"3pw
that in the first place I was appealed to
in behalf of a woman and no gentleman
maj lesist that And then I had no rea
son to suspect that I was to marry a
girl. It might have been an__experi
eneed widow Indeed"
"But you are glad it asn't, are you
not''" she asked, anxiousl}
''Yes, m} child."
"Does my question then indicate th at
I am a child?"
"Yes, my child."
"I don't see why."
i '"Because }ou are stilla child." She
was not satisfied.
"Mr. Somers, I want you to think
well of me always, and the thought that
I ma} meet }ou sometime doesn't em
barrass me now. It would not embar
rass me if I did meet joueven if I
should meet ou to-morrow. But I wish
you to Know all about me, and I am go
ing to tell 3 ou everj thing from the be
ginning."
"No, indeed, jou shall,not," he said,
quick]} She lifted her head, startled
"Why notif I choose? I am not
afraid to trust jou
"No' no' Miss Frances
*k\h,
I i .i woman again'"
Yes a woman oi a charm so sweet
and a beait o true that Richard Som
ers mils* aim himself Not 3 our honor,
but mine, the honor of jour husband,
is at ^take, and jou promised to regard
that alw aj
\nd I shall, sir only tell mc how."
"YV h), I have promised my friend not
to seek to find out, or permit anyone
to tell me anything about you I may
not let e\en jou inform me You must
not
She was silent, disturbed, and won
dering at his intense earnestness.
Then she said, in awe at the mjstery
of it all- "When we part to-night we
are to meet as friends no more? You
may ne\er take mj hand in yours and
speak kindly to me again? Oh, sir,you
do not know, you do not know what
your tenderness has done for the girl
no, the woman you call a child You
do not know what it is to have missed
a father's caie, a mother's"
"Hush'" he cried, "not one word
more You are making it hardhard
for me to keep faith with my friend.
You are betraj'ing his secret." She
threw off his hand and arose suddenly,
with an abandon of passion that over
whelmed him
"What a mockery! what a mockery!
I am ashamedashamed! It is I who
am betrayed'" He had aiisen also,
full of emotion and almost unmanned.
"Neverat my hands. I chose the
words dehberatelj
I will honor and
protect jouto the best of mj ability,
but mj ability ends where mj promise
began All is based upon mjr
contract
with Francis Brodnar, my friend
"Friendfriend!" she said, bitterly
"in God's name, sir, what am I to ou?"
He was too deeplj affected to answ er at
once When he did his voice was un
steady
"This- In the hour I have been
hero jou ha^e found an untrodden way
to the heart of Richard Somers. I know
now that no woman was ever there
before jou none will ever follow jou.
I maj not be here to give j-ou my hand
I do not know the circumstances that
sunound jou, or e\en if in winning
youi s} rapathy I am plajingfalsebut
where\ei ou are, remember that my
soul follows and I would keep guard
over on if I might" He spoke with
an earnestness and passion that dis
tuibed and alarmed himself. Some
thing like a groan burst from his lips
when he realized how far he had com
mitted himself, and he sank back in his
chan There presentlj she found him,
and resting her hand timidlj upon his
arm, she said, gentlj
"What would jrou
have me answer
you?" She was calm and confident
now At first she had shrunk a little
from him Her simple, confiding action
restoied to him his calmness.
"I would have jou say at what hour
it is, jou are accustomed to close the
eyes which look down upon without
seeing mine
"At nine But what is this upon your
lapela flower?"
"A white iose for our wedding."
With piettj show of authority she
drew it from its resting place and
fixed it 111 her hair
'Do not flowers belong to the
bride?"
"Wear it memory of me," he said,
gentlj But now I am going to in
sist that jou take steps to preseive
those other roses which I am sure
ha^e bloomed for jou Have jou a
di essmg-room?"
"Yes, but I am not sleepj and I
Bhall not desert jou. Wait. Speaking
of the iose, I shall sing you a song I
]o\e \erj muchthat is, if I can find
my guitar Ah, here it isr Now I'll
sit heieand jou right therebut I
wonder if I can ever play in the dark?
May 1 not have just a little light?
