Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-08


her note book ready for his dietation.
Anxiety, Impotence, a little spleen at
Dartleys easy reception of the news
he had telegraphed. all mnde his mood
and manner irritable-and presently
whe, he asked her TO read back for
his benefit sentence upon upon whose
careful wording much would depend
In regard to the influence II might have
upon the miners. her notes refused alb
solutely to interpret themselves to her
nervous scrutiny.
Didn't you take the sentence?' Macy
asked sharply at last.
Yves. sir III am trying to find it."
Macy waited frowningly while she
went down the lines of hyeroglyphcs-
as unanswering to her now. as If she
had not spent months OF daily practice
at the shorthand college-nnd gradu-
atcd therefrom with n red-taped GER
tificate of her efficiency.
"Have you found it?" asked Macy
presently. in ugly tones.
mo. sir"
60 back to the beginning and read
down to it-aloud" The girl obeyed.
She read the first few overwhelmingly,
by an effort of pure memory--then
came to n full stop.
"Well-go on" said Macy, ominous-
ly.
The girls face was pale, and her eyes.
and dots, were swimming with tears
Cant you read your notes?' thun-
dered Macy.
II think-if you would let me be by
myself moment" faltcred the girl,
desparately-'T could"
II can't afford to take holiday while
you leach yourself stenography." Macy
intern Ipted. This letters important;
1t has 70 be gotten off this morning.
He had known beforehand that 1t
was brutal--and had believed 1t war
ranted by his grievance; but he had
been far from counting upon the out
come of his impatience.
He had just commenced to suggest
that she should take the dictation again
in long-hand-when 1t happened
He had never heard any woman cry
beforehand the mildest phase of
feminine grief would have suificed to
overwhelm him-but the sobs which
shook the slight figure leaning on the
desk in its absolute abandon of grief
did more than embarrass-they fright
ened him.
1t was to the girl n elimination of
days of nervous tension and anxious
fear-of sleepless nights filled with
thoughts of an ominously brooding flu
ture In which she should find herself
turned adrift, probably with the YER
dict of incompetent" to bear as a re-
cord for future reference.
Macy in his mans blindness and
long-nursed prejudiccs had sensed
nothing of it. till her broken sentences,
gasped between heart-drawn sobs-
made him realize all.
Tim sorry-Im so dull-I've tried
hard-but it don't seem any good.
see-I can't go on. / guess-Im too
stupid to learn it. In have to so
away"
She broke again into n paroxysm of
sobs, whilst Macy looked on helplessly.
Go away-why, where would she GO?
The story Dartley had told him came
back to him wildly for the first time
since he had heard 1t. He rose and
stood with his hand awkwardly upon
her chair-back. "I-you mustn't give
way like this, Miss Conroy. 1t won't
do to get discouraged. You'll get along
all right-when you get used to it. And
as for going away--I hope you won't
think of such thing. It's out of the
question"
The girl shook her head, hopelessIy.
ut wouldn't be right to stay-when 1
know I don't suit YOU"
Macy WINGED Mott was distinctly
true that she did not suit him-but he
had. begun to feel guilty conscious
that the fault lay chiefly in his own
ptejudices. He stood, miserably silent,
for moment-and then spoke.
Your work is-all right--Miss Con-
roy. 1.-The fact is-I've been under
somewhat of a strain for several days
past-and I've been little trying.
guess. But you mustn't notice it-like
like this-nor let 1t discourage you.
AS for going away-please don't speak
or 1t again. couldn't spare you, Just
now" He fioundered. miserably, in
his effort to frame some glib lie that
should straighten matters out-and the
pitifully joyful face the girl turned
toward him. deepened his sense of con-
triton.
IF you think really could go on"
she said, II would practice more, and
perhaps"
Not a doubt of your doing all right"
broke in Macy eagerly-and then n
knock at the outer door put an end to
the situation. "I'll leaventhe letter till
inns afternoon" he said, Nltulatingly,
1t VIII do If you can get iNout by the
Tune l come back from lunch" and
then went out hastily, to greet with
unnecessary effusiveness the messenger
who had brought word that he was
summoned to meeting of bank direc-
tors in the town.
When he returned an hour later to
ma the letter transcribed in neat form
correct even to the precise placing of
MS "ands and thes," his sense of Gull
papiiity was deepened to the extent of
inducing him to compliment the girl
III.
Ter another awkward apology for his
part IN the mornings UNDERSTANDINGS
HIS dread of similar experience
made him nervously f-conscious and
careful when debating to her after
that, and any hint of hesitation on the
part of the girl to interpret the sym
bols she had penned called forth an
eager assurance from him as to the
utter inconseouence of a literal trans
lation--as well as the extravagant
amount of time at her disposal for the
work.
The tension, during the first week
after the girls scene, made him choose
to sit up often, late at night, indting
by hand the longer letters he was
obliged to send. rather than endure it.
but the girl improved so rapidly and
palpably under his changed manner,
that 1t was not long before the sense
OF strain wore off-and he could APP
proach her desk with an ease and CON
tent that would have surprised any
one acquainted with his prejudices and
peculiarities.
After a time he began to be aware
that many things could be entrusted
to her intelligence without going into
detail; but the fact OF her capability
did not keep him from spending much
or his time dictating-since he had be-
gun TO realize a sort of pleasure in
watching the girls small white hand
Hitting down the page as he talked
his letters-and the long dark eye
lashes dropped on the pink cheek, as
she leaned over her work.
AT last, when the girl was kept at
home for n week with tho gnraiDad