The Portland daily press., 1891-07-17
ovER.THE-WAY.
Chicago Tribune.l

"NsllA, ISL IL! IL was DlS jim OiaJ
hes telegraph operator on morning
newspaper-who gave her the name. Or
course we found out her real name after
ward, but none of us at Mrs. Smiths
ever spoke of her except as Overtime
Way. 1t was at the breakfast table
we are all night workers, and the break
fast hour at Mrs. Smiths is noon-and
Jim sits where he can look out of the
window. Miss Elliott-she "does So
ciety" another morning paper and is
quite vivacious-noticed that Jim was
neglecting his plate of bcsSwheat cakes
and staring with all his eyes across the
street. Now Jim is master hand at
buckwheat cakes, and Miss Elliott, hay
ing a reputation for vivacity to sustain,
was perfectly justified in remarking that
Mr.. Gray did not seem quite himself.
We laughed, as in politeness bound, and
that brought Jim back. Il got up and
made flourish with his napkin and
said:
"LADIEs AND GENTLENEN-It now
gives me great pleasure to present tc
you the neighbor we have long been ex.
pecClng, OVERTIME Way.
We were so interested that we got
fight up from the breakfast table and
crowded to the windows. Even that
reserved and sarcastic Elizabeth Haw-
kins-she's telephone girl, and sup
pose she's justified in having poor
opinion of mankind, and trying to get
even out of Office hours-forgot her dig
nifty for once and was as interested as
anybody. You see, the workmen had
been busy on a little cottage right across
the street for two months or more. We
did not pay any particular attention to
it until they began to Iut in a second
story bay window that was almost as
big as the rest of the cottage. After that
bay window had done duty as family
joke for two or three weeks we fell to
wondering what sort of people had built
it, and who would occupy such funny
little house.
Handsome Henry Roberts-he's win
dow dresser in big State street dry
goods store, and great hand with the
girls-said he knew some woman was
responsible for that window and hoped
she would be good looking; it would be
pity to spoil such fine window.
Whereupon dear old Miss Brooks-she's
nice looking even If she is forty, and has
come down from better days to proof
reading him, in her precise,
genteel way, that young men who had
no eyes for anything but pretty WON
an sometimes came to grief. The grace
less Harry responded that homoly
woman was a real grief, and pretty
one joy forever Here the scamp
looked hard at Elizabeth Hawkins.
Elizabeth Hawkins looked back at Har-
ny, and thought she was going to say,
BUSY, what's your number" And John
Bery-he's some sort Of an editor and
doesn't say much, being as reserved as
Elizabeth Hawkins and peculiarlike-
saw Harry and scowled.
Well, as was saying, we had many
discussion over that little cottage, and
finally came to feel sense of proprietor
ship in what we called "Oyer-the- Way"
SO you see it was great day for us
when Over-the-Way herself appeared.
To be sure, there wasn't much to see
when we did get to the window-just
'big transfer wagon loaded with new fur
Initure, an express wagon heaped high
with household belongings, two drivers,
an old negro woman with a gorgeous
tsrban, and q dear little woman in a
smart jacket and wide brimmed hat.
Harry Roberts declared he was simply
perishing for exercise and fresh air, and
put on his overcoat and strolled past the
cottage. He came back and reported
that the little woman was beauty; in
fact, he grew quite eloquent over her
charms. And then, of course, we had
to talk it all over-whether she was
married, and if she was, where was her
hnshandy and if che wasn't, was she 60
ing to live all alone with the old colored
aunty, and SO on.
Over-the-Way was evidently a capa-
BILE little body, for she had the furniture
in and the house to rights in no time.
And the way old Aunt Amanda-that's
the name we gave to the colored woman
and her turban-made things fly moved
Mrs. Smith to wish, with tears in her
voice, that the days of slavery were back
again.
But though the nest was ready, no
male bird appeared. After week had
gone by we women began to hate "him, -
as we called the man Over-the- Way was
waiting for. We knew there was a
"him" by the way. She flew to meet
the postman and fairly Rugged the letter
when she got one, and kind O. dropped
when she didn't. And there were mighty
few days when she dropped too.
But his absence didn't seem to bother
Over-the-Way a bit. She was busy
bnorning and night fixing up the cottage
for him. The big bay window was evil
IDENTIFY the pride of her life. Every after
noon she'd put on pretty house dress,
snuggle down in big arm chair right
in the middle of it, and read over her
letters. Harry Roberts thought it was
all Tor his dement, until he found, arUer
repeated trials, that she had no eyes for
him except to find his glances and atti-
tudes subject of mirth. And then one
Say we fonnd out why it was she had no
eyes Tor Harry or any oTner man-excepU
one.
1t was the second Sunday, just before
dinner time-her dinner time-and she
was in the window as usual. But she
had on a new dress, and to save her she
couldn't sit still in her chair more than
thirty seconds at time All of a sud
den she clapped her hands, and gave a
little jump, and kissed her hand to
somebody we couldn't see, and ran from
the window. And then manly young
fellow went striding across the street
and ran up the steps. The front door
blew open with bang and Over-the-
Way had him by the arm and was drag
glng him inside in a second. Then she
let go OF him in a hurry and ran in
quicker than she came out. If she hadn't
shed have been kissed right there on
the front porch in plain sight of every
body.
We knew they'd show up in the big
bay window sooner or later and snre
enough, just after dinner they came
into sight. She was clinging to his arm
and just dancing on her toes, she was so
happy; and just as she was right in the
midst of telling him how fine it all was
she discovered us at the windows. We
could almost see her blush clear across
the street, and her young husband
Strengthened up and looked daggers.
But John Berry rose to the occasion
nobly. He had his overcoat and hat on
he was just going out-and he took off
his hat and made bow respectful and
friendly like, as much as to say, "Were
glad to see you, SIR" And we women
oil l. la1