I won't mind"
"How easily you forget! I is im
possible Sing as jou are I shall not
hear any discord He was astonished
at her swift change of mood and a
new, glad note in her voice. She sang
low and sweetly, with perfect control
of her tones, the "Last Rose of Sum
mei And then he understood bet
ter F01 in her voiee he read th at
the soul and spirit of an impassioned
woman dwelt in the slender frame
veiled by the shadows of the room.
He was silent E\ery heartache that
had been ciushed out of his manhood
seemed to have revived under the
magic of a subtle tone, an indescriba
ble, indefinable echo. I was a resur
rection of something that had died
hard within him
"You do not like my singing," she
said, disappointed, when, waiting for
his praise, she found him silent and
thoughtful
"Your singing' Yes But a memr"
orj bo to sleep now Make yourself
comfortable" and leave me to keep
watch Yet Stay will you not sing
over those lines again? To me they
are inexpiossibly beautiful"
Standing in the doorway of he*
dressing-room, she jsang- the^Werse
through again* softly without accom
paniment, waited until she was as
sured that he would not speak, and
then passed thoughtfully within.
When she came forth, arrajed in her
wrapper, she paused beside him, puz
zled oAer his-change of mood.
"I am afraid jou are going to be
lonely," she said."
"Sleep, mj child, sleep I shall not
be lonelyknowing you are there."
"Perhaps I am keeping you awake?"
"Yes. That is it you are keeping
me awake!" 1
"Well, I am holding out my hands
and saying 'good night,'" she said.
He found and pressed his lips upon
them. He held them so tightly and
trembled so violently she bent down
over him confused. One of her curls,
loosened, dropped upon his neck, and
another across his cheek. The mingled,
odor of her hair and the rose filled
him with a strange intoxication
"I am sorrylf I have distressed you
in an way," she said "you have been
kind, oh, so kind to me. Good night."
He still held her hands, his face
bowed upon them, his form shaking
with a strange emotion. "Good night
she said again "If I do fall asleep
and jou are lonelyoh, sir, you hu rt
mjr
hands
Good night," he whispered, hoarse
ly, recovering himself and releasing
them. She crossed the room, and he
saw her, dimly, standing by the bed,
as though in doubt. And then she
sank softly to her knees and laid her
head upon, her arms', child-wise, in
prajer. He arose and stood until he
saw her head lifted.
"Wait," he said, earnestly "will you
not pray also for me?"
"I have prajred
for you already," she
answered
"Will jou tell me the prayer?"
"Some time, perhaps, when it has
been answered."
He thought then that she had fallen
asleep, but after awhile she spoke
again.
"Will j-ou let me ask you a question
of j-ourself again?"
"Yes, if you wish
"Dr Brodnar said that you had
never had but one ambition in life,
and that jou had been disappointed.
What did he mean?"
"I once had ambition to be a great
soldier. That is all
"Were you ever a soldier?"
"Yes, an officer in the regular
army
"And now
"I am a wandererT A gentleman
onlv
"Why did you leave the army?"
"I struck my superior officer. They
heard my defense andlet me resign."
"And the otherwhat became of
him?"
"He cheated at cards, was publicly
insultedand cashiered."
"Why did jou strike him?"
"Is this asking 'a' question?"
"Oh, forgive me! Good night."
"It is very short," he said, repent
antly. "There was a woman in the
case the card incident was but a pre
text A low cry escaped the girl.
Then she said, half rising:
"You loved her
9
"Yes He heard her sink slowly
back upon her pillow. "I thought so,
at leastuntil now I was mistaken
in her. mj pride wa a wounded." He
arose and paced the room.
"Tell me of her, please?"
"She Irved not far from Washington
\vith a relative, her parents both
dead She had some means of her
own and frequently came into the
city, where she had friends. We met,
and I believed in her but this officer
came between us. She thought him
rich, and I was deserted for him. She
belonged to that class of women who
esteem wealth the foremost object of
life, women who go deliberately to
men they do not, cannot love, or even
respect, and say in effect: 'Here, we
have beauty, youth, freshness, for sale.
