The Van Buren press., 1898-08-20

directed toward the desk, of which the
lid was closed for the first time at that
hour in many months.
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 bookkeeper was watching over his
shoulder, and by and by he plucked up
courage to ask 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 fell
low, in the latter edge of the luncheon
hour, before the chief had returned.
They took it very hard, and the young
er of them stood by the window after
wards, when he should have been at
work, and he looked the picture of
grief.
Yet the girl was on hand at the usual
hour 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 a few minutes, l
thought she looked quite ill., and worse
than that, she seemed apprehensive.
The blight of melancholy was on her.
| fancied her as one of those unfor-
tunates 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
again. Then | saw her on three sue
cessive days leaving out of account an
intervening Sunday. Again she failed
to appear, but only for day, and the
remainder of the week she was in her
accustomed place.
Monday Tuesday and Wednesday
passed with no glimpse of her. In the
late afternoon of that last day, man
who could be known for doctor half
a mile away, made long call upon the
head of the firm. They conversed very
seriously for a few minutes, and then
drifted to general themes and laughed
and puffed their cigars as if nothing
were wrong. That fixed my estimate of
the gray-haired young man at very
low point in the scale.
There was no sign of her during the
week. On Monday saw unusual sights
in the office across the way. First the
old bookkeeper came in, and while he
| had the Office to himself he sat in heI
chair; and | saw him shed tears. Their
the young man with the corn-colore6
hair appeared, and upon my word
was afraid TO see him stand by the opeT
window, with such look upon his
face, lest he should cast himself dowI
to the bottom of the gulf
A little later the three clerks, tn,
gray-haired man, and an elderly per
son whom took TO be the second mem
Der of the firm, Just arrived from
abroad-for had heard rumor tina
one of them had been in Europe nearl,
a year-assembled IN conference on ;
plane of equality which only mutua
deep sorrow could have justified. Afte'
awhile the two clerks came back
bringing some large pasteboard boxes
which contained flowers, for thougl
they were opened in part of the ofiic
that my view did rot command,
got a glimpse of white blossoms ant
green leaves.
| think those men were all sincere
but not one of them--not even the oil
bookkeeper-felt a grief that matche
mine Nothing just like that has eve
come into my life. Perhaps | shoul
have found nothing sympathetic or al
tractive in that woman If | had me
her face to face, but when that meet
ing, on this side OF the grave, had be
come impossible, l pictured her i
speech and in heart and soul as a
that her sweet face had promised.
Ilonged to share with those who ha
known her, the privilege of expressin
my sorrow at her early death; indeed
! resolved to do so, even at the risk {
committing an improPriety. There
fore, when l saw the pasteboard boxe
dispatched in the custody of the me