The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-10-02


then | dreamed the most frightful things
that masked men, with redhot pincers,
were trying to make me tell what your
occupation was, and what you had said to
me, but, although | screamed and awoke
myself, all in a tremble, | never told
The manager smiled, and said, seriously:
''That is the right spirit, and here We
are at the door of the inquisition.
At the end of large hall wide and
lofty double doors standing open gave a
view of the interior Of an immense room,
in which several men were walking about
with their hands in their pockets. A man
in sort of uniform guarded the door and
sharply scrutinized all corners. Sandys,
however, did not enter the huge room, but
opened small door at the right and went
into the telegraph office, Elinor, with fast
beating heart, following him.
The telegraph Office was comparatively
small and was practically an alcoye Of the
ample apartment used by the Board Of
Trade, divided from it by counter, whose
broad, polished oaken top was Uttered with
telegraph blanks and splashed here and
there with ink. In the centre of the
Office was wide table halyed Longitude
nally by partition of glass, while cross
wise were other glass bulkheads, parcel
hing out the table top into sections, in each
one of which a telegraph instrument occu
pied the centre. As a usual thing one
operator was enough to do the business of
the office, but in times of stress, caused
by hutter in the market, help had to be
called for from the central Office, and some
times the six compartments were in chat
tering activity.
NOW, Miss Elinor, said the manager,
''this is your workroom Johnnie Field
ers here will be in charge for a week or as
much longer as is necessary, and you will
be his assistant As soon as you are ready
to take full control | shall remove him
elsewhere, for he is most useful young
man.
Sandys left the room and strolled into
the Board Of Trade, the doorkeeper nod
ding to him, for the head Of the Western
Union was privileged individual. The
spacious Chamber of Commerce was rapidly
filling up, and rising murmur of CONVEX
sation quivered in the air Now and then
some exuberant person with silk hat on
the back of his head yelled out startling
exclamation, which made Miss McClintoch
jump the first time she heard it, little
dreaming of the pandemonium to which
she would later become accustomed. She
thought there had been dreadful acct
dent, but nobody paid the slightest atteD-
ton, and she learned that this was merely
the preliminary sparring for the contest
that was to come after, just as athletes in
a field timber up before the game COM
mences.
Hello, Sandys 7 said young man,
greeting the head of the Western Union.
Acting the unaccustomed part of the
squire of danes, Ell? Who is the beauty
The beauty, Mr.. Howard, is friend
of mine, answered the manager coldly.
The young man laughed.
$50 | surmised, curmudgeon, otherwise
l would not have sought enlightenment
from you. [ never deal in second hand
information, as some of my distinguished
fellow citizens on this floor are beginning
to find out .
eyes, | understand you are exceedingly
successful in your struggles here. Let me
advise you to be content with that
Content No nan is ever content
with anything. But, | say, Sandys, you
are never going to place so pretty girl in
the telegraph office
II have already done so, and | have
told, her, furthermore, that she would
find every man she met here gentleman, +"
"Oh you always was an optimlst, San
dys. l think, you know, you are stretch
ing it bit to call old Grimwood, who is
now about to honor us with his presence,
a gentleman Merely my own opinion, of
course
There was entering, as he spoke, man
who stopped slightly. His smoothly
shaven face made it impossible, at a dis
lance, to guess his age, but closer inspec-
ton left no doubt that he was fully enti-
tied to the adjective the young man had
bestowed upon him. The lid dropped
over the left eye, and gave sinister ex-
preston to an impassiye face that was at
best saturnine. The left arm hung Imply
by his side, and, with the sinking eye
lid, gave token of stroke that many
regretted had, like themselves, encoun-
tered the old man in vain. Some one had
said that confidence would never be re-
stored in business circles until a second
attack grappled old Grimwood with more
success than the first, for it had been
quickly proven that what was left of the
seasoned old Spectator was match for
the combined intellect and shrewdness of
the others in the grain pit. Grimwood s
workable eye quickly but furtively ranged
the room, and finally rested on the fair
head of the girl, just visible over the pol
ished surface of the counter, as she sat at
the telegraph instrument: His face showed
no astonishment; it was always expression
less, but his eye remained there.
II thoroughly believe, Sandys, that old
Grimwood has bribed you to place the girl
here. Such a withered, ancient branch