El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-17
3 She Married Her StenOgrapher 8
flor the HEsA NJ 4

The firm of cleveland and Cleave..
land continued to thrive, In spite OF
the prediction otherwise: and the lit
tie woman, that had presided at 1ts
head since the death of her husband
firmly to and fro through the big
building, seemingly as much
at home as when in her private apart
ments.
At first the world wondered at its
prosperity, then forgot 1t.
Some asked who the other CleaVe.
land was whose name stood out In bold
black letters on every side of the build
ing.
Only a few knew that it was this
same little woman that used TO
sit at a back desk, keeping books,
ordering goods, and SO 1ortn
when this now mammoth store was
only "corner grocery"
Every day for seven years che had
been there, early and la'e; had seen it
grow and grow, had seen clerk after
clerk added, until she seemed to be .
very part of the establishment.
So when Clesveland died, it never
occurred to her to DO other than con-
tinue the business, for she knew every
detail of it, in fact had bee the best
business partner of the two.
And today as she walked by the long
row of clerks, sitting on high stools,
on and on to where some sat at desks
themselves, noting without seeming to
see each ones work, she felt exultant-
ly proud of her success.
Every thing had gone we'll lately;
Felix Jones, the head man, had tolo
her that morning that Eldridge and
Brown had dissolved partnership,
Brown to take position on the +. q
P. r Il and Eldridge would go to
higher altitude with his wife.
That was the last stumbling block
out of the way.
The two firms had kept neck to neck
know that she had at last "hoored
them" was enough to make her feel
proud.
She was still q young woman, JUST
thirty, and the best part of her life
had been given to this business.
The sweet little effeminacies that go
to make up wOman's life had never
been hers
She was an orphan, working for her
living, when cleveland married her,
and since then her life had been q
tread-mill of work and worry.
But now, the long looked for rest
had come.
She would look about her, and see
what life was like.
plainly furnished room that night, she
took the lamp, held it above her head,
and looked more closely at herself
than she had done, since she used to
look into the little cracked mirror on
the wall of her attic room before her
marriage. That has been hundred
years ago! she exclaimed. Then she
ing out from the glass, eyes that could
grow stern so suddenly when the occa-
sion demanded it.
She turned away with q sigh, and
thought little bitterly, that il she
had one friend in all the world, she did
not know it.
'sFriend," she said, ST am not even
acquainted with my own clerks"
She began thinking them over. each
in bis turn, until she came to Felix
Jones. Why she thought of him long
est, she could hardly tell; probably be-
cause she had transacted more business
through him, and therefore, knew him
best.
It was with q pleasant sensation she
recalled his clear cut features and aris-
tocratic bearing; and, without further
thought, she made up her mind, then
and there, to marry him. She had per-
feet faith in her own judgment: she
had never erred in business matters, 30 |
why should she in this.
It was with queer sort of underlined |
feeling that she dressed to 60 to town
the next morning.
She took handful of roses and pin |
ned them at her throat, but when she |
felt them come into her cheeks, she |
deliberately took the others and threw (
them out at the window.
She would have no school girl non
sense about it.
But she could not dispose of the roses
in her face so easily, and they had turn
ed from pink to damask by the tim q |
she reached the store. She had not
spoken fifteen words to Felix Jones be-
fore he had read her like book
"That is just as it should be-" said he
to himself. Capital business. easy wo-l
man to manage, though she don't know