The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-01-10

it dyer"
"Why, Singlemann, you know never
smoke; go On.'
~ told you l was queer tonight. Did
YOU ever notice how wrapped up De-
mark is in business? Business will be
the conversation over the turkey to-
morrow. l tell you young men nova
days"
"How about that grip
"Oh, yes-she always dressed plain
ly, but you ought to have seen her.
tell You, John, young ladies nowadays
think of nothing but dress, and vet with
all their silks and feathers-'
81 know; Solomon, in all his glory.
was not arrayed like your Woodward
avenue belle-in plain clothes.''
He poked the fire for nearly two min
utes, and l began to fear that had
made blunder and lost my story.
II think anyone must have fallen in
love with her, but l could never get
Denmark to see it. l never cared for
anyone before or since. 1 was COM
pletely what's the use of talking
of that. met her every morning. She
always looked straight ahead. and never
seemed to know that she passed the
same two fellows every day. Where
did she live? What did she do? One
night in December, as came up late
from the store, was astonished to see
my young LADY, called her mine
standing at desk in counting-room
Her hat and cloak were flung on the
desk beside her, and she was evidently
just ready to leave. The loveliest lit
tie frOwn was on her brow, and the fig
ures evidently wouldn't add up right.
The lamp-light shone on her fair face,
and it never looked so handsome be-
fore. stood before the window and
gazed there in rapt admiration and,
may say, alteration. l tell you, John,
| don't believe that people nowadays
know what it is-'
"Well, did she come out?"
"Of course she did, said Singlemann
little Grossly, land equally Of course
l followed her at distance and saw
where she lived. She walked straight
on and did not seem bit afraid. She
seemed to set her lips closely together,
draw her cloak around her and walked
swiftly to her destination. Several
times l determined to speak to her, but
had neither courage nor excuse. De-
mark said l when reached my room,
wake up, wake up and shook
Singlemann," said l, Il am not
Denmark. There is no use in shaking
me-
II beg your pardon" continued Sim
glemann, releasing his grip on nv
shoulder. Il don't think YOU care
much about what l am saying, though.
What interest can you have"
"Now don't fly off at tangent in
that manner. Of course l want to
know how it turned out. What did you
say to Demark?''
Nothing that night. You can't
waken Denmark when he once gets to
sleep. Why, one time when we were
boarding down on Jefferson avenue, a
fire broke out about two o'clock in the
morning, and -
"Well, but about this girl?'
''Oh yes; Next morning l unfolded
my plans to Denmark. 1t was the day
before Christmas. l told him all about
my discovery of where she was en-
ployed. Now said l, ''she's anxious
to get the accounts Strengthened out
before the end of the year"
"' Evidently says Denmark.
"Well, very likely she Ii be there late
tonight; now Wen follow ner-you on
the opposite side of the street and on
the same side she is, and you cross over
and speak to her and try to make her
take your arm, then she'll scream and
I'll rush up and rescue her, and, of
course, see her home and get acquaint-
ed.''
Rather an ancient DEVICE" 1 re-
marked.
perhaps it is now," said Single
mann, in an irritated manner. "Young
men of the present day are up to al
most anything, but l never heard of it
before; of course, it was silly guess
know that without being told of it, but
nowadays people think-''
"No they don't; Singlemann, 60 on
with what you were saying. Denmark
consented, of course?''
"NO, he didn't; that is, not at first.
He got indignant at having all the dis
grace of the operation and none of the
pleasure, but explained to him that he
didn't care cent for the girl, while
was madly in love with her, and con-
juring him by all the ties of friendship,
he at last reluctantly consented. You
see, Denmark never cared anything
about girls, or such as that; he was all
business. have often said to him,
jokingly, of course, that l believed that
if-n
''Singlemann-gO on with that dia-
bolical plot of yours, and never mind
Denmark. know him we'll enough
"Of course, you do. Well, all the
way down to the store where she
worked, Denmark was saying what a
mean thing it was for two young men
to conspire to brighten the life out of a
girl on the dark streets of city. We
got there at last, and she was at her
desk. All! John, when 1 picture how
she stood there-but that's no matter.
l thought she would never come out
it seemed ages. l never could have
stood it, only it kept all my attention
getting Denmark to stick to his promise,
for he wanted to back out, now that we
were on the spot. You know Denmark
is the very soul of honor. Why, when
Beat & Embezzle failed, you know, we
needn't have paid cent, for they held
no.
"Singlemann, do you remember that
l know the whole particulars of that
failure"
Certainly. That's fact, forgot
that; we'll, Denmark wanted to 60 home
again and begged me to release him
from his promise, but wouldn't, and
he stuck to his contract like mamie
always does, you know. Well, just as
the City Hall bell struck eleven"-
"Oh, oh! Singlemann-keep straight
now. Why, man, the City Hall was
not built then"
"That's SOL am telling a straight
story for all that slip. Some bell struck
eleven. had my face pressed close
against the pane, but where she could
not see me, and as the hour was tolled
she shut the heavy ledger with a bang
that made me start, and l heard her
say, "Only an hour till Christmas"
and she smiled John sho looked d.