The Press., 1898-12-01
THROUGH A WINDOW.

Between her and me there was a reat gulf. a chasm with precipitous ':alls. of stone. We were so near to- ether that could see the color of her yes when the light shone fairly, but be- | wcen us was the gulf and in the bot tom Of it roaring river. In the morn tug the river ran southward. At noon Is was full of conflicting tides that cls he'd and surged. In the late after nocn it ran mostly northward toward Printing House square and Brooklyn bridge. It was a river of humanity, and the gulf was the canyon of Nassau street, in New York city.
 he was on the western bank and on the eastern, l50 feet above the bed of the stream. Crossing was easy, but could not go, because I had no errand. How could invade the office of Slough ron & BIani and say. "Gentlemen, hay e.come to tell your secretary that admire herr"
 did not think it fitting even to ask what name she bore of such acquaint- ances as might have been able to an swer' l 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 1 looked across so often that 1 should have made them out at fast had they been Chinese characters.
 she used to wear neat and tasteful othes, and her hair was always just rigat. Her desk and the typewriting taEfe were never in disorder, and from that inferred that she had been we'll brought up a conviction re-enforced by my observation of her bearing toward all who spoke with her Busy from morning till night, she never seemed to be hurried or 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. It was then that 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 a slender figure, not strong enough, it seemed to me, to work so hard. I noticed that her checks never had in them enough colQr to Invisible from across the canyon.
 The man who dictated and signed most of the letters that she wrote was a puzzling fellow. He looked not more than 35, but his hair was almost white He was always very considerate of her, in his manner, and she obviously looked up to him as a great man. I 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 csed 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 I think the young man with the gray hair appreciated it, for often saw him praise her. It was easy enough to know when she received this commenda- tion, for it pleased her extremely. :.
 There were two clerks and a book keeper in the employ of Stoughton & Bland, and judged that all of them were deeply conscious of the secretary's charms. The youngest of them was ob- NlOuSAy 1ONO "ILh uCAs anu hO ALC- QuentIy got snubbed for his attentions. He was a tall and handsome youth, with corn colored hair that rolled back from his forehead in a wave which he had the good sense not to spoil with d comb and brush.
 There was also a square sbouldered fellow who bris led with energy. He seemed to be employed in outside work, and it was only i'll 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 them on her desk before she came down He would be alone in the office then, and he did not know that 1 was watch ing him from across the chasm. I have seen him spend 20 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 1 never saw him address her till she had first spoken to him.
 There was a day ill June when she did not come to the office. A tribute of blossoms awaited her, and 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 on beyond the usual time of her appear ance When the gray haired young man cane in his first glance was 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 Tn with a telegram. and when the head