The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-09-06
THROUGH A WINDOW

THROUGH A WINDOW. |
Between her and me there was
great gulf. chasm with PERCEPTIONS
walls of stone. We were so near to-
gether that could see the color Of her
eyes when the light shone fairly, but be-
tween us was the gulf and in the bot
tom Of it roaring river. In the morn
ing the river ran southwark. At noon
it was full Of conflicting tides that
clashed and surged. In the late after
noon it ran mostly northward toward
Printing House square and Brooklyn
bridge. 1t was river of humanity,
and the gulf was the canyon of Nassau
street, in New York city.
She was ON the western bank and
on the eastern, 100 feet above the bed
of the stream. Crossing was easy, but /
could not go, because l had no errand.
How could / invade the Office of Slough
ton & Bland and say, "Gentlemen, |
have come to tell your secretary that
admire her?"
did not think it fitting even to ask
what name she bore of such acquaint
ances as might have been able to an
swer. would not have known what
firm employed her, but | could read the
gilt letters on the glass door of their
office when there was light behind it in
the hall 1t was hard to make them out
for of course they read backward to
me, being glued upon the other side Of
the door, hut looked across so often
that l should have made them out at
last had they been Chinese characters.
She used to wear neat and tasteful
clothes, and her hair was always just
right. Her desk and the typewriting
table were never in disorder, and from
that inferred that she had been well
brought up, conviction REINFORCED by
my observation of her bearing toward
all who spoke with her Busy from
morning till night, she never seemed to
be hurried OF worried, and it seemed TO
me she never had unfinished work to
put aside at the close of the day.
AS spring advanced her window and
mine were often open. 1t was then that
a ray of sunshine striking down upon
her one bright morning showed me that
her eyes were hazel. / had thought they
might be blue, for her hair was light.
She was of slender figure, not strong
enough, it seemed to me, to work so
hard. / noticed that her cheeks never
had in them enough color to be visible
from across the canyon.
The man who dictated and signed
most of the letters that she wrote was
puzzling fellow. He looked not more
than 80, but his hair was almost white.
He was always very considerate of her,
in his manner, and she obviously looked
up to him as great man. | wondered
why he did not see that she needed
long rest and the tonic air of the noun
tains. Probably he found her indispen-
sable in his business affairs yet fan
cied he might make that plea some day
and be answered by the reaper that no
mortal is Indispensable.
She was very faithful in her work,
and / think the young man with the
gray hair appreciated it, for I often saw
him praise her. 1t was easy enough to
know when she received this commenda
ton, for it pleased her extremely.
There were two clerks and "A book
keeper in the employ of Stoughton a.
Bland, and l judged that all of them
were deeply conscious Of the secretary
charms. The youngest of them was OBJ
yiously in love with her, and he fire.
quently got snubbed for his attentions.
He was a tall and handsome youth, with
corn colored hair that rolled back from
his forehead in wave which he had
the good sense not to spoil with comb
and brush.
There was also square shouldered
fellow who bristled with energy. He
seemed to be employed in outside work,
and it was only in the early hours that
he had a chance to talk with her. She
treated him with sufficient cordiality
to cause jealous feelings on my side Of
the canyon--for it pleased me to fancy
myself in love with her.
Lastly, there was the old bookkeeper,
who must have lived somewhere in the
country, for he brought her such flow
ers as the florists do not sell and laid
them on her desk before she came down.
He would be alone in the office then,
and he did not know that was watch
ing him from across the ohasm. I have
seen him spend 90 minutes in arrang
ing half dozen wild flowers, and then
dodge quietly away at the sound of
step in the hall. In all my days at the
window I never saw him address her
till she had first spoken to him.
There was a day in June when she
did not come to the Office A tribute Of
blossoms awaited her, and l could read
anxiety in the old bookkeeper's back
where he stood by his desk on the far
side of the room, as the minutes passed
OH beyond the usual time of her appear
ance. When the gray haired young man
came in, his first glance was directed
toward the desk. of which the lid was
closed for the first time at that hour In
many mouths.
Immediately a messenger boy came
in with telegram, and when the head
of the firm had read it he looked toward
the closed desk again SO / knew what
must be in the dispatch The bookkeep-
er was watching over his shoulder, and
by and by he pluoked up courage to ask
a timid question of his employer. The
answer made him look very grave.
Whatever the news may have been
he communicated it to the light haired
youth and the square shouldered fellow
In the latter edge of the luncheon hour
before the chief had returned They
took it very hard and the younger Of
them stood by the window afterward
when he should have been at work and
he looked the picture of grief.
Yet the girl was on hand at the usual
hour the next morning and was the re-
cipient of cordial greetings, though she
had to ask the bookkeeper for his. In
the afternoon, when she stood by the
open window for few minutes, 1
thought she looked quite i'll, and, worse
1han that, she seemed apprehensive. The
blight of melancholy was on her.
fancied her as one of those unfortunates
who in youth are told that there will
be no maturity, that the seeds of death
are planted and must grow.
Three days later she was absent
a~ain. Then saw her ON three succes-