Take us, dress us, give us jewels and
fine clothes to wear, carriages to ride
in, give us a chance to command the
homage of men, and all that we have
is jours.' Watch for them upon your
streets all men know them at sight.
God, but thej pay at last! Look in
when the excitement has passed and
see upon their faces the frozen de
span see in the heaviness of their
step the weight of a dead youth, and
in their eyes eternal hopelessness.
Child, child, be not deceived love is
the only gold th at pays a woman.
Shun them, these wretched advertise
ments of dishonor. Let no man come
into the holiness of your life until love
has sanctified the sacrifice." He ceased
abiuptly, and the next instant was
kneeling by her side "Forgive me
he cried "Have I not told you I
hold you blameless?" Suddenly he
felt her arms about his neck, drawing
his face to hers. Her hair enveloped
and almost smothered him in a sudden
storm Holding him thus, she broke
into such an agony of grief and, tears
as to render him speechless and help
less She held him in such frantic
embrace that each effort he made to
free himself was defeated. When her
strength was exhausted she sank
back among the pillows, breathless.
He bent above her unnerved.
"How lonely, how barren must have
been your life, that a little kindness
another's sorrowsshould touch you
so deeply!"
"Lonely! Speak of the persecution,
the brutality, the infamy!"
"Hush," he whispered.
N "No more
to me. Come, you must sleep." Rising
abruptly, he left her side. When, it
was that she fell asleep he could not
discover, but presently he seemed to
hear her deep, regular breathing, and
was thankful.
And so tb'e moments passed The
girl started up once or twice and
spoke his name but always* at sound
of his calm, reassuring voice sank
back again upon her pillow Frona
time to time he went and stood above
dreams Withou a day's warning he
had been plunged into the privacy of
a young and modest woman's IifeThad
become the guardian of her honor and
in a measure of her future and in a
mysterious way the-divine sweetness
of her soul had issued forth and en
veloped him. In the chiaroscuro-of
the still room he could just determine
the^ outlines of her bed and upon "its
whiteness the outlines of her slender
figure. He was glad that she slept
in that quiet falling asleep was for
him the finest tribute ever paid to- his
manhood. A glad, quick pulife leaped
from his heart as he realized this
truth, and the words of the girl's
mother, so artlessly repeated,-"came
back to him.
Then in the desert of his life a
stranger came before his tent and
asked for shelter. He bade him enter.
Why should not this scene be fixed
and real and lasting? Would it be
possible? Would the girl some dajr
accept it as such, yielding still the
trust and tenderness she had brought
to the counterfeit? Was she trusting
Brodnar? Or was she trusting him?
The trust was in him. He felt it in
stinctively and her little white hand
seemed to steal forth to his again,
her arms to enfold him. What a
child she was! And yetand yet
An irresistible impulse seized him to
be near her, to touch her hand, her
hair, and to pass within the electric
radius of her presence again, fT but
for a moment. He was her guardian
whether she slept or awoke.
A strange curiosity to be near a
sleeping girl, to enter further into
her life and absorb the sweetness of
its innocence, possessed him. She
would not know, she would never
know, perhaps and why should he
not snatch from fate this one brief
moment of happiness? A doubt as
sailed him and brought hesitation
but with an impatient gesture he
threw aside the hesitation. He would
not let even himself doubt himself.
And so he came and stood above the
sleeper, and presently, enhanced, he
kneeled and saw her lying there,
vague, dim and unrecognizable, but a
girl asleep. Her face was tovvaids
him upon the pillow and one hand lay
upon the edge of her bed So quietly
did she sieep she seemed not to
breathe. He watched her until a
tremor shook him from head to foot,
and a never before experienced con
fusion seized upon his mind. Instinct
ively he leaned above her hand and
touched it with his lipslightly, rev
erently. She sighed and spoke his
name, and, overwhelmed with sudden
dismay, he would have withdrawn, but
she seized his arms and cried out:
"Light! light!" And then, broken
ly: "Oh, sir, for the first timeI am
I amfrightened!" He sank his
face beside"her, overwhelmed with
shame
"It is half-past three," he said, brok
enly "I must soon say farewell to
jxm"
"Oh, sir, will you not light the gas?"
