St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-23
ROMANCE OF A GLOVE.

l have seen many fellows ''doing their
speons:" but Bill Harker against the world
bar none'-for going the extreme pace
1t would have mattered little if Bill could
have kept his courtShip to himself; he
might nave worshiped in secret all his days,
and no one have been any the wiser.
But the extravagant rush into polish be-
trayed this poor clerk. The dyed hair and
distracted air combined; his deep bushes
when the subject of love was mentioned
however casually; the romantic air that
sat so i'll upon him; his visits to the thea
tiers, in hopes of a chance glimpse of his
idol: the hours he mooned about listlessly
all helped to make him a target for the
jokes of his friends and fund of amuse-
ment for the ''office.''
Meanwhile he was not all unhappy.
Oh, the joy of standing by the arch rail-
ings of an evening, when she had vanished
from his enraptured sight. and he knew her
to be in the drawing-room- see, at
rare intervals, her shadow fit across the
blind!
The irascible landlady frightened Mr.
Harker out of his seven senses nearly by
sending grimy 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 fery-looking
female he caught a glimpse of, standing
ready, in full battle 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 return
after such an inglorious escape, except in
disguise, and to call and boldly ask to see
a lady whose name he could not give was
an achievement the timd clerk could not
venture on.
What stupid fellow Flipkins, one of the
other clerks at Old BIS was! At least Bill
thought so; and how he diSliked him!
The enormous impudence of that fell
low," he would murmur to himself 81
would give quarters salary. poor as am.
to be like him. There is nothing he would
stick at. 1t is disgusting. But what bless
ing it must be to live on such comfortable
terms with ones self"
Fipkins was very slovenly; no one would
have tolerated a clerk with such shock
head of hair except Old B.
But just as Bill Harker had begun to per-
suade himself that his love suit was in vain.
and that his best plan was to try and for
get passion that appeared so hopeless. this
brassy Fipkins was suddenly seized with
the fever he was recovering from.
There was no mlStakIng the symptoms
Other motives might have induced 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 before?-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 creature as this Fipkins could
be smitten or could smite.
Then, when Z o'clock struck, or rather
was striking. Fipkins caught up his flowers
from the bottle on his desk, set his glossy
hat jauntily on his detestable head and babe
his fellow-clerk goodnight. Bill HarkeI
followed him almost the moment he went
out, and, as he felt instinctively would be
the case. Flpkins made straight for Leices-
ter square and went straight into the board
ing-houSe Harker had so often watched.
But-and this staggered him-Fipkins went
down the area steps just as the potman