The Opelousas courier., 1891-09-12

1 sEGg
The woman sighed YEARLY, and fher
said, with an effort, "Mr. Griswold."
81 am very sorry" began the boy
hitching his stool a little forward, anG
grabbing his cap off, and laying 1t care
fully Gown before him, stbut he is verl
busy-very ,3usy 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 a chair near the window. "Will you
please tell him a lady is waiting to see
him when he is at liberty2"
Now the ofice-boy scarcely knew
what to do. He did not exactly care to
go 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 a nasty temper, aud 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 nswered
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 Swlpesey
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 a moment. III
know who you are" he said presently.
tYou are his wife,
The woman looked up quickly and
raised one of her hands to her forehead.
She seemed a bit dazed, and asked, in 8
way that convinced Swipesey that she
scarcely knew what she said, "How did
you know"
IL knewi | 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, in a fatherly way. aI mind my
own business. What you two people
want to do is to make up and stop sill
this" He paused, with 4 judicial air.
"How did you know this2' the wo-
mar asked. ttDoes Mr.. Griswold make
a confidant of an office boy7'
swipesey was all dignity then. "You
are mistaken there. He never said a
word to me about it. don't know very
much about il, only / have put two and two
together. I 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 ]
found it; and n night when | had to
come back to the office with some copy
to leave for the c~ompositors to begin on
in the morning, I found him in the
dark at his desk, sitting there and cry
ing, with the picture in his hand. He
didn't know I saw him, but / did just
the same. And that's why I am sorry
for him; I had never seen a man cry be-
fore. And when he's cross aud hard
with as 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 a grave
manner, and his quietness evidently inn
pressed itself on the woman in his favor,
for she said nothing, and allowed him to
go IN.
s.Sometimes | would see in the other
papers that Mrs. Griswold, wife of
Editor Griswold, of the Briggsville b.
ole, 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. I have heard talk, too, of q quar-
rel you two had, and-of course / have
surmised that something was
wrong. / don't know what separated
you, + why you left him, or he you, and
it isn't any of my business; but now you
have come back to him, | nope you will
stay with him.
The woman looked at Swipesey's in
telligent freckled face, and saw the
brightness of his small gray eyes. She
was impressed with his red hair and his
snub-nose. And she humored him by
asking, lis that what you would advise
me TO dolo
#Certainly,n answered the boy, with
out hesitation. ttThat's what / would
advise you to do
but suppose he wants me to come
more than half waya Suppose, after all,
be doesn't want me to stay2e
That's ali right. I'll fix that. lean
manage it. He's been waiting for you
long time, | guess, but he's too proud to
tell you to come back to him. He's up
now, writing a letter, anda-here
Swipesey looked at her brightly-aI
think 1t is to you. Sometimes he has
started letters, which / have found ID
the waste-basket torn or partly burned,
beginning, My dearest wife, but /
don't think he has ever sent them.
However, that il none Of my business.
But to-day what do you think lie did,
He sent everybody home ii order to be
alone that he might write. It was Moth
connected with The paper, I know,
for the copy is all IN. ! think he is
to you upstairs to come back.
he doesn't know you are here al
IF he will only say he was wrong,