The Republican., 1899-08-10

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flushed cheeks and starry eyes.
After that Miss Dolly was no longer
dignitied with the shipping clerk. She
smiled at him bewitchingly and gave
him shy, coquettish glances and let
/ him button her gloves. He thought her
charming and matters were going
| along swimm1ngly, but somehow the
! bookkeeper did not feel so elated over
his success as might have been ex-
| pected.
| There was curious ache at his heart
! and he began to feel most unreason-
| able dislike toward the shipping clerk.
What an impudent young fellow he
was; he positively forced his attentions
upon Miss Dolly! Was he the man for
her? The bookkeeper had meant it
for her good, but had he done the
wisest thing? He never could man
! age to walk home with her at all now
and he missed the little condolences
she had been wont to give him. She
hardly ever spoke to him nowadays,
she even appeared to avoid him and
he turned to his work with a sigh.
One evening he watched them going
! away together and he noticed what a
| handsome, clean-limbed young fellow
| the shipping clerk was and how dainti-
| ly Miss Dolly lifted her skirts, and what
a handsome couple they made, and he
| turned away to the little mirror and
scrutinized with earnest eyes the face
| that greeted him there. He noted bit
terly the gray sprinkled in the dark
| hair and the wrinkles about the eyes
and the grave mouth.
What a fool | have been!" he cried,
| passionately. All, poor, clumsy, great
| hearted spider, caught in the web he
| mad so carefully woven for the un-
suspecting fly.
But now that he had begun this work
he would not go back, no, not if it
| brought the keenest torture into his
| life. He had deliberately brought it
upon himself and must bear the conse-
quences. 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 as he
could.
But it was hard, hard work, as the
days went by. Miss Dolly had grown
gay again, sometimes it seemed almost
a feverish gayety, she was so bright
and restless. The bookkeeper caught
himself watching her and was aston
ished to remember how long he had
uncOnsciously been doing so.
Once he came upon them standing
close together and the shipping clerk
was bending over her slim, gloved hand
fastening Il most refractory button and
looking up at her with ardent eyes.
Miss Dolly started, and then dropped
her eyes, flushing rosly. And the
boolkeeper 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 an effort
and went on to his desk.
After that he hardly dared look at
Miss Dolly and seldom trusted himself
to speak. His only 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, a good po-
sition, a snug salary. The bOolkeeper
knew what that meant. He wondered
duly how long it would be before the
shipping clerk took her 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 a lucky fellow the ship
ping clerk was. All things had come
to him.
THAT promotion is fine thing for
Wells" he said. Il am so glad it came
Yes, | am, too" Miss Dolly an
swered, pausing to watch the sunset.
She looked subdued and thoughtful in
its red glow.
"He deserves it." the bookkeeper
said, gently. And | am so glad for
your sake"
Miss Dolly turned on him.
-Ahb w llN SiiN y Oh i'tN III
''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 bookkeeper floundered stupidly.
He did not understand these bewilder-
ing wOman's moods.
81 thought, you know, you acted as
if, it seemed like you cared. II
thought you were i'll love with him
'You seemed determined that I
should bel" flashed Miss Dolly. Then
she said, softly: Il was in love-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 bookkeeper take a sudden stride
toward her and cry out, tiercely:
Dolly! | have right to know!
Who was it that you were in love
WITH"
Then Dolly dropped her coquetries
and lifted her clear eyes to his face
and held out her hands.
ut was you," she said, simply.