Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-03-14

cur dinners until five o'clock in the
afternoon or later. But at noon the
clerks in the government departments
have lunch, and the citizens visit their
clubs and nearby restaurants where
they have light repasts, during which
they gossip and enjoy half hour
breathing spell from business routine.
Only a few weeks ago John Doe
lunched with Richard Zoe, and, while
putting their cigars as they strolled
along Pennsylvania avenue back to
their desks, Doe said to Roe:
Come up and I'll introduce you to
my typewriter"
rs she pretty?"
Not particularly; but she is as
sweet little lady as you'll meet in a
whole season. And l want you to un
derstand that l allude to her in no con-
ventional or fippant way, but just as
would introduce a gentleman to my
sister"
'Flattered, I'm sure" was the rather
cynical rejoinder. Does your wife ap-
prove of her? Yes? Then she must be
homely.'
There's where you mistake. She is
not pretty-she is not homely-she is
rot young-she is not old. She is
simply a sweet-faced, bright, well-edu-
Gated, respectable lady, and a compe-
tent stenographer and typewriter,
earning her own living and not
ashamed of the fact"
That was all true, as Richard Roe
quickly observed when he was intro
duced to the modest wage-earner. She
was far from homely. On the contrary,
as she sat there by the window with the
strong light shimruering through her
golden hair, she looked like a crowned
queen. Her nose had a tendency to
look skyward, and her eyebrows were
rather light. She vas rather too slen
der and slight TO ordinarily attract at
tention. She was indeed far from be-
ing plump. The tiny toe of tiny shoe
peeped forth from beneath her skirt.
and Richard Roe assured himself that
it was no more than Il No. l covering
OF the most dainty little foot on earth,
He was bowling deferentially as he OBJ
served her lack of beauty and her few
attractions.
Miss Russell looked up at him with
tie head, smilingly, acknowledged the
introduction, and then commenced to
clatter away on her typewriter as
though it were a very commonplace
matter for her to be introduced to big,
Eroad-shouldered. handsome bachelor
lawyers with comfortable bank ac-
counts. She paid no more attention to
him, but he stood watching her work
until Mr.. Doe took him by the arm and
led him into the private office where
they concluded their cigars.
Somewhat to the annoyance of John
Doe his friend Roe seemed disinclined
to talk on any subject other than Miss
Russell. He wanted TO know her age,
her ancestry, her financial condition,
and whom she supported besides her
self. By diligent ross-questioning he
learned that she was the orphan daugh-
ter of a man who was once successful
practitioner of law in Boston. When
he died he left debts in excess of his
assets, and it was generally believed
that his partner had robbed him; but.
of course, there was no evidence of the
fact, if it was fact. The widow and
cnly daughter were in possession of
their home; but without means OF live
lihood. Miss Russell's friends secured
her place in the census office in Wash
ington, and there she worked until the
census office closed, when she went to
work for John Doe at ten dollars per
week. That small sum, with the rent
of their Boston home, sufficed to sup
port Miss Russell and her mother. That
was the whole story.
Richard Roe was interested. He
wanted just such a girl for himself.
lie had had considerable experience in