Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-04-29


show her what she was to copy and how
it was to be done. Silence reigned for
actually two hours Then some man
came in TO see George and me. He
stared at the blond head leaning over
the desk and retreated into Georges
Office, followed by me.
One after another of business ac-
quaintances dropped in, but time wore
on slowly. l never knew such a long
morning until il was l2 o'clock. The
winks, the grins, the sly chuckles from
some of the callers and the aggravating
abetting responses of George, and my
constant alarm lest she should overhear
nearly gave me a nervous fever. But the
worst was to come Fortunately no
one was in the inner Office but George
and myself.
Twelve o'clock struck and in walked
elder sister. l quailed and George
turned his back ON me and shook with
laughter
"Well, dearie," chirped elder sister,
has it seemed like long morning?"
Yes, somewhat, though have been
interested too. How's MAJ"
Every lonely without yoa. She sent
me to go with you to lunch so that you
would not think we had forgotten YOU"
''Oh that will be nice, " said Carol.
"And ma said as it was your first day
we should be little extravagant in our
luncheon"
That's splendid. I'll see if / can go
now"
managed to get on my feet and blind
ly got to the door, feeling that | didn't
care, and that George could go to the
deuce.
''You may go now, Miss Walton, for
your lunch. Please be back by
o'clock"
Thank you. Yes, SIR" So while she
got on her coat and hat elder sister ex-
planned that she had run in to see how
Carol was getting along. (Run inl She
certainly wasn't out of breath.) And
then they went. awaited George. He
began:
wonder who will come tomorrow.
Ma? Wonder how many relatives she
has got to run in? Pity too. She seems
quiet enough. But these girls you never
Cali CdICuidUc WudI InSy are.
l am surprised that did not mas
sacre George, but l have always felt
that his unpleasant manner should be
viewed in the light of an infirmity He
went on:
Every businesslike with 'Dearies' and
'Sweeties' and what not. Nice talk in a
business Office. eh, Dick? Tomorrow it
win be Darling"
His intonation of the last word was
positively distressing. / went out for
lunch and left him to take care of the
Office. 1t was my only revenge.
The days came and left as visitors will
do. Our own individuality is the only
thing we can reasonably count upon in
this world as sure to remain.
For six weeks my little copyist came
regularly and did her work with neat
ness and dispatch For six weeks her
family came almost as regularly at va
rious times through the day. Ma would
drop in Una used to drop in and elder
sister run in), and would say, "Well,
petite" 1t struck me The first time she
said that, and afterward, too, what a
singularly appropriate name, but ex-
tremely unbusinesslike.
Then sister would run in and say:
Ma is making apple pies, and can you
get off a quarter of an hour earlier,
dearie, and come home TO luncheon
And Carol would say:
"Oh, | wouldn't like to ask
Then would speak up and say, ''You
may go little earlier today, Miss Wei
ton"
Then another day her little brother
Rob would stamp in with bag Of
cookies ma had made or bit of rib
bon to be matched ON Carols way home.
And once an old uncle tottered in and
delayed me one-half hour while he bab-
bled of his deceased brother Andrew
and Andrews family-the same that
used my Office for family room, sup
pose. And after some particularly ag-
gravating chatter and interchange OF
feminine, unbusinesslike epithets /
would go in to George, forgetting in my
vexation his demoniac character, and
vow wouldn't stand it. Then he would
get up and implore me not to be harsh
and unkind to the dear little thing, and
| unconsciously said, ''Who could be?
And then he would shake and chuckle
and quote, so woman, woman, lovely
woman!' OF repeat, ''Well, petite, hows
biz? or "Dearie, sauerkraut today.
Come home with me-" or "Carol,
darling, is the boss just as much gone
on you as everg" or some like idiotic re-
mark that he had coined out Of his own
imbecile brain.
But when ma came III one day about
IL o'clock in the morning and sat for one
mortal hour crocheting or knitting OF
some such useless feminine idleness, !
felt that l must speak. Ny Office, a
business place rented by me for business
purposes only, to be thus desecrated was
too much.
So that evening when the little daugh-
ter was getting ready to go home !
started out with her, as had happened
to do some few times before, and on the
way to her home l told her straight up
and down that this thing could not con-
tinue. We finally arranged that should
buy house in the northwestern part Of
the city, and that In two months she
would wear my wedding ring. 1t has
been fully arranged, however, that ma
may drop in and the elder sister run in,
but they are not to stay in as permanent
inmates.
One strange part Of it to me is how