Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-10
PERFIDY UNVEILED.

OF WOuiO DO Lover
'By George, that's another one"
The blond young man with the plas-
tered hair and old gold mustache
chuckled softly to himself and looked
again across the way.
''And she's better looking one than
the girl at the other Window" he solilo-
quized, after as critical an examination
of the new face as the nature of the case
would permit.
He was bookkeeper in the employ Of
q real estate firm whose Office was on one
of the upper floors of a down town sky
scraper, and for several hours each day,
while the members of the firm were
securing the streets for business or CIV
ing exclusive scoops" to every real
estate reporter in the city, he had the
room to himself.
During the frequent spells of loneli-
nees that came upon him he had Guilt
waited by degrees the acquaintance Of a
typewriter girl who sat at window
across the court that separated the two
wings Of the great Office building.
1t had come to be understood that
heir regular morning greeting, repeated
now and then during the day, was a
smile and nod on his part and q nod and
smile on hers.
One day, while temporarily at work
ct another desk than his own, he
CHANGED to look across the court and
found himself opposite a window near
which sat another typewriter girl
whom he had not seen before, and, as
already related, she struck him as be-
ing an improvement upon No. 1.
Thereupon he set himself to work to
cultivate her acquaintance also.
1t was q slow process. 1t took him
some time merely to impress upon her,
as q circumstance worth noting, the fact
that he was there.
But he persisted. Without suffering
his acquaintance with Typewriter Girl
No. to lapse in the slightest degree, it
became his custom while suffering from
his lonesomeness-his tired feeling-to
repair to the desk that brought Type
writer Girl No. within the range OF
his vision, lean his head upon his hand.
and look at her with an expression Of
deep melancholy on his face that would
have softened the heart Of cab driver
For long time she seemed oblivious.
but one day, while he was regarding her
with his most pensive and woebegoue
gaze, he was surprised to see her lean
her head on her hand and fix her eyes
upon him with an exaggerated look of
anguish on her own face.
The mimicry was perfect. and in the
laugh that followed it the acquaintance
was established on basis of reciprocity
The regular salutation between the
young man and Typewriter Girl No. Q
thus came to be different from that Of
No. 1.
After he had exchanged his nod and
smile at his own desk with No. / he
would wander in a casual way TO the
other desk, out Of sight Of No. 1, and ex-
change q look Of the most profound
melancholy. usually followed by wave
Of the hand. with No. 2; and in these
recrestions and diversions the blond
young man relieved the monotony Of
his lonely hours, and plumed himself
not little. moreover, upon his powers
Of fascination.
What it might all have led TO had not
an unexpected occurrence, an event bor-
dering closely upon tragedy. broken In
upon the current Of his existence-but
let us not anticipate.
One morning there was an alarm Of
fire close 1T hand. From tine court be
tween the two sections of the building
only glimpse Of the street could be
had. hut the sentimental bookkeeper
ran 10 the nearest window. raised il.
thrust his head out and looked toward
the street TO see IL the fire engines were
gathering.
Directly across the court two win
dows. pertaining TO two different Offices.
were raised At the same moment and
two female heads were thrust out simul-
taneorslv.
They were the heads Of Typewriter
fiiris Nos. and 2.
No. locked At him with smile and
rodaed
No. assumed an expression 81 the
nse~t lsgubrious melancholy and waved
her hard IN The usDsi manner
The blond Young man booked helpless
" from ore n the ether and wilfea
Tis hcnr had come
re ccuisnt smile ard nod in one III
rsetscn rhi]e Iooking melancholy in the