Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-03-19

young lady appeared carrying black bag.
This was the private secretary. She nodded
pleasantly to Dick, and passed through the
room into the inner office. But Dick re-
sponded with grunt
Mr.. Murridge looked up and greeted her
| with an ill-tempered snort
You're late again." he said
sPm not she replied s.Eeven is strik-
ing; and l never am late: and you know
it. Be just, even though you are out of
temper
Your head is turned by your fathers
title. suppose you think you can say what
you like. Is the Honorable Norah Cronan
going to continue in her present employ
mentl''
II don't know Very likely Meantime
there is this case to finish. have brought
you some papers you will be pleased to see
81 don't know that anything can please me
this morning. Give them to me- Humphl
Mighty little. considering the time you've
takenI"
Hadn't you better read before you grum-
blea That's always the way with you when
you get your fur rubbed the wrong way.
Look at this, now"
Eyes; will you read it to meg
She Away ''stood up to him, and gener-
ally reduced him to good temper by sheer
force of courage. To-day, however, he at
tempted no rejoinder, but meekly gave in
without reply. 1t astonished her Perhaps
he was i'll.
$50 On, please"
Norah, therefore, sat down and began to
explain the nature and the bearing of her
papers. Genealogical research is really
most interesting work. You are always
hunting for some one and finding some
one else. Then you go off on a
dozen hunts; and you discover the most
abomina BILE falsehoods in printed pedigrees,
with gaping flaws, and disconnections. and
impossibilities where every thing looked fair
and smooth. The girl enjoyed these things
more than Mr.. Murridge, for the simple
reason that he could never for one moment
forget how much money there might be in
it. Now, no one ever enjoyed any kind of
work whether it was painting picture
with ash s ,ainting a succession of pic
lures via u steel pen 49, @ifceb OF
blue paper, W.T. keeps thinking all the while
of the money. But while Norah told her
story strange thing happened-a very
strange thing. For the first time in his life
Mr.. Murridge was inattentive and that
over an important piece of work He had
often before been irritable, but never mat
tentive.
Outside, Dick Murridge had returned to
his blotting pad and was gloomily drawing
girls heads upon it. The office boy opened
his drawer again. very gently, and resumed
the reading of his romance, which had been
interrupted at the critical moment when
Spring heel Jack was commencing his earliest
love adventure. The lady was not described
with any detail, but the boy concluded that
in figure and face she must have greatly re.
sembled Miss Cronan, whom he himself
secretly loved, though he was aware that he
had rival What would Springfield Jack
have done to rivals His mistress, since she
was like Miss Cronan, was slender in figure,
wore neatly-ftting jacket, and hat with
red feather in it. She had roses in her
cheeks, dark brown hair, and full, steady
eyes, The boy did not yet know the adjective,
but he knew the quality of steadiness She
pleasant SMILE The lady in his story, how
ever, did not resemble Miss Cronan in one
particular. She was not young lady TN
the city," but was a countess in her Gwn
right, though disguised IS milkn,aid
Half an hour afterward the girl came back
TO the outer office, with her black bag in her
hand, on her way to resume her work upon
the case. 1t was, however, with sense
that her work had not been appreciated.
Mr. Murridge was strangely inattcnt.Se.
She shut the door after her. and turned to
Dick, who slightly raised his right shoulder,
gesture familiar to the grumpy, and con-
sidered effective. He then made the same
gesture with the left shoulder. This indi-
Gates unrelenting g1umpiness.
''Well, Dick?' she said, waiting.
He made no reply whatever The office
boy felt that he really ought to get up and
wiring the neck of his masters son for in
civility. But he was not yet man enough
Then Norah crossed the room, and laid
her hand on Dicks shoulder e
Come, Dick" she said, s'don't be vindic-
tive Let us be friends