Seeing that she still trembled, he
arose and went to his chair.
"No," he said, calmly. "But sleep
on. I shall not disturb you again
And then presently she came, and,
kneeling in sudden abandon before
him, placed her hands upon his shoul
ders, her face close into his
"I shall not let you leave me think
ing that I do not trust you," she said
"Oh, sir, kiss me now, my hands, my*
hair, my lips if you will. I trust im
plicitly! I trust youyes, and
m#re, I"
"Child, child, you do not know what
you are saying!" He covered his face
with hi hand.
"Child! No, woman! You do not
understand it is you who are the
child. Listen. I was not asleep when
you struck a match and, turning your
face from me, looked at your watch.
I was awake, and 1 saw your face in
the glass across the room."
"You should not"
"It was an accident, and I thanked
God, for it has given me a living mem
ory of the kindest friend since mother
died. It is not the first time, for your
picture is in the doctor's office. He
did not know that I have hung o\er it'
fixing it in my mindmanymany
timesoh, will jou, will you say that
you wish to see me? Have you no
wish to remember me?"
"Remember jou? I shall carry witlh
me forever the sound of your voice,
tbjfc touch of your hand, the perfume
of every curl upon jour head"
"But my face! Will you loot upon
that? I release you from all your
promises."
"I cannot! I cannot!"
"Oh, sir, think what it will mean
to me all the lonely days to eome,
the memory of you and the conscious
ness that you carry in your heart
sometime the face of the girl who
"It-must not be. Remember your
husband's honor! You promised to
honor Mm. Is this the way?"
"My husband! my husband!" she
cried, half rising, "you have said it!"
"Frances! Frances!"
"Ah, Frances! Say it all, Frances1,
my wife
"Frances, my wife!" A passionate
crj burst from the girl's-iips.
"Yes, Frances, your wife. The wom
an who loves you, who has loved you
from the day she" saw your picture
and heard your story! Oh, he never
knewhe never dreamed it. Nothing
her-a spell upon
strange, spelt that filled him with
uneasiness and vague alarm. He was __could
no longer lonely. In some mysterious Look upon me if you will, but_the eyea
way a burden seemed to be slipping **-*-would
away from him, and in its place came
a senset of companioTaship sweet and
comforting. Most men discount mar
ried life in their dreams, and few ever
realize the fullness of those dreams
but with him it had been different.
can silence those- words:. 'France* impregnable pride in family, sh
S?dWvo
ijl ^!f^
an you shall, ju shall ""see mine!
The matchesah, they, are herel'*^
"Hold!"-Cfce CEied^Wkily. I should'
he un.worthy.j3f jour love and trust if
break my sacred promise.
thaj weep tears of^ joy to see
you will be closed while the match is
burning. Look, if to carry in memory
the living record of one face will help
you, take mine, and with it, right or
wrong, the love of Richard Somers."
Sh struc the match and held it
a
JThis strange experience preceded the above his lifted- faceU advancinig her when they laid her upo the bed and
dreams. Without a day's warning he own and gazing eagerly upon him. administered an opiate. The stains of
"Ah, again! again! Jify husband, my
husband," she remurmured. "It is the
face of an angel!" The match grew
short and the fatal red spark was
showing- in the flame when there came
a flash of light in the window across
the room, the quick, sharp report of a
pistol rang out, and Richard Somees,
reeling, plunged
through her arms
face down upon the floor.
The awful silence that followed the
tragedy ws broken at length by the
faint wfhisper of the dazed and half
unconscious girl
"Speak," she said, kneeling over
the prostrate form "whywhat is
the matter?what has happened?"
Her hands found his head and passed
rapidly over it. "You do not answer
me!" She drew slowly back from
him, chilled with a great and un
speakable horror. Her hands were wet
and slippery. Instinctively she knew
it was blood. She could not rise nor
cry out her heart seemed paralyzed,
her throat in the-clutch of an invisible
hand. The door opened silently, and
the doctor's low voice was heard:
"Somers, Somers, the day is almost
breaking." There was no response.
