The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-08-11

Il
his employer answered, eve prefer
you to leave by the New York ON Sat
urday next. 1t will aid us materially
if you can be in London by next week.
OF course, il"
mot at all, Mr. Bunker inter
posed Bob. ''No inconvenience, as
sure you. It is now Wednesday, and
if 1 might leave the office at once to
begin my Preparations"
"Quite right" Mr.. Runker re-
turned. ''We'll dispense with you un-
til Friday morning, by which time
your instructions will be all ready"
A few moments later Bob was seated
at his desk striving nightly to finish
his morning mail in the shortest pos
sible time. His aim, however, was
not to rush home aud tell the folks
that his long looked-for European trip
had become a realization. He wished
to reach the Morning Star and say one
word to the little Irish beauty, that he
hoped should persuade her to-well,
at, least, not to forget him, and if it
was not too great demand, to ask her
to write to him.
But it was noon before he could get
away from the office. His first ner-
vously rapid steps brought him to a
florists, where he purchased a few
roses, only just so many as he could
carry in his pocket without injuring
them. He would sooner have wheeled
a baby carriage across City Hall Park
than carry those flowers in his hand.
On entering the restaurant Bob
trembled, ana the cold sweat stood ON
his brow. He foreshadowed to him
self now the horror of going down the
church aisle with Fannie leaning on
his arm. Wouldn't it be awful9 But
still how rapturous!
"Pshaw, she'll never have me-" he
murmured again to himself as he took
his accustomed seat.
Here another qualm assailed him.
How could he give Fannie those roses
without attracting everybody's atten-
ton? How in the first place could he
get them out of his pocket without
tearing their tender petals asunder?
While he was fidgetiug over these
thoughts, he heard what seemed
familiar step behind him, and as the
waitress reached his side, he whispered
hoarsely without daring to uplift his
gaze.
"Good morning, Fannie"
'Sir?" was the interrogatory answer.
The voice was strange. The tone
incomprehensible from the sweet lips
of Fannie. Bob looked up staring.
The next instant his eyes dropped
and an objectionable mist clouded
their fine gray hue.
1t was not Fanniel
''Your order, please" the new wait
ress demanded peremptorily.
Corn beef and pork, stammered
Bob, agreat lump in his throat almost
choking utterance
{ Corn beef an pork?" queried the
waitress. "You mean corn'beef an,
don't you?"
eyes, confound it," muttered Bob.
"Corned beef and-quail, if you like
r The new waitress slouched away in
, high dudgeon aud told one of her CO.
laborers that "the chump with the
Willy-boy tie in the corner was a
geezer."
The other waitress, friend of Fan
> nie's, looked at the "geezer" and i'm
/ mediately went to his table.
> "Heard the news?" she asked.
3 "No," answered Bob disconsolately.
= ''Fannie's quit. Got out last
' night.
Where's she gomez"
"Don't know. Nobody does. Not
even the boss. She asked for her pay
last night and wouldn't say why she
| was leavin' or where she was goin'."
' "Aheml" Bob coughed with an
effort that burned his throat. "Say,
' Kittie, please tell that new waitress
: that don't want that lunch. Here's
e the dime for it, Good morning"
|. Dropping the coin ON the table,
Bob rose abruptly aud strobe out OF
$ the restaurant, never needing the
e word of inquiry which the proprietor
bawled after him,
q He boarded a car, rode up town to Q
+ favorite cafe where he ordered drink
q over which he sat musing for an houi
e without tasting it.
During this time he was torturine
= his brain for some means by which he
}. could trace Fannie. He did not know
v even her family name, her address ol
anybody who was acquainted with her
n He had long ago found that she pre-
It served herself strictly incognita TO the
k other Mattresses for which direction
(" he had admired her much. Now h,
l. blamed her.
/, There was nothing to do but inser
:, persona" in the papers. Although
- this seemed caddish, he did it, Fol
J. three days his advertisement wal
n printed in all the papers, but no ans
IA wer came as late as sailing time on Sat
urday morning.
le Happily the weighty matters will
it which his firm had intrusted him oc
n cupied the larger part Of his thoughts
1 but whenever he dared forget them
flock of unhealthy melancholy idea