The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-31
THAT BAsHFUL BLINKER.
How He Lost His Pretty Type
writer.

shall have become the classic period for
the future centuries, as the ancient Greek
is the classic for us of this time, that in
stead of the maiden with the distaff as
we have, they will have the maiden at
the typewriter, as one of the beautiful
figures that make art everlasting.
Her eyes were so blue, her cheeks were
so pink, and truly, her hair must have
been transplanted from the banks of the
Pactolus whose shifting sands were crys-
tails of pure gold.
The man sat near her debating letter.
On the window pane next to the street
were the words 'Hurford Blinker & Co.,
Brokers'" and the man debating was the
BLnker of the firm. He was also the
Hurford and the Co., seeing that he had
bought out everybody else, including the
well known name of the firm.
And what man was Blinker-Haverhill
Blinker. A bachelor of forty years ex~
perience, a business man of large and in
creaSing wealth, a calculating specuia-
tor, good all round fellow, and among
women the very prototype and synonym
of bashfulness. To see him bow and
smile to and at lady when meeting her
would have led the most critical to say
he was a courtier of courtiers, but if it
became necessary for him to go beyond
the bowling and smiling limit life had no
Strange to say, too, he was not always
conscious of his weakness, and there were
times when he really thought he was
quite a ladies' man.
When he recovered from one of these
latter attacks he was always surrounded
by large circle of sympathizing friends
(male).
Until within six months he had never
been able to persuade himself that the real
and only way to accustom himself to the
use of a woman's society was to employ
lady typewriter" and then he did it be-
cause a relative of his, his aunt, in fact
in neighboring town, had asked him as
special favor to help the daughter of an
old school friend of hers, in sore distress,
who was quite a skilled stenographer and
typewriter.
1t was entirely beyond the comprehend
bility of Mr.. Blinker's aunt that Mr..
B.ihker would give her employment, but
the aunt thought he might know some one
who had place for her Therefore, when
he wrote to his aunt saying that he would
give the young woman a place in his Of
flee at $40 month she was more than sur
prised-she was delighted. and sent the
| golden-haired daughter of her dear old
school friend right over to her nephew.
The day she made her first appearance
Mr.. Blinker was out when she called about
| II o'clock, and the Office boy and the clerk
| having insisted upon her remaining for a
/ S0OulQ
/ turn, she sat down near the window and
waited, never once noting the fact that the
| office boy and the clerk were each putting
| in every moment of his spare time watch
ing her and wondering what the mischief
| business an angel right from heaven had
| with Mr.. Bhnker. -
| When Mr. BIinker finally apeared, and
the office boy and the clerk collapsed, he
| hadn't the least idea who she was, and his
| heart Began to pound 50 on the inside of
him that he thought 1t was the jaintor
| turning on more steerpRnd shaking up the
radiators in the office and halls. 1t was
! the very first time he had ever seen a wo-
man in his Office, and the experience was
so entirely novel that for a instant he was
speeches..
us this Mr. Blinker?" she inquired ris-
ing to meet him as he came hesitatngly
toward her.
'Yes'm," responded Mr. Blnker. feel
ing as if he was a schoolboy about to be
licked for pasting wet wad on the wall.
May inquire to what ] am indebted for
the honor of this visit, ma'am?"
Blinker would no more have made such
an egregiousiy silly and stilted speech as
| that to man than he would have tried to
have told the truth in Chicago, but this
was woman, and B.inker was not respon-
sible.
Your aunt" said the visitor, with a ro-
guish twinkle in her eye, but Blinker didn't
see 1t any more than he saw profit in hon
est politics.
I'LL beg pardon. ma am" he STAN
mered.
The very idea of his saying "Ma'an" TO
a girl like that! 1t would have been Grim
inal If Mr.. Blinker had been responsible.
Then she told him who she was, and the
| way Mr.. Blinker began to assume airs
and strut round as if he were mighty
potentate with lot Of subjects was as
funny as it could be.
Now she had been with him six months.
and he sat near her debating a letter.
In the midst of it he stopped short,
| He had been tempted to do this nl..nv
times before. He had studied the matter
Thoroughly, as he thought, and having
| considered It in every light and delIberated
upon ii for many days. and having tried
to accomplish the desired result by every
means in his knowledge, he had at last
| determined to do this.
| Therefore he stopped in the midst Of n
Il am very sorry. Miss Prince" ne be-
| gan, quite abruptly, and as If he wanted
to get through with the disagreeable task
in hurry, but am afraid I shall have
to lose you as my typewriter"
She clutched suddenly at the sides of
the machine as If to support herself.
"W-w-why.' she stafnmered with utIiv-
ering lips, why. Mr.. Blinker, what have
/ done that l should be discharged with
out warning?"
| But am giving you warning he said
half with bravado, half with apology.
You don't have to go right away
Il do not want to go at all until know
why I am going" she argued "This Is
all have in the world, and / am entitled
70 know why am untitled for this"
"Oh, IL isn't your fault, exactly" he
went on evasively. There are no such
things. you know as misfortune. which
can scarcely be classed as faults. In your
case. Mss Prince. your misfortune is that
you are too pretty" and Mr.. Blinker act.
uaily tucked his head TO one side and sim
pered at her.
She had been Suspicious for a long time
as most women are when they have their
wits about them under circumstances
similar to those surrounding Miss Prince
and Mr.. Blinker, and she almost smiled
through the mist that was gathering IN
| her eyes.
you have always said, Mr.. Blinker. >"
she pleaded, that you liked to see pretty
| things in your Office"
He coughed nervously. uneasily. How
many things he had said to her he did not
know. How many more he wanted to say
he did not know. What he was now say