He spoke again. Then the two figures
became dimly visible Whajt has- hap-
pened?" he whispered, bending above
them. He, too, felt the tell-tale blood.
RICHARD SOMERS, REELING,
PLUNGED THROUGH HER ARMS.
upon his fingers as he touched the
prostrate man, and, rising hastily,
struck a match. Somers lay senseless
before him, the young woman kneel
ing by his side staring speechlessly
upon her bloody hands His quick
glance sw.ept the room and rested
uppn her. The match fell to the floor
and went out, leaving the scene to
blacker darkness.
"Remorse!" he said, in a whisper,
and was still. Rallying his faculties
at length, Dr. Brodnar hurriedly lit
the gas, and with his stern features
contracted examined the fallen man
and saw a wound back of the right
temple from which the dark blood was
still oozing.
"He has shot himself," he said. A
moment he stood, with covered face,
wavering- in his tracksT"Suddenly the
enormity of the interests at stake
flashed upon him and stupor gave way
to intelligent action Seizing a lowei,
he wiped the girl's hands and forced
her into a chair.
"Stay there," he said, i'and on your
life do not cry out or leave the room
before I return. Do you understand?"
"Yes," she said, simply, and fixed her
gaze upon the window. He bound the
towel tightly about the head of the"
wounded man, lifted him in his arms
as if he were a child, and'passed out
into the night. A few moments later
the rush of wheels was heard upon
the street
"Some patient of the doctor's- is
worse," said a policeman upon a corner
two squares away as the flying ve
hicle passed him
Dr RroSnar was rescued from a
bad complication by his especial treas
ure, Joe, the driver
"Go and bring jour mother," he said,
quickly, as he lifte'd the unconscious
Somers from the carriage in front of
his office. "Don't lose one second!
Keep your mouth shut." Joe was out
of hearing before the doctor reached
his operating-room. The doctor's as
sistant, half dressed, appeared quick
ly. Somers was stretched upon a
table, and his wound critically exam
ined. The bullet had entered over and
behind tire right ear, and the side of
his head was clotted with blood. A
second wound an inch farther back
became visible as the blood was washed
away, but a probe carefully inserted
in the forward wound came out of
the other, touching the skull in pass
ing. There was no particle of brain
matter in the blood.
"Syncope from concussion," said
Brodnar. "Watch him carefully until
I return and do not permit him to
speak." The sound of wheels approach
ing caused him to descend the steps
three at a time. He pressed back the
aged negro woman who was dismount
ing. -r
"To the same place, Joe! Hurryf"
he said, and the door closed.
The woman so hastily secured was
none other than the "mammy" who
had looked after the welfare of Prances
since infancy. She had been encour
aged to absent herself for-thmlght.
Trained under the old regime, wdth a
sense of proprietorship in her old mis
treaa am3 daughter, with a deep and
*o
ede
and vn an vo i i JJ^. Brodnar said as they eatered si
lently the deserted yard:^"^,^,^*
Neverthelese^
'Thefe- has Taeen an accident, mam-
-my.|pAs a questions and answer
none, Permit nobody to see your
young mistress Do you .understand
"De chile ain't hu't, young marsfer?"
"No. A- friend was. Her mind has
been affected*deeply by her father's
condition ana this shock has upset her.
You must know nothing more of it."
Frances sat as he had left her, in
the armchair. She offered no resistance
me armcnair. one onereanno resistance
opia
blood were carefully removed "from
her hands, and her wrapper changed.,
and Dr. Brodnar prepared to depart,
for the day was now breaking. He re
membered the pistol, and was search
ing the floor for it, when .the reaction
set in and Frances began to cry bit
terly. Obeying his silent motion, mam
my passed into the dressing-room and
he took the girl's hand.
"The whole blame rests upon me,"
he said, gently. "Keep quiet I will
see you through." And then aery burst
from him: "What a fool! what a fool!
And to think that Dick Somers!" At
sound of this name the girFs grief be
came almost uncontrollable.
"He loved me," she said, brokenly.
"And it has cost him his life!"
"Loved yon! Never! If he had armed
better, I could forgive him." She was
silent.
