The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-07-25
tcoSriSuED.l
.M~'

He asked where lived, as he had
done more than once before, and what
rent paid, and what kind of doctor
had, and then he said inconsequently.
with his own odd compound of humor.
suspicion, scorn and simple human in
terest: "You'll be getting married
some Of these days. just like any other
fool They say that ass Bentley is in
love up there. " pointing with rough.
fat thumb to the ceiling.
IL knew he'd turned almighty no
account lately" he went on. $50,
when got hold of this, sent for him
and gave him some good advice. But
he told me he wanted to marry the girl
had notion to dismiss him on the
spot -
He drew down his overhanging brows
and looked at me as piercingly as if he
were moved by some weightier motive
than asimple elephantine, unscrupulous
desire to betray me into an amusing
burst of sentiment
only said how justihable such step
would be and how right he was in pub
fishing Mr.. Bentley's unworthy senti-
ments. His temper ruifled little.
"a good deal more justi6able than
you think, he asserted aggressively.
81 wish I'd never knocked under to
hire women"
"Oh, we'll, replied soothingly,
'tyou can comfort yourself with the re-
Election that you did it only to save
money"
He shot another scowling, scrutiniz-
ing glance at me.
''Do you know the girl?" he asked
No. I said had never spoken to her.
s'She must be queer fool, !" went
on the man Of reason. "Why don't she
haul him in and get the thing over
with2 She can't expect to do any bet
ter.
said that perhaps ahe did not want
to marry him. Ny employer snorted
with genuine irritation.
s'Wantl What else are you women
always wanting2" and then he added,
after obviously swallowing an oath, a
special courtesy l much appreciated:
"Unless there is every reason why you
should want it, unless you'd be some
good to somebody married, then it's a
fact there is no telling what fine ecru-
pies you'll set. There's no counting
Then, interrupting himself, he said,
with change Of tone and return to
his habitual grim rudeness of manner,
a rudeness differing from that he had
previously SHOWN in this conversation,
inasmuch as it put an end to inter-
change, II don't like lowering around
the shop; l amt going to stand much
Of it. !" and with that he began to shuttle
the papers on his desk in aggressive I'M
consciousness of my existence.
l got some pleasure out of the famil-
lar comedy Of this dismissal and my
own manner of exit, but still it gave
now. as always, little special emphasis
to the distaste 1 felt for the down town
world, and I found myself hurrying
through my battle Of business in the
counting room, which was complicated
by frank established system of small
thefts from employees, that / might the
sooner get home, out of this wilderness
OF primitive savagery modernly disguis-
ed, into world where civilization has
made little progress. was so glad to
be IN my own fat that not till after
dinner did let my mind turn back to
the afternoons incidents and inspect
certain reflections which was half con-
scious had made. now discovered
that thought Bentley's courtship
might cost more than it would come to-.
There had been something very SIMS
ter in Higgens' manner while making
his final remarks He had disclosed then
an Irritation he had masked before.
knew he would not discharge Bentley.
1t he had been going to do that, he
would never have limited at it as 8
possibility. and why should he get rid
of Bentley when Bentley would not
care rap and some other paper would
receive the acquisition of a highly en-
terprising and gifted reporter7 No; II
was old Martin who would suffer, and
to old Marti.. the loss of his place would
be sadly important matter. He was
past the age wnen men easily find new
masters; he had been in The Appeal
office deal longer than the boss him.
self; he was just the kind of faithful
old fixture that this boss had tenpera-
mental tendency to GUST. despite ever
the whisperings Of self interest, and
self interest could not be counted OF
for much service here-fair proofreaders
are not rare.
forgot Martin for minute In the
pleasure Of contemplating the folly Of
the philosophers who call self interest
the dominating motive of man, seeing
that proposition just then in the light
Of the fact that self interest was the
one principle that Higgins proposed te
himself and that he lived in a world
most cunningly calculated to stiffen hit
adherence to it and that yet his whims,
whims for showing his authority. fol-
humiliating those who seemed to be
living independent Of his permission,
for expressing his inconsistent dislike Of
low toned temperaments, even, as
have before pointed out, for INDUCING
occasionally in the exercise Of the for.
hidden decencies Of his nature--tha
yet all these caprices, and others, fire.
quently swerved him from the straight