THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

old temple, too ! But I'll tell you t nother sat upon the bed as he
My plans when I see you. I'll be pulled a few articles from his suit-
'home on the four o'clock Wednes- case, changed his collar for dinner,
By HARRY HILLEL BERNSTEIN
day—and it's going to be good to spread out his latest neckties for
her inspection. Her cheeks were
get home."
almost as flushed as his ; her eyes
For a little while Ada Lewis sat
sparkled as vivaciously.
The next night Mr. Pinsky called
with the letter in her hand, the
Irving Pinsky went calling on a
"Mother, how young you look!"
again He came in bravely, secure
warm June sunlight streaming upon
he broke off suddenly in the midst lady. It was his first call. Hence in the knowledge that tonight he
her graying hair and delicate yet
of his hair brushing. "A new dress, occurred a certain trembling in the would have something to talk
firm features. Her baby was com- isn't it? And you said you had limbs of Irving Pinsky.
ing home after all these years at col-
Miss Minnie Minnkoff, on the about Had he not spent the entire
nothing to wear if you came to my
day culling clever jokes from a hu-
lege, coming home not for a short
graduation !" She did not think it other hand, accepted the situation morous paper in order to appear
summer vacation, but to be master
necessary to tell him that the with the sangfroid of a young lady witty in Miss Minnkoff's eyes?
of the house, to take the place of his simple gray crepe she had put on much called upon.
father who had died when he was for his homecoming was a dress
"You should sit on the sofa,"
"You should sit on the sofa ; it's
only fifteen. She closed her eyes she and the deft-handed Mary had softer," said Minnie easily. And said Miss Minnkoff. "It's softer."
and shivered a little as she recalled made over for the second time; Pinsky sat on the sofa not because
Mr. Pinsky sat on the sofa. He
those first dreadful years of loneli- that it was worn on state occasions, it was softer, but because he was
opened his mouth ; closed it again.
ness, those hours of doubt that Jo- carefully hoarded until she could incapable of deciding for himself
Where, oh where, were the jokes
seph, needing a father's care, was afford a less antiquated dinner where to sit. Painfully he stared
so laboriously memorized that very
growing reckless and headstrong, gown. She only flushed a little at at Miss Minnkoff. His mouth
her relief when he announced his his compliment and told him to opened, closed. What did one say afternoon?
Miss Minnkoff, recognizing the
intention of entering the rabbinate stop teasing a gray-haired old when calling on a lady?
symptoms, turned quickly to the
and "being like father," her second woman with a grownup son.
So m e piano. The tinny waltz crashed
"Maybe
you
would
like
widowhood when the boy had left
All through the dinner Joseph music ?" suggested Miss Alinnkoff forth. Mr. Pinsky devoutly wished
her for college.
rattled on in his merry, thoughtless hopefully, as the silence became he might die.
It had been hard, too, to stretch way ; but, for some reason she
acute.
So it went for a week. Then,
her scanty income that Joseph could hardly define, Mrs. Lewis be-
Irving Pinsky heaved a great one night, Irving found another
might be well clothed and might in- gan to feel vaguely uneasy.' . He al-
sigh of relief. There was nothing young man in Minnie Minnkoff's
dulge in the many innocent but ex- ways came home as light-hearted
in this world lie desired so much as front parlor. This young man was
pensive pleasures enjoyed by his as a child, but now his laughter
music! Miss Minnkoff obligingly handsome, well dressed, and thor-
wealthier classmates. "Joseph must struck her as a little nervous, his
seated herself at the second-hand oughly at his ease. His name was
never have to economize, even if I mirth a trifle forced. She remem-
pi:mo and evolved a tinny waltz Jake Samnowitz, he was a clothing
do," decided Joseph's mother, as bered how as a little fellow lie had
that quite effectually shattered the salesman, and it could be seen at a
she increased his allowance, leaving always seemed the most care-free
late embarrassing silence. But every mere glance that lie was madly in
Dorton for a smaller town where when meditating how to confess
noise has an end and in a brief love with Miss Minnkoff.
she was unknown and might prac- some schoolboy scape. She stole an
time Mr. Pinsky found himself
From that night forth Mr. Pin-
tice all her petty economies unob- anxious glance at him across the
again wrapped in a pervading
sky
and Jake Samnowitz were
served by her former friends.
silver and cut glass placed upon the speechlessness. He looked at the
deadly rivals. Never did Irving
But her heart remained hungry table in his honor.
ceiling; he looked at the floor. He
He would not speak of his plans turned pale ; blushed violently ; walk into Miss Minnkoff's front
