Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-08-28

He went down into the lower Office and
sat in an easy-chair, with his feet on the
desk in front of him, and watched the
other employees file out with a lordly
air.
"Hope you have pleasant time," he
said, politely, to the flulfy-haired COM
positor "We can run this office alone
this afternoon, we can. l write the
eddytorials and sets them up. The old
man he's writing important letters, and
can't be disturbed. Good afternoon"
Cox made himself comfortable in the
easiest chair he could find, and amused
himself by looking over pile of ex-
changes on desk at hand. Presently
this began to bore him, and he began
rummaging about the room. 1t was
seldom that he was in the lower Office
alone, and he amused himself by climb
ing up on high stool, and taking pen
and ink and scribbling on some Of the
Office paper.
81 can do this, when am one of the
eddytors," F." he chuckled to himself.
Just then he heard some one coming
up the stairs slowly and turn in at the
door of the office. He raised his head
and looked over the desk, and saw a
woman standing there, She had very
pale face, but was very handsome. She
looked at the boy wearily.
sIs the editor in?" she asked.
"Well, that depends" said Swipesey,
still scribbling vigorously, and looking
up between dabs ut the white paper be-
fore him. (which one do you want to
seel"
The woman sighed wearily, and then
said, with an effort, "Mr. Griswold."
''I am very sorry" began the boy,
hitching his stool little forward, and
grabbing his cap off, and laying 1t care
fully down before him, "but he is very
busy-very busy indeed-and gave orders
that he was not to be disturbed. If there
| is anything can do" and he paused
expectantly.
Nothing" she replied, and sat down
in chair near the window. "Will you
please tell him lady is waiting to see
him when he is at liberty?"
Now the office-boy scarcely knew
what to do. He did not exactly care to
90 up. stairs on an errand like that; it
would ruin his dignity, after the re-
marks he had already made. Besides, the
editor was in nasty temper, and might
| throw an ink bottle at him, or something,
if disturbed. The speaking tube-there
was his salvation He jumped from the
high stool and yelled the message up.
There was no reply, but it answered
| every purpose, and he turned to the lady
and said: every good; he will see you
when he is not busy, but you may have
| to wait"
This was the first time that SwIpesey
had seen the lady face to face, and he
started a little, and looked at her again.
Then he put his hands behind him and
stared at the floor for moment. ~
know who you are" he said presently.
"You are his WIFE"
The woman looked up quickly and
raised one of her hands to her forehead.
She seemed bit dazed, and asked, in a
way that convinced Swipesey that she
scarcely knew what she said, elbow did
you know2"
81 knewl I guessed! put two and
two together, and l know more about
the old man than the rest of the people;
and do you know, if you will let me say
it, think you haven't treated him
right"
The woman flushed, and looked at the
boy angrily.
"Don't get mad about it," he advised
her, in a fatherly way. 81 mind my
own business. What you two people
want to do is to make up and stop all
this" He paused, with Judicial air.
"How did you know this2" the wo-
man asked. "Does Mr.. Griswold make
confidant of an office boys"
Swipesey was all dignity then. "You
are mistaken there. He never said
word to me about it. don't know very
much about it, only l have put two and two
together. / remember about six months
ago, when he bought the paper, that one
day some one was in the office and asked
him about you. He all to once became
very cool, and said, in an uneasy way,
that you were in Californy for your
health. And one day l was cleaning up
his desk, and l found a picture there
your picture. l put it back where l
found it; and one night when l had to
come back to the Office with some copy
to leave for the compositors to begin on
in the morning, l found him in the
dark at his desk, sitting there and cry
ing, with the picture in his hand. He
didn't know 1 saw him, but / did just
the same. And that's why am sorry
for him; had never seen a man cry be-
fore. And when he's cross and hard
with us people about the Office, know
he amt really that way, but that the
pain drives him to it, and he is trying to
forget about everything"
The office-boy told all this in grave
manner, and his quietness evidently i'm
pressed itself on the woman in his favor,
for she said nothing, and allowed him to
go on.
"Sometimes I would see in the other
papers that Mrs. Griswold, wife of
Editor Griswold, of the Briggsville Bu-
L IL.