The National tribune., 1882-08-19

young lady to marvel. She evidently
admired him very much, and did not think
it worth her while to always take the trouble
Of retaining expressions of deeper feeling.
As for him, Millie had not thought he could
put away so much of his reserve and be SO
amiable. His face relaxed its gravity to a
surprising degree and more than once he
actually laughed aloud. Her coquetries
amused, if they did not impress him. He
admitted the strength of her destinations
without seeming to consider them in rela-
ton to himself, making her rather the
object of admiring study than tender re-
gard.
"He likes her, but that is all" thought
Millie and she is not half good enough for
him to marry"
She did not see the young lady again, but
once when she was hunting for paper in Mr..
Allison's desk, she caught glimpse of the
top of note beginning, My dear Richard"
in pretty feminine hand, which she covered
up in a great hurry, fearing she might be
tempted to glance lower down the page.
One morning Mr. Morton entered the
office in some haste.
ct is all arranged" she heard him say,
and find l must leave at once. L have
your certificate filled out and believe you
said the funds were ready. You can give
them to me to-day,I suppose"
"No, I cannot" returned Mr.. Allison, who
was at the moment deep in the contents of a
private drawer at the safe. "They are not in
| town, and / must first sell some Govern
| ment bonds, now in the safe-deposit vaults
at Boston. 1 will try to have the money
| for you in the course of forty-eight hours"
Morton made no reply but Mile CHANGED
| to look up just then, and she was much
! startled at the reflection of his face presented
! by mirror hanging on the opposite wall.
| Plainly, Mr.. Allison's words had not pleased
| him, for the expression on his dark features
wildly illustrated rage and disappointment.
| His white teeth were set with vicious
force, and his fists fiercely clenched. In
| her tremor and confusion at this unexpected
sight, her pen dropped from her fingers, and
! she was glad for an excuse to bend over and
hide her face, which must have betrayed the
| disturbance of her feelings. When Mr..
| Allison sat down again, Morton had fully re-
covered himself to all outward appearance,
and after little more conversation in too
| low tone for her to understand it, he went
away.
In the afternoon, Mr.. Allison astonished
his clerk by asking if she thought she could
take sole charge of the Office for a day Or
two He was going to Boston at five o'clock,
and could not tell just when he should
return.
She answered him in the affirmative, but
with noticeable hesitation, for she had
strong reasons for wishing he would not 90.
al don't think you will have any trouble,
Miss Thorndyke," he said if anything
comes up that you can't manage, put it off
until I return, or let it go"
Had she dared, she would have tried to
dissuade him from going for she was sure the
result of his journey would be to put
large part of his property in Morton's hands.
She did not speak then, but she was so
uneasy she determined to watch for an
opportunity of doing so. BY and by he
| happened to look up and see her eyes resting
on him, with an expression which caused
him to leave his desk and come to her side.
"What is it, Mil-Miss Thorndyke?" he
asked in a tone she had never heard him
use before, "you have something to say to
me-"
"I-I-yes," she stammered, and then
stopped short. She had not yet overcome
habit of flushing up whenever he addressed
her-a habit not Mt all unbecoming IN his
eyes, though it was painfully confusing to
her. While he was waiting for her to re-
cover herself, the Office door opened, at
which he stepped back with an air of
annoyance, and, turning confronted Morton.
Miles chance was lost, for Morton stayed
until train time, and the two gentlemen
went out together.
"I will leave the safe for you to lock, y
said Mr.. Allison in giving his final dIrec-
tions, "you know how: shut the door hard
to. turn the handle that works the bolts
until it is quare across, and then turn the
knob two or three times toward the left"
After he was gone, she reproached herself
| more than ever that she had not spoken the
warning UndL nau Deeu dJ HeI DohSu0" Sh'
1t could have done no harm, and would at
least have put him On his guard. But regrets
were useless, and she could only hope
rather forlornly, that all might turn out
well.
f Being in somewhat disturbed state OF
E mind, and having no work to do, she tried
1 to compose herself with new book left II
the Office by Mr.. Allison, and she found 1t sc
e interesting she was 10th to lay it down al
e five o'clock, the hour of closing. AS hel
y supper would not be ready before half past
e six, and her quarters at present were com
e Portable and quiet, she determined to stay
# awhile longer, first taking care to lock The
1 door that she might be secure from inter
ruption, though indeed there was little
s chance Of that, as nearly every one IN th'
d building left early, and nobody ever come IL
e at that hour.
). As she was about to settle down, sh'
e Thought of the SAFE i will fasten that too
n else l may forget it-which would be dread
fsl, suppose, though there is no money il
s it, nor anything else a burgler would TAX
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