The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-10-01
ROMANCE OF A GLOVE.

W nluSeui No ml&ht nave Worshiped
in secret all his dayA and no one have
been any the wiser. But the extraya-
giant rush into polish betrayed the poor
clerk. The dyed hair and abstracted air
combined; his deep bushes whenever
the subject of love was mentioned.
however casually; the romantic air that
sat SO ill upon him; his visits to the
theaters. in hopes of chance glimpse
of his idol; the hours he moaned about
listlessly-all helped to make him a
target for the jokes of his friends, and
fund of amusement for his ..office. "
The irascible landlady frightened
Mr.. Harker ont of his seven senses
nearly by sending grim servant one
evening to ask him ito be kind enough
to just step in, if he would be so kind,
and just speak to the lady of the
house." In no condition to face
the fiery looking female, he caught a
glimpse of, standing ready, in full bat
tie array, on the door mat in the hall.
the startled lover no sooner heard the
message than he bolted. as if he had
purloined the boarding house plate. 1t
would be, he argued, impossible to re-
turn after such an inglorious escape,
except in disguise; and to call and bold
ly ask to see lady whose name he
could not give. was an achievement
the clerk could not venture on.
What stupid fellow Fipk:ns, one of
the other clerks at Old BIS, was! At
least Bill thought So and how he dis
liked him!
"Ihe enormous impudence of that
fellow he would murmur to himself.
Il would give quarters salary, poor
as am, to be like him. There is moth
ing he would stick at. 1t is disgusting.
But what blessing it must be to live
on such terms with oneself"
Fipkins was very slovenly; no one
would have tolerated clerk with such
a shock head of hair except Old &.
But just as Bill Harker had begun to
persuade himself that his love suit was
in vain, and that his best plan was to
try and forget passion that appeared
so hopeless, this brassy Fipkins was
suddenly seized with the fever he was
recovering from.
There was no mistaking the symp-
toms. Other motives might have in
duced Fipkins to have had his hair cut;
but only love could have induced him
to curl it. Those paper cuffs, clean
even on Saturday, were conclusive
If not that reckless disregard of Office
hours in the morning that restless
looking at the clock in the evening,
could not be mistaken. Flowers, too!
When did Fipkins care for flowers be-
fore?-while now the street Arabs
watched for his coming.
Harker noted him narrowly. Would
this cad be successful in the thorny.
may paths of love? He half despised
himself for ever loving, if SO vulgar a
creature as this Eipkins could be smit-
ten or could smite.
Then, when Z O'Clock struck, or
rather was striking, Fipkins caught
up the flowers from the bottle on his
desk, set his glossy hat jauntily on his
detestable head and babe his fellow
clerk good night. Bill Harker followed
him almost the moment he went out
and, as he felt instinctively would be the
case, Fipkins made straight for Leicest-
er Square and went straight into the
boarding house Harker had so often
watched. But-and this staggered him
-Fipkins went down the area steps
just as the potmsn might have done
with beer, not at all like q gentemanly
suitor for the hand of the nameless one.
What could be the meaning of this:
Was it clandestne meeting? Scarce,
ly SO; for he had gone in with the as.
surance of an expected guest Poo,
Harker paced the street in agony.
What could he doo To think of having
his loved one snapped off in this afro,
cious manner CALLED him to the quick.
Wandering distractedly about, Bill
Harker unfortunately did not see his
rival leave the boarding house, or he
might probably have relieved his feel
ings by putting Fipkins head in "chan.
cery.' AS it was, he waited anc
watched till he was weary, as we'll as
drenched to the skin by the rain
which had been falling for some time
Then he raised the siege and wearily
trailed off to Camden Town. reaching
the lodgings little before daybreak
''Is this yours?' said old B. mex
day, as he carelessly picked up lady's
glove and threw it on Bill Harker's
desk. Had he dropped a bombshel
over the old-fashioned ratings it woulc
scarcely have disconnected the clerk
more than this simple article did. He
quietly answered his employer in the
negative, but the color mounted to his
pale cheeks and wild light irradiateG
his glaring eyes.
''Mr. Fipkins, perhaps, has dropped
it," he said, with more bitterness anC
meaning than SO simple suggestion
appeared to call for. Strange to say,
Fipkins blushed too as he repudiatec
all knowledge of it.
''Liar!'' thought and nearly said Bill
Harker as he heard him speak.
Old B. toddlcd off to his spccifica
tiors, and the glove was left lying un
needed, apparently, on Harker's desk
while he wrote on furiously.
Not till he was left alone in the office
nearly two hours after, did he toucE
the glove; but then he pressed it to hi!
burning lips. he noted its dainty size