The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-06-26
BISMARCK.

position OF assistant operator IN the
little telegraph Office at Ellicott, but |
soon found u that Old Samp, as the
boys called him, v would be in
vlted to join the angel band if he did
not sandpaper OIL the ragged edges of
his Uneven temper.
JACOB sampson, properly was my
employer. and If did not get drilled
In that Office! But there was one a
OF llght-one OASIS in the desert of my
lite IN that wretched little prison, and
that was-Bismarck.
Bismarck was the prettiest, sweet
est little gem of a German girl thai
ever breathed. That is her parents
were Germans, who, having been dis
appointed in a son, had their
only daughter after the great Count
Won Bismarck.
Bismarck had never been outside of
the State, and nothing but the sweet.
est little accent in the world would
have odd you that her parents were
not simon pure Americans.
Her place in our office was that of
copyist and pupil; she had been well
educated, and was now learning tele-
graphy of Old Samp, who treated us
both with all the arrogance of a low
bred man.
But tor all the vigilance of his little
mole-like eyes, found opportunity to
say many a sweet word to pretty little
Bismarck, and had often noted the
tenderness in her big blue eyes, and
the flush on her cheek grew to rival
the damask rose when l had uttered
some daring word of love. Daring,
because | never could gel a word Of
reply from darling Bismarck upon the
subject.
Oh! was happy. In spite of pow
erty or Old Samp, ! knew that Bis
marck loved me, and | never despaired
of making her own it until the dav
when my budding idiocy bloomed into
the perfect flower.
Mrs. Warner was one of the worst
female cranks that ever bothered the
human race. She was completely
gone o kilograms. Unfortunately she
had plenty of money and was c%ontinu-
ally sending the most trivial messages
to her distant friends, and then blam-
ing us because they did not answer
her.
One day when Old Samp was at din
DER she bothered me nearly out of my
wits, and entirely broke up my little
tete-a-tcte with Bismarck.
Mrs. Warner said |. worn out,
"lf you had received a telegram
should have ent it to YOU
"Ies??" returned she quesiioningly.
cit is very strange at least. Mary
Jane would let me knowi if Robbie had
~ .,,.,r ~, ,,n,,iar l-o
perhaps she thought q letter would
do"
No, she knows that l would want
to know Immediately. l think there
must be some mistake. l will wait
until MIR. Sampson ome in
And she did. | stole a glance at
Bismarck but she seemed utterly un-
concerned while the resolute Mrs.
Warner piled me with all sorts of sus-
picious questions. At length
locked myself into the private office
and let Bismarck carry on the CONVEX
sation.
When Sampson came in he answered
her so grutfly hat she soon with
drew and then he turned uDon me
shortly:
.'Why didn't you send that woman
about her business. Haven't you got
a tongue in YOUR headP'
''She didn't think that l was worth
noticing replied |, meekly.
This sort of thing lasted for a week.
She always came in about %dinnertime,
she always waited for Sampson, and
he invariably let out his spleen upon
me.
/ grew to dread her; but ono
day when both Bismarck and Samp-
son were at dinner, there came a
change.
Mrs. Warmers errand boy came in
her stead.
Mrs. Warner wants to know if you
have heard from Mary James
baby ?"
No" replied l CURLY. "There has
no message come.
Are you sureP'
s'Of course | am. Trot back to Mrs
Warner and tell her now"
well | don't know remarked
he. .'Mrs. Warner thinks you dom
know as much as you might. Won
you please write down what vol
saidP'
Yes I WILL" cried I, in desperation
l hastily caught up a form and finding
that Bismarck had been serb
bling some German sentences upol
it, | was about to throw it dowl
again. when a thought struck me
Mrs. Warner never could read that
dashed it into and envelope saying
hastily:
Take her this and then try ant
keep away from here
The boy had not crossed the stree
when l began to feel uncomfortable
Then ! laughed in satisfaction a
l thought of the time Mrs
Warner would have trying to max
it out.
Bismarck came in directly, lookln!
prettier than vet.
Say, Bis" coaxed l. lounging up t,
her desk. Gown up now that you ar
Just as absurdly in love with me as
aln with you"
She turned upon me a look who
would have turned the head of oil
Samp himself, and said in assumed in
dignation
"Will, you are utterly ridiculous.
[ knew it pleased her though, and
was about to repeat my theme wit
some brilliant variations, when l be
held old Samp. coming from one wa
and Mrs. Warner from another.
The two entered together.
mir. Sampson, will you just look a
this telegram? 1 can't make it out q
all. Will you please read it for me-?
| felt 4 tremor waltz up and dow
my spinal column when she paused
Old Samp. put on his glasses, an
took the paper into his hand. h
looked at it a minute, and then h
glanced at Bismarck.
"Ahem! Miss Lautenschlager, di
you write out this telegram"