The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-07-30
POPULAR TALES.
From Forney's Weekly Press.
o. now SHE WON HIM.
By CECILIA L. WHITLEY.

By CECILIA l.. WHITLEY.
You are tired Alice, and little things vex
you. Remember, dear. that our best and
ablest men have begun life as hard-working
printers. You know our editor was once an
Office boy, and subsequently printer on an
obscure little Western weekly. Great names
and great fortunes have been gained through
the friendly influence of the types. Wise
statesmen are not ashamed to acknowledge
the composing room as the starting point in
their career. Show me man or woman who
has graduated there, and will show you
man of better sense and practical learning
than two-thrds of the men in other profess
siOns of life. They are not crammed at some
stated period of their existence at popular
college. Year by year the printers educa-
tion goes steadily and easily on. They are
not confined to one narrow class, but many;
and we, though women, and not of q mans
ambitious ways of thinking, also possess
these advantages ofimproving both mind and
heart as we labor; therefore, l pray you do
not denounce your occupation, tor it has
proved the highway of fame for many. and
may ultimately prove your way to happi-
ness.
You are right, she replied, humbly, care
fully replacing the scattered types. y ou
are right, Mary, I am simpleton. Forget
what said. My case and l are friends
again
At this juncture we hastily turned oil our
attention on our neglected work, for the
gray, old senior editor abruptly entered the
room, and his presence was the universal sig
nal for more than ordinary quiet and indus
try. Without stopping, he came straight up
to poor Alice, and from under his shaggy,
gray brows regarded her intently for full five
minutes, without uttering a word. With
his fixed gaze upon her she grew pale and
frightened-so much so that her fingers trem-
bled visibly and went anywhere after moth
ing. To hide her painful agitation, 1 bent
towards her and begged the loan Of few Pc
riods. She gave me grateful glance in re-
turn, eagerly handing over the periods, as if
it were matter of life or death that should
get them in second. With those terrible
gray eyes of the eccentric editor, looking, as
it seemed to her, into her very soul, she
made bad work of it. To complete her con-
the unfortunate paragraph, not content with
crumbling to nothing, must needs rattle
down to the floor in a mortifying little show
er of separate types.
Hum! CALCULATED the senior editor, with
tantalizing twist of his fine old face, that
was more expressive than words.
Alice could restrain her tears no longer
after this mishap. Fast and hot the great
drops rolled over her flushed cheeks down
among the types, every one freighted with
the first grief of young heart. What's the
matterF inquired the editor grufly, consid-
erately squaring his portly figure in a manner
to shield her from all save my observation:
Are you sick?'
Alice made no answer; only by brushing a
pile of leads to the floor, in trying to get as
far away from him as possible, nor did she
appear to hear his question at all.
You are awkward commented the editor,
provokingly. Il take it that you have been
in the Office but a short time.
'Oh, sir, please let me go homer she
sobbed. Alice was weeping bitterly now,
and shivering all over, covering before the
father of the man she secretly loved, as if she
had done him an irreparable injury.
'Yes-go home, by all means, replied Mr..
S.. A queer smile twinkled in his eye,
and puckered his old mouth into an odd at
tempt at fictitious mirth, altogether a funny
expression that puzzled me not a little 1t
was not anger nor irony, neither was it con-
tempt nor pity; it was look peculiar to Mr..
S., for / never saw its like on any other
face save his. You appear to have quar-
relied with your work. Miss Armstrong
tnrning grimly to me-'as you are Miss Lees
friend, and she is i'll, you had better go home
with her. Take my advice in the future
Miss Alice, and avoid LONG WALKS. Believe
me, they are not good for young people.
Sir rejoined Alice proudly, hastily dry
ing her tears, and looking at him in naughty
surprise, am not i'll, nor do 1 understand
you
Gone all timidity now--his insinuations
aroused the woman within her; she felt her
dignity insulted by the odd old man whose
words were double pointed. There was a
dangerous light in her kindling eye, but the
offending editor took no heed, resuping in the
same provoking strain
'Oh no-of course you do not understand
me; certainly not. A-hem! You illplease
be so good as to call at the Office tomorrow
at one. Ihave-a-a-hem-some little busi-
ness matter which it will be we'll for you to
know that is, ] would say, family matter.
You will come?' e4 m 90 s~lr. vsv -.
Certainly she replied, you are my EN-.
ployer, and have but to cOmmandp
.Ah so vou do remember that I am youY