Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-08-05
she even appeared to avoid him and Ii e

turned to his work with sigh.
One evening he watched them going
away together and he noticed what q
handsome, clean-limbed young fellow
the shipping clerk was and how dan.
tlly Miss Dolly lifted her skirts, and
what n handsome couple they made,
and he turned away to the little mir
ror and scrutinized with earnest eyes
the face that greeted him there. He
noted bitterly the gray sprinkled in
the dark hair and the wrinkles about
the eyes and the grave mouth.
"What fool I have BEEN he cried
passionately. All, poor, clumsy,
great-hearted spider, caught in the
web he had so carefully woven for tho
unsuspecting fly.
But now that he had begun this
work he would not so back, no; not il
it brought the keenest torture into his
life. He had deliberately brought it
upon himself and must bear the con.
sequences. And if Miss Dolly loved
the shipping clerk, why, she must have
him--her happiness came first Of all.
So he crushed his heart sternly and
bore the anguish as silently us he
could.
But it was hard, hard work MS the
days went by. Miss Dolly has grown
guy again, sometimes it seemed al.
most a feverish gayety, she was sc
bright and restless. The bookkecpc'
caught himself watching her and was
astonished to remember how long he
had uuconsciously been doing so.
Once he came upon them standing
close together and the shipping clerk
was bending over her slim, gloved
hand fastening most refractory but
ton and looking up at her with ardent
eyes. Miss Dolly started, and then
dropped her eyes, flushing rosily.
And tho bookkeeper clinched his
hands, mighty impulse came over
him to fling the shipping clerk through
the open door, and he took one quick
step. Then he controlled himself by
IN effort and went on to his desk.
After that he hardly dared look n,
Miss Dolly and seldom trusted him.
self to speak. His onl y safety lay in
work, so he. toiled away from morning
till evening with the tireless energy
of machine.
Then one day came the news of the
shipping clerks promotion, II good
position, snug salary. The book
keeper knew what that meant. lie
wondered duly how long it would be
before the shipping clerk took he,
away. Oh, what would the Office be
like without her! However, she would
be happy; he was so glad she would
be happy.
He stood beside her at the window
as she was getting ready to leave, and
thought what lucky fellow the ship
ping clerk was. All things had come
to him.
"That promotion is fine thing fol
Wells" he said. 81 am so glad it
came"
eyes, 7 am, too" Miss Dolly an.
swered, pausing to watch the sunset.
She looked subdued and thoughtful
in its red glow.
"Hc deserves it," tho bookkeepel
said gently. "And am so glad for
your sake"
Miss Dolly turned on him.
"And why are you glad for my sake?
"Well, because, OF course, it must
mean so much to you"
Miss Dolly flung out her hand i'm.
patiently.
"And why should it mean so much
for me?" she demanded.
The bookkcepcr aoundered stupidity.
He did not understand these Devil.
dering womans moods.
~ thought, You know, you acted rs
if it seemed like you cared. II
thought you were in love with him."
"You seemed determined that ]
should be-" flashed Miss Dolly. Then
she said softly: 81 was i'll lovc-but
not with him."
Her eyes were fixed dreamily on the
purple clouds in the west, but there
was something in her face that made
the boolkeeper take sudden stride
toward her and cry ont tiercey:
"Dolly! have a right TO know!
Who was it that you were in love
with?"
Then Dolly dropped her coquctries
and lifted her clear eyes to his face
anG Esld out her hands.
"It was you," she said simply.
And the bookkeepcr-well, no mat.
ter what he did.