The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-20

lou Will take charge OK the ship
ping at the same salary you have now.
will occupy this place hereafter" and
she took OFF her hat, seated herself on
the high stool, and began picking up
the threads of the old life just where
she had dropped them.
This is the first happy day I have
known for three months" she said 20
George Howe, the old bookkeeper, as
she went out that night He was
grave, staid man of fifty. who had been
with the house for nearly thirty FEARS.
No one knew much abcu, him. He
said. one Christmas, when asked about
his gifts, that there was no one TO give
him anything.
Why" asked the inquirer. haven't
you any folks?"
Il have no one in the world bat my
again to his books.
That was all be had ever said about
himself to anyone. Indeed. he never
said much about anything. During all
the years that he had sat in the same
Office with Sarah Jenkins he had only
spoken to her upon matters of BUSH
ness. and She regarded him in very
much the same way that she did the
big ledger in front of him.
So. when Sarah volunteered the re-
mark concerning her happiness. George
was surprised somewhat, but he an
swered. pleasantly: 1T is good TO see
you back here. / have missed you
very much"
All the way home Sarah thought of
those words: II have missed you very
much" No one had ever said that to
her before. She didn't believe anyone
had ever missed her. She sat down in
her coy little sittinr-room that night,
after tea, and indulgcd in one of her
characteristic thinks" She had tasted
the fruit of luxury, and found it of Bit
ter flavor She had comforted herself
by going back to her work. So far she
was satisfied But she had also tasted
the sweets of human companiouship,
and now 1t was not pleasant to think
OF spending the rest of her life alone.
There were plenty of people who
would share her home for the sake of
sharing her money. She did not want
that sort. She thought again of the
old bookkeeper. He had said that he
had missed her very much and she be-
lieved that he meant it. George Howe
was not enough skilled in the ways of
society folk to say what he did not
mean.
Suddenly an idea came to Sarah. She
got up and walked to and fro in her
room.
"I'll do It." she said, at last. 1T
wouldn't be the thing for rich So
ciety woman, but for plain business
woman it's all right. Anyway there's
no one TO find fault with me if it ISN'T
all right"
The next morning George Howe was
sitting at his desk as usual when Sarah
came into the Office. She went up to
him.
Good morning." said she, and
George answered. Good morning"
Then he waited for orders which he
supposed she had come to give.
You told me last night that you had
missed me. Did you mean ito" asked
Sarah.
why, yes, Miss Sarah; of course /
meant it. ! have missed you"
why have you missed me?'
This was rather straightforward
questioning. George was embarrassed
and answered awkwardly:
"Why. don't know. You were here !
SO long I'd kind of got used to you. and !
then-well. always liked You, Miss
Sarah"
You live alone, don't you, George?"
Yes"
And you have no relatives?"
Not one"
do you ever get lonesom
And then George Howe surprised
Sarah jenkins. lie turned toward her
with quivering lips and eyes filed with
tears.
Lonesome, Miss Sarah no said, |
brokenly, lonesome? Why. sometimes |
I'd give year of my life just to talk
to some body"
Come over to my house tonight"
said Sarah. and talk to me nave
to say to you"
II will come" answered George. /
And he went
One week later they were married /
And their unpretentious home now
holds happy wife. Margaret NJ Mer- |
ril |. in Frank Leslie's Weekly.