The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-06-24
CHAPTER II.

the satisfaction OF earning her own liv-
Ing, II was not without some quiet pleas
ure. She was not In the least obtuse or
unteachab and she felt from the first
that her efforts to suit her employer were
meeting with success. Not that he ever
praised her In 30 many words, but he
found no fault, and with him that was
equivalent to praise from another.
~ think We shall get on" he said, at
the end OF the first week, and she had
taken that as permission to stay.
Gradually the ncwness of her sur
roundings wore on, and she settled down
among them az naturally az the great
safe or the desks, one OF which was now
devoted to her especial use. She could
not fatter herself, however, on often
holding a much more important place I'm
the thoughts Of their common master
than these bulky pieces OF office furni-
ture. Beyond giving directions about
her work, he seldom noticed her or
seemed aware OF her existencs. Yet she
liked him, and while she wondered at
her liking, held herself to bs lucky in
having found so kind an employer. She
thought him the most unsociable man
she had ever met; but he was also the
busiest, and consequently could not have
much time for unnecessary talk.
1t did not take long to see she was in
no way confidential clerk, or that Mr..
Allison had a great deal OF business at
whose nature she could only guess. The
stray househunters who were coming
continually seemed to interest him little,
and were usually referred to her; but
almost every morning he was out for
several hours, and he had frequent callers
with whom he held long and close con-
versations on affairs which, In her mind
ut least, were invested with great impor-
tance. One gentleman In particular she
began to notice, from his almost daily
appearance and the intimacy she saw
growing up between him and Mr.. Alli-
son.. He went by the name OF Morton,
but she could not ailay doubt OF his
right to be SO called. He looked decid-
edly foreign, and, she fancied, like an
adventurer; though not having had per-
sonal acquaintance with one of that class
she would not have insisted upon the
latter resemblance. He had never ad-
dressed a word to her, yet she disliked
him emphatically. His bold though
brief look of admiration the first time
he had seen her, had prejudiced her
against him, and since then her disgust
at him had been steadily increasing,
though from causes the most indefinable.
His continued comings and his admis-
sion into the good gracss of Mr.. Allison
made her uneasy, and she was sure would
result in no good to the latter. From
various bits of their talk, picked up at
different times, she surmised that Mr..
Morton was trying to engage Mr.. Allison
in heavy speculation, to which he in
clined favoraby. Further than this sho
knew little, but she wished earnestly for
something to happen and dissuade him
from such a step. Sometimes she re-
tiected that her anxiety seemed rather
out of place, and as Mr.. Allison was
business man well able to take care OF
himself, any advice or interference from
an inexperienced girl would be more
than absurd.
She hardly confessed IL to herself, but
this anxiety she thought perhaps unwar-
rantable was the result OF strong and
growing interest in her employer more
than in his affairs of business. She
looked on him as a friend, and though
usually a silent one, ii did not need
words to tell her he was well disposed
toward her, or to realize that the best OF
feeling had come to exist between them.
He was very kind to her in his way, and
IL was not an unsubstantial way either.
In giving her work he was careful she
should not tire herself or be too much
confined; and-what was OF quite as
much Importance to her-he paid her
rather more than she thought she earned.
As there were times every day when he
had nothing for her to do he suggested
that she provide herself with such occu-
patton as she chose in the way OF needle
work or reading, and he even left lying
in the Office copies of late periodicals and
interesting new books, which he Incl
dentslly placed at her disposal. While
she took care not to abuse her privileges,
she accepted these and namsless other
little favors with more thankfulness
than she dared express-for any special
recognition OF them seemed to annoy
him, as IL he preferred their being treated
as matters of course.
After while, when she got used to his
quiet ways, she came to like them; and,
some of her first impressions wearing of,
she forgot she had ever found him unso-
ciable. They were company for each
other in the Office, and even though they
did not often speak, she was glad to have
him there.
she nau speculateu great ueal aDeut
his home life, and wondered how much
he relaxed his imprepetrable reserve
when at his own hreside. She knew
scarcely anything about him except that
he lived at Lindendale, about ten miles
out OF town, whence he came every day
on the train; and her early suspicion
that he was unmarried had been con-
firmed by phrase from the lips of a lady
caller, who had playfuily twitted him on
the ways OF crusty old bachelorhood.
She had looked on this same caller with
much interest for the reason that she was
the only one of his personal lady friends
she had ever seen or heard OF. She was
very superb person, richly and showily
dressed, and though past her first youth,
had a great deal OF beauty which she
knew how to set off to the best advan-
tage. She seemed very well acquainted
with Mr.. Allison, whom she called Rich
ard, and by whom she was addressed a.
Edith. She had seated herself in his
particular chair, rummsged recklessly
among the papers on his desk, asked him
scores OF trivial questions without watt
ing for half OF them TO be answered, and
of thcrwise made herself perfectly at