St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-05
MY TYPEWRITER.

For the last few days have been
much injured and much enduring man.
Some persons when crushed beneath
mass of circumstantial evidence, readily
accepted by the tribunal which in more
senses than one is sitting upon them,
take pride in knowing that they are
innocent, and, VIRTUE Sua involuti.
await the future acquittal or free par
don, of which they feel certain, with
tranquil minds, actually in some cases
finding enjoyment in the sensation of
martyrdOm. | am not one of them, for
| have not felt at any time sure of my
acquittal; and even now, when it
should be practically secured, it is pos
sible that l shall not leave the dock al
together without stain on my charac-
ter. Besides which even innocence may
be a matter of regret to one who has
suffered for crime, or, let us say, an
act of indiScretion, without having en-
jOyed the pleasure OF committing 1t.
1t happened in this way. Some few
months ago had occasion to require in
my business the services of a typewrit-
er, and | made my wants known. AS a
consequence. | was visited by no fewer
than forty-Seven candidates in person,
without counting the hundred odd who
applied by letter. OF the forty-seven,
thirty-SIX were of the weaker sex, and
as these demanded a slightly lower
wage than their male competitors, Ide
cded-for that reason, and that only. to
employ one of them. Now, the thirty
six had all brought samples Of their
work; and as all possessed the needful
qualifications. and one superintendent
ter is precisely like another, did what
every other man would have done under
the circumstances, and chose the best
looking one. She was very handsome
girl, and very charming one, too.
say i. in spite of the trouble she brought
me.
For a time she was complete sue
cess. Apart from the fact that had to
dictate to her continually, it was OBJ
viously undesirable that she should sit
with my male clerks. Some of them |
know are frivolous, and as married
man had sense Of responsibility; so
allotted her a corner in my own room,
and she set up her machine there.
1t was pleasant to have some one to
talk to when one was not busy, and Miss
King, being of lively disposition, i'll
terested me much with accounts of her
experience as beautiful and meritori-
Gus Young woman fighting the battle of
life in London. Some of her adventures
were almost romantic enough to have
interested the readers of the Family
Herald-tO which, indeed, believe she
had contributed. Others might have
amused students of more frivolous
class of literature; but, except to ac-
count for the interest still feel in her,
they have nothing to do with the pres
ent narrative. am not in the habit of
s.taking the Office home with me" and
worrying my wife with ''shOp;" so nat
uraIly never mentioned my typewriter
i'm the domestic circle. That simple
omission has been thrown III my teeth
many hundreds of times during the past
two days. | begin to fear it always will
be.
Nv typewriter, as I have said, worked
admirably till within about fortnight
ago, when she became restless, melan-
choly and distracted in manner. For a
time | took no notice of it; but last
Saturday, business being dull, called
her to me as | sat at my table, and plac-
ing her near the window looking over
old Broad street far below. where
could get the light Oh her face and OBJ
serve her expression, began to interrO-
gate her in kindly way, as an en-
blower always should interrOgate his
his help or advice. While | was doing
so the | O'Clock post came in. l did not
look at my letters for moment, as
was saying to my typewriter:
"Gertrude'' q make rule of calling
nv younger clerks by their Christian
names, and. as rule in my office is
rule, was resolved from the first to
make no exception in her favor)-'Ger-
trude," said, "there is something on
your mind; you are anxious and dis
tressed."
ut is nothing" she answered.
sNOthing be hanged" l said in my
friendly way. Nothing does not make
a girl pale and absent and silent for ten
days at time. l simply do not believe
YOU"
II cannot help it"
SHY dear Gertrude" said q am not
sure that | ever called young Bob
Smithers, my junior clerk. My dear
Robert" but circumstances alter cases.,
81 want you to try and let me help it, or
help you, in any way can"
"You are very kind,' she said.
"'rhen tell me what is the matter"
"You have not opened your letters;
there is one marked 'tImmediate"
KNEW she was only trying to put me
off, as my clerks as rule do not dictate
to me in such matters. However. as |
could see the girl had tears in her eyes,
| took up the envelope she spoke of and
opened it, to give her time to recover
from her evident emotion. At a glance
| saw, to my surprise, that the letter
was a note from my wife, whom | had
left at home in the Cromwell road at
$50 that morning. 1t ran as follows:
Dear Charles: L want TO take you to
the shop in the city where l saw the
sealskin was telling you about. | have
decided must have it at once, as Mrs.
Carruthers has just got new one. l
know the shop closes at 2 on Saturday,
but if you can leave your office with me
when | call for you, little before 80,
we can do it. Your affectionate wife.
ELIZA JOHNSON.
S.-Haye your check book in your
pocket.
Now why, in the name of fortune,
Mrs. Charles johnson, who, as her letter
shows, is woman of decided purpose
when it suits her. could not have made
up her mind to have the SealSkin before
l left home that morning, and why she
should have grudged sixpence for tel
egram, | do not know. l have spoken
to her about it. and all she says is that
in future she shall visit me without any
warning at all.
read her note. and at once graSped
the fact that my wife might come in at
even of my wife, who is really, in her
way, very kind woman. would, of
course, have been unwelcome to my