The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-06
Stories of an Inland State.

perhaps - or q years OF age. Her darl
eyes shone blacker because of the marble
pallor of her face-not the pallor of sick.
ness, or of fright, but the whiteness which
nature had given it to keep it ongruou:
with the finely chiseled features which il
covered.
Clink, clihk went the type against the rub.
Der ron of the typewriter and clack. clacb
| went the wooden space-bar which she
| struck with her thumb.
| The Boss sat across the room in the cor
| ner, listening to the ambitions of his
| henchmen. When he could do so without
| being altogether rude, he arose, This was
/ a signal for his callers 10 depart. Men are
perceptive and few needed palmer init
nation. One passed out the door. Another
came in. This had been going on all day
| long. Evening had come at last and in the
| icy air outside the smoke from the sur
rounding buildings curled down again to
the ground as if unwilling TO leave the
| earth on such a wintry night.
The last applicant had gone out. The
| Boss resumed his seat. He gaZed, absorb
cd, into the darkening corner of the room
and nuttered skunk 10 himself. This
was his opinion Of his last caller.
The Boss had won campaign. He was
suffering the consequences. His recon-
mendation 10 the governor, or to any state
officer for that matter, was as good as the
appointment itself None of the poor pup
cts who had been elected dare refuse him,
dare to take issue with his judgment. His
name went to nothing. His recommended
tons were verbal. 'I VIII sign no papers,"
he said briefly ten or twelve times every
day. He was boss. That said, and ais
said. Oh, the vanity of it all. He seemed
to feel 1t acutely on this bleak evening.
Why did the men who deserved nothing,
the men who had illuminated him in the
past, the men who were false, and mer-
cenary and incompetent, why were they
so persistent to fill the public offices of the
state? Why were his true friends, the COM
petent men, the deserving party workers so
timorous? Why didn't they come forward
with their claims, which were just ones?
He had had a bad day of it. Aspirants
had f1attered which sickened him. Asp.r-
ants had csjoled him which tired him; as
pirants had threatened him, which amused
him.
He had promised them all he would see
about it, Poor fools! THE people," ne
said TO himself. shall have competent men
in office. Reform is mostly a fraud, but
on that l am determined"
The determination of the thought bright
ened his eye. Another rap at the door, His
face fell. He opened it. A neatly attired
man stood in the door. The eve of the
Boss frightened again. Come in. Scott"
he cried. ''Sit down. Thank heaven. Here
is one man who doesn't want my recon-
mendation. How are you any way?''
Scott shifted uneasily. But that's what
I'm after he said uneasily.
WHAT"
"Your recommendation.
The face of the Boss fell. But he looked
up again brightly and asked: For your
self?"
NO, for my brother"
For what?''
state accountant
The two men sat in silence. The intense
friendship between the two had vanished.
SO your friendship for me was selfish
ness. too thought the Boss as he looked
at his former friend. Then he arose again |
and Scott, taking the intimation, arose |
also
Scott" said the Boss with an affectation |
Of cheerfulness that did not deceive the |
young man, II will see about that"
Even he wanted something" mumbled |
the Boss as he walked across the floor and /
stopped beside the stenogrr pher and looked |
sloomily out of the window.
The beautiful young woman kept at her
NorR- IL she neard the remark she did not
heed it. Click. click went the type against
the rubber roll and clank, clank sounded |
he wooden space-bar. The Boss and the |
Young woman understood each other per-
,ectiy, they thought. He never addressed
Ter except on matters concerning his cor
dependence or when he dictated the let
ers in a jerky, vigorous fashion when she
ook them down in shorthand. His whole
Intention to her was good morning and
,ood evening and that was all. Still there |
we're times when she became conscious that |
lie was standing before her or behind her
when they were alone in the Office gazing
perhaps at her--she never looked up TO find
nut. She had day-dreamed once-but that
vas out of the question.
She felt now that he was looking at her
n that intense distracted manner when
he door opened again-this time without a
preceding rap.
The Boss turned. A young man entered. |
he Boss frowned and said uncouthly:
Well
II suppose it will surprise you" began
he young man, ito hear that I must have
our recommendation for the position of
tate accountant
"You," gasned the Ross |