcia’s face shone radiantly through the oil from the brakes as she stepped out. And the radiance from her countenance was reflected in Bob’s, for hadn t she promised to become Mrs. Eaton, and wait for him until he came back from “Over there?” And Bob, having a true diplomatic instinct, had agreed to let Marcia work for the time being.