_i'If he had aimed better!"then she
sat up with almost frantic en erg}
"Yes. The wound is not fatal.
Frances, Francesback, mj child"
"Take me to himI must, I must go
to him"
"You are simply mad!"
"He is my husbandI love him! I
love him!"
Brodnar groaned and turned away
his head. Suddenly the girl shivered
and drew back, her gaze set fearfully
on something behind him.
"Close the window," she whispered
in a changed voice, "they may return."
"Whywhatwhat do you mean?"
He was upon his feet, a strange light
in his face,
"It came from that window," she
whispered fearfullj "some one fired
through the slats."
"God in Heaven!" he cried, "I thank
you! Dick! Dick! forgive me!" He
plunged out into the gray dawn and
left the girl amazed and terrified.
CHAPTER III.
Richmond at the time these events
were occurring was in a tumult of ex
citement The quarrel between the
north and south in congress had long
since reached the acute stage, and
preparations were forming for that
titanic struggle which was to shake
America for four la-ng jears. South
Carolina had led off, followed bj Ala
bama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana and Texas. The capital of
the confederacy was in the far south,
and while no one expected that Rich
mond was to become the center of po
litical intrigue, it had been easily fore
seen that Virginia, being a slave state,
would join her southern sisters, and
that if war followed she would furnish
the battle ground by reason of her geo
graphical position.- Few people., be
lieved in a serious conflict to come, but
there were some who foretold a bloody
struggle, and these were among the
powerful, who gave time and direction
to public sentiment
There was much discussion in state
militarj circles, and a confident pre
diction that when the crisis came the
south must recall her sons from the
service of the union, and enlist them
under the banners of the state's rights
party,leaving many vacancies difficult
to fill
Upon his couch in the rooms of Rich
mond's popular physician Richard
Somers lay, convalescent His wound
proved easy of management and healed
rapidly. But in the emptj hours given
tohimfor recovery he reviewed his late
experience, and with small comfort for
himself. Carried away hy sentiment,
he had permitted himself to involve
seriously a young girl intrusted to his
care. He had acted like a sentimental
boy, he told himself, rather than as a
man coolly transacting a piece of busi
ness to which a rfriend had commis
sioned him. Evidently the whole mat
ter hinged upon the suecession of prop
erty, and be was simply an instru
ment But he had suffered himself to
be swept along by sentiment, and had
declared his love for a girl altogether
unknown to himindeed, unseen In
conclusion, somebody had put a bullet
through his head, the only mistake
being in the matter of aim. He had re
ceived "ho explanation from Brodnar
other than that an error had cost him
the wound There was a-multitude of
apologies, the tenderest of careand
silence. But one day he arose and
dressed himself, and, barring a slight
dizziness of head, found the world
about as he had left it. And then Brod
nar told him of such facts as he him
self had knowledge.
"You were shot from a window~by
some one who saw you strike a match,
my dear fellow, and who didn't care
whether your eyes were closed or not,"
he said.
"But who was the assailantand
what was the object?"
"Under the window I found tracks,
the track of a woman's number two
shoes, clear cut and sufficiently deep
to suggest that the wearer was in all
probability a settled woman. And yet
a heavy woman's foot would not have
been so trim. There you have it all."
"Why should she have been there,
and why should she have shot me?"
"My dear fellow, ask me who wrote
Shakespeare and the letters of Junius.
Frankly, I know nothing on earth about
this shooting beyond the simple fact.
Perhaps the shot was not aimed at
you." ^Somers reflected for a moment.
"Possibly you are correct in the sug
gestion. But if you, with all the in
formation you have and knowledge of
these people, are at sea,vj have ^.no
chance to unravel the mystery. Evi
dently my best-plan ismy^rst planto
leave at once. Some one lives who saw
me in that room. The sooner I go now
-the better for the good of all.- Only I
would have ou telkme againif I may
venture that* farif my young friend
is well, and understands that my re
cover}' is accomplished."
"She is well," said Brodnar, with
some constraint, "and understands."
