Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-07-17


you knOw?'
81 knew! | guessed! put two and two
together, and 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, i'm friendly way. ~ mind my own
business. What you two people want to
do is to make up and stop all this. He
paused with judicial air.
GLOW did you know all this?' the wom-
an asked. docs Mr.. GriswOld make a
confdant of his otiice-boy?'
Swipesey was all dignity then, "YOu
are mistaken there. He never said a word
to me about it. don't know very much
about it, only have put two and two to-
gether. l 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 | was cleaning up his desk, and
found a picture there--your picture. |
put it back where l found it, and one
night, when | had to come to the office
with some copy to leave for the compost
itors to begin OH i'm the morning, | found
him in the dark at his desk, sitting
there and crying, with the picture in his
hand. He didn't know | saw him, but
did just the same. And that's why am
sorry for him; | had never seen a man cry
before. And when he's cross and hard
with us people about the Office, | know
that 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 inn
pressed itself on the woman in his favor,
for she said nothing and allowed him to 90
on.
sometimes | would see in the other pa
pers that Mrs. GriswOld, wife of Editor
Griswold. of the Brggsville Bugle, is in
Santa Barbara for her health, and then
you would be in Tacoma and all sorts of
places; but he never spoke of you in his
paper, and YOU never came here. have
heard talk, too, of a quarrel you two had,
and-of course have-have surmised that
something was wrong | don't know what
separated you, or why you left him, or he
you, and it isn't any of my business; but
now you have come back to him, | hope
you will stay with him.
The woman looked at Swipesey's intelli-
gent freckled face, and saw the brightness
of his small gray eyes. She was impressed
with his red hair and snub-nose. And she
humored him by asking, is that what you
would advise me to do?''
"Certainly,' answered the boy without
hesitation. That's what would advise
you to do"
"But suppose he wants me to come more
than half way? Suppose, after all, he
doesn't want me to stay?'
That's all right. I'll fix that. can
manage it. He's been waiting for you a
long time, | guess. but he's too proud to
tell you to come back to him. He's up
stairs now writing a letter, and
Swipesey looked at her brightly-"I think
it is to you. Sometimes he has started
letters, which have found in the waste
basket torn or partly burned, beginning
My dearest wife but don't think he has
ever sent them. However, that is none of
my business. But today what do you think
he did? He sent everybody home in order
to be alone that he might write. 1t was
nothing connected with the paper, know,
for the copy is all in. | think he is writ
ing to you upstairs to come back, and he
doesn't know you are here already"
''If he will only say he is wrong, and ask
my forgiveness the woman muttered
looking out of the window at the pattering
rain. Then she started up, seemingly I'M
aware of the boys presence. But
mustn't ask too much | was in the wrong
as much as he"
"Now tell you what to do, said Swipe-
sey, with eagerness. "If youput this into
my hands, Wen fix it up all right" His
eyes shone, and he took a few steps for
ward, with his small hands clasped togeth-
er and his face raised hopefully toward the
woman. "You let me go up stairs and sort
of prepare him. I'll not say who wants to
see him, but I'll just give him a hint. And
then you go up and surprise him; and if
you look at him and smile, and if you tell
him you are sorry, | don't think he would
send you away; now, do yOu?"
The woman looked down at the lad, and
smiled sadly at him. She could not help
being amused at his eageness to help her
and the lonely man upstairs.
He seemed to divine what she was think
ing of, for he said, ''Oh, you mustn't think
l am dipping my finger into something that
amt my business, for / should like to hear
him laugh as he did long time ago; and
besides, it is not right for two people to be
apart the way you and him are
The woman laughed nervously 81 don't
think you had better NEEDLE, after all, -
she said. "You may be very bright boy,
but it might make him angry to think |
had allowed"
81 never set up to be bright" said Swipe-
sey in an injured tone. "If was an entire
stranger he might not like it; but being
on the staff, why, it's entirely different
see?''
The woman laughed again, and then
asked, "What do you propose to do?"
''Well, you sit right down in that chair
again, and III run up stairs. I'll not be
gone but minute, and then I'll come back
for YOU
Before she could say word to stop him,
he had whisked out of the room, and she
heard him going up the stairs two steps at
time. She sighed again, and looked
down and watched the people passing.
Then Swipesey was back with a cordial
encouraging, "COme along I've fixed it.
He'll see you"
And they went up the stairs-up into
the office, which had become quite dark
now, and was but a cherries place at best.
Swipesey threw open the door, saying,
"IIere she is, sir
The old man was scribblng. He had
laid aside the typewriter for the pen, and
he kept on for moment. Then he looked
up in bewildered way, threw down his
pen, rubbed his eyes, sprang up, and with
a bound was across the room. "Gracer'
was all he said.
And Swipesey smiled in a self-satisfied
sort of way, and closing the door, left them
alone. And when the editor came down