The morning times., 1897-02-07
A Real Romance

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AT Christmas Mr.. Rooterby had given the
pretty typewriter in his employ for two or
three years n present of "a handsome street
gown, for MIR. Rooterby was practical, and
she had needed it so badly that when she
told the cashier about it the tears came
into her eyes, and she said she thought it
such pity SO dear and good a man as Mr..
RooterDy did not have a wife, and home
and children, and all those happinesses
which go with matrimony, and there was
something in the typewriter's tone that
made the cashier wonder what Mr.. Rooter
by had been saying to her, anyhow.
Tle cashier and the typewriter were the
only occupants OF the office except Mr..
Rooterby, and it was not surprising that
tie cashier should wonder what Mr.. Root
erby had been saying to the typewriter,
seeing that he 1.-THE eashierl had been say-
ing great deal of Importance to her Kim
self, and with some hopes of success, un-
less distractng obstacles were thrown in
.hls path, and Mr.. Rooterby was a distract
ing obstacle, beyond peradventure.
Nor did the fact that he had presented
fine suit of clothes to the cashier as a
Christmas souvenir make it any clearer in
the cashiers mind why he had a right to
be saying things to the typewriter when he
tthe cashier) was in the office with her
three hours to Mr.. Rooterby's one, and
thought more of her in minute than any
other man thought of her in seven years
by the watch.
IAN I've got to say is responded the
cashier to the typewriter, when she spoke
tn hon frit, ppi.,ii III OF Mr
Rooterby, 'all I've got to say is that he
ought to have been married twenty five
years ago, and out OF the way
Which seemed so bitter and unkind that
the sweet little typewriter opened her oiue
eyes in surprise, and calculated in almost
a tone of horror, wy, Charley! how can
you say that?"
After that the life of the cashier seemed
to grow narrow, and he never saw Mr..
Rootcrby come intothe office that he didn
begin TO think OF those m ysterious murders
in the Rue Morgue, which Poe tells Of, and
wonder what the price or man eating
monkeys and how long it would take himto
teach one TO climb up to Mr.. Rooterby S
window and eliminate Mr.. Rooterby from
the emotional problem which was slowly
but surely undermining the mental equi-
librium of the cashier.
Mr. Rooterby, unconscious of what was
surgng and throbbing in the bosom or his
cashier, grew more polite, If that were
possible, to- the typewriter day by day.
Indeed, his manner to all women was
changing. He seemed to be so gentle,
when before, while he W as always courtesy
itself, he was lacking in that ineffabie
gentleness which comes only from the
heart of hearts. In other words, Mr..
Rooterby impressed the cashier as man
deeply and dangerously in love.
Strange that the cashier should be so
inscrutable, for no one else noticed that
Mr. Rooterby was other than his old self
Yet he was, and the typewriter knew
something that few others knew. Certain
| the cashier did not know II, for his man
ner would have been very different had he
| known.
| The typew ritter, was was nineteen, lived
| in the same clearinghouse that sheltered
| Mr.. Rooterby, Notwithstanding the cashier
| had done all in his power TO have her
| move to some other, and with her there
| lived her mother, a widow not yet forty
and so young and pretty as easily TO pass
| as her daughter sister. The women were
| confidantes, and all the typewriter knew The
| mother knew Under the circumstance
what other result could have been expected
| than that Mr. Rooterby was looked upoI
| with favor.
| As for Mr.. Rooterby, he would havf
I laughed to scorn so much as vague him
/ that he was gradually succumbing to th'
| mysterious power of the feminine over ths
masculine destiny.
Now Ypar's The Shie
was calling on the typewriter, or rather the.
had Joined the watch meeting at tn
clearinghouse after the theater, and th
cashier was copparatively happy, for Mr.
Rooterby was devoting himself to TIN
| mother, quite to the neglect CT the daugh
ter. and the daughter Seemed to be com
paratively happy in the company of th'
cashier There was sound OF reyelry b
night. and ALI the iboardipg- house hat
gathered there its beauty and its chivalry
and they had walhalla kind of wassa
! until the clock struck l2, when the fes
tivities ended, and each member of tn
company before departing was called on
make one resolution for the year just Ush
cred in
MIR. Rooterby popped up first.
Excuse my haste he said, ''hut l wan
to resolve right now and here that vii
not propose marriage to any woman o
earth. Just to show you folks who are ever
Iastingly chatting me that l mean busines
for the new year at the same old stand
This was received with great applause
and the cashier glanced stealthily at tn
typewriter, as if to assure himself tina