"Look here, Francis, the truth is,"
^aid Somers, rising, "I am. not fond of
mystery. I proposed to keep my prem
ise and shall, but, man, Leame near be
ing-involved in a lifelong affection that
night, and I ask you now if I am to
leave here with no further informa
tion"
"Yes," said Brodnar, "otherwise you
would defeat the object of the whole
plan. Nothing could be more unfor
tunate for the girl than that you should
see her again or knowledge of that
marriage get'abroad."
"So_ be it," said Somers, sadly. I
keep my promise. To-night we say
good-by Brodnar sat, moodily silent,
drumming upon his desk, his eyes upon
the floor. Suddenly he stood erect.
"Somers, I owe you something, owe
you more than I may ever be able to
repay I shall tell you this much, and
let jou decide for the woman" ^__,
"A telegram, doctor, for Mr. R. Som
ersyour care." A boy had entered:
hurriedly and stood waiting Somers
took the message from the doctor's
hand, and, the messenger vanishing,
he read aloud:
"Report in person immediately to this of
fice "STANTON,
"Secretary of War
{TO BE CONTINUED
TEARS WERE FORBIDDEN.
A Note to Quit Meant That tbe Type
writer Was to Go.
She was a dainty little thing, and the
old gentleman seemed to be prepos
sessed in her favor right from the start,
but there was evidently something that
made him pause.
"Look here," he said, in his blunt
fashion, I like you and your references
are all right. You run the typewriter
as if you knew all there is to know
about it, and you don't look like a girl
who would be sick every third day and
want to get away an hour or two early
all the rest of the time, but before I
engage you "I want to have a clear un
derstanding with you on one subject."
"Yes? sir," she replied, looking at him
inquirlnglj\
"Oi course," he explained, "1 evpect
you will be perfectly satisfactory, but
if you are not there must be no doubt
about my right to discharge you."
"Certainly not."
"If I want you to go I'll just have one
of the clerks put a note on your desk or
leave it with the cashier for you, and
you're to take that as final."
"Naturally," she said, looking at him
in some surprise.
"You're not to enter any protest or
file any objections," he persisted, "and
most of all, you're not to weep."
"Why, I suppose I can ask you why"
"You can't ask me a thing," he broke
in. "If you get a note asking you to
quit you're just to put on your things
and walk out without a whimper or
question of any kind. Is that under-
stood?'*
"It is," she replied.
"Have I jour promise to live up to
that agreement?"
"You have. But it is such an ex
traordinary request that II"
"Young woman," said the old gentle
man, impressively. "I've been in busi
ness here for 50 years, and up to the
time women got a good foothold in the
business world I waa in the habit of
engaging and discharging clerks as
seemed to me best 'from the stand
point of my business In an unguarded
moment, however, 1 was induced to hire
a young w6man to run a typewriter for
me, and after I found that she wasn't sat
isfactory to me it took me over eight
weeks to dischargejier. I left a note on
^er desk and she promptly came in and
wept on mine. I turned the job over to
various subordinates, but each time she
came into my private office to do her
weeping, and inside of a week she had
the whole force wrought up to a point
where business was being neglected,
and she was still drawing salary just
the same. Women in business may be
all right, but when it comes to getting
her out of business somebody else can
have +he job. However, if you'll make
a solemn promise to go without a single
weep if you don't suit, I'll try you."
Chicago Post.
Concerning: a Color.
SheDid you tell Mr. I/uggs my hair
was red?
HeI did not.
"He says you did."
"I did nothing of the kind. He"
asked me and I told him it was the
color of a popular novel."Detroit Free
Press.
His All.
DibbsYes: Coker has left every
thing he had to the city.
DabbsWhat was it he l*ft, then?
"Five children."N. Y. World.
'Tis Easy To Feel Good.
Countless thousands have found a
blessing to the body in Dr. King's New
Life Pills,' which positively cure con
stipation, sick headache, dizziness,"
jaundice, malaria, fever and ague and
all liver and stomach troubles. Purely
vegetable never gripe or weaken.
Only 25e at C. A. Jack's drug store.
monitor Double Disc Drill
spreads seed, in double rows
Thus'
3-
3**