for Dorton. She longed to return
parlor but he found Jake already
there with her boy in the fall, to until dinner was over. Mrs. Lewis turned pale again.
there. And it seemed the man
live, perhaps, in the very house lingered in the dinning room long
What did one say when calling knew innumerable love duets. He
where her young husband had enough to hear Mary's chuckling.
on a lady ?
was always fetching in new ones
taken her as a bride. She saw her- "And he took two helpings of
With
a
little
sigh
Miss
Minnkoff
for Alinnie' to try—and always his
self mingling with the older mem- salad," before she followed him
once more faced the piano. A sec- face w as closer to Minnie's face
bers of the congregation, entertain- into the library. The late twilight
tinny waltz jangled forth. Mr. than any exigency of the melody
ing simply but charmingly, and had deepened, and she was about to ond
Pinsky thought desperately. In a required. Irving Pinsky sat on the
dressing as daintily as she had done switch on the lamp, when he spoke
few measures the waltz would end. sofa and suffered.
before Joseph's necessities had from his place on the sofa :
say something.
made her hateful economies impera- "Mother, come over here, and we'll He must
Then, one glorious day, Irving
Just at that moment the clock
five. Her eyes sparkled like a talk in the dusk—it's more com-
struck 10. Up jumped Irving Pin- saw Jake hurrying along the Bow-
•young girl's as she raised them fortable and homelike."
ery dressed in the menial uniform
He drew her down beside him on sky.
again to the picture above the fire-
"I should go home now," he said of a theater usher! Mr. Pinsky
. place, and her lips curved softly the long sofa. In the uncertain
watched him until he disappeared
nervously.
with happiness as she folded Jo- light she glanced from her son's
"So soon?" murmured Minnie through the doors of an East Side
glowing face to her husband's por-
seph's boyish scrawl.
theater. So this was the fine cloth-
politely.
She did not trust herself to meet trait. The resemblance between
"It ain't so soon," he stammered. ing salesman who tried to win the
him at the train. Her absence them struck her as it had never
"I I've been here all evening.'' heart of Minnie Minnkoff! This
from the station sometimes puzzled done before. For a moment it
Then he summoned all his courage. usher in a red uniform ! Mr. Pin-
her son; he never dreamed that his seemed that her young husband sat
"And I could come again," he said sky leaned against a propitious
perfectly poised mother was al- beside her in the long twilight at
lamp-post and wept for joy. Then
huskily, "if you would let me."
ways so shaken at seeing him after Dorton ; she shivered a little, then
"Sure," said Miss Minnkoff smil- he went into the theater and bought
a' year's separation that she could calmed herself to listen to Joseph's
two tickets for the evening per-
ing, "conic whenever you like."
not bear to greet him before faltering voice.
After the bashful Mr. Pinsky formance.
"Mother, I know you'll be a little
strangers. Today, as she opened
That night, silk hat in hand, with
had departed Miss Minnkoff flung
the door for him, and he hugged disappointed, but I'm not going to
herself down on the sofa and a blushing Miss Minnkoff on his
her with his impetuous roughness, Dorton. I refused their offer last
laughed until the tears stood in her arm, Mr. Irving Pinsky presented
he was too excited to notice how week, but I thought I'd tell you
the stubs of two theater tickets to
eyes.
she trembled in his arms and clung about it when I got home—I always
"Oy, oy, oy," she gasped, "I a handsome young usher in a red
to him with almost hysterical eager- hate writing letters."
don't
believe he ever called on a uniform.
Her hands, ringless save for the
ness.
lady before." Then her eyes soft-
"Jake !"
"How's everything? You're look- one gold band, clasped themselves
ened.
"\1r. Pinsky—Minnie!"
(continwa r, pap .0
ing fine, mother. And here's
he's nicer than some fresh
"But
There could be no greater tri-
Mary !" He kissed that beaming
ones I could think of."
umph for Irving Pinsky. He drew
hand-maid heartily. "Now tell Fa-
That night when Miss Minnkoff himself up to his full height.
ther Rogan that you let a wicked
sought
her couch it was with a cer-
young rabbi kiss you! Yes, you
"Take us to our seats," he- said
tain
thoughtfulness.
Nor did she
can put my suitcase in my room
grandly,
"Mr. Clothing Salesman!"
sleep immediately, but lay until
right away." All the way upstairs
Not a word said Jake Samno-
midnight considering a certain mat-
211 Griswold St.
'he chattered unceasingly like a girl
Holden Building
witz,
but turnig from the scorn of
home from her first dance. His Optometrist and Mfg. Optician. Cadillac 474S.R ter.

Pinsky Discovers His Tongue

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