Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-08-10
Continued

Continued.
Bentley mad not been to see me since
icy accldent, though he had sent me a
aostle OF champagne I am sure l don
Know now Bentley's sympathy ever
found vent on occasions when a gift Of
champagne could not express it. Per-
haps such occasions never arose. Soon
after the typewriter call got a letter
from him. He said:
Have thought about elevating up to your
maiden bower to see how you are but hear,
anyhow, every dag, and. judging by the way
old Maloney blows about cheering your fever
ed brow, conclude you get about as much
Appeal Office as you can stand. Then I've
got that girl on the brain so bad that Pm no
good. If l saw you, I'd talk about nothing
else. Pm working the system for all it's
worth There's nothing else for me to do. III
send you a bulletin enthusiastically. l lose so
much sleep about the thing myself feel as if
the suspense were holding you back too.
l gave her my buttonhole bouquet day before
yesterday. I've come down to dressing like
regular cane sucker She put 1t in glass of
water. Then I never let on I knew she was
alive for 3312 hours Today l broke out in
fresh place and asked her to have glass of
beer when the men got some at noon. That
was coming things too close together, but
was nearly laid up with the strain of not look
ing at her for so long, and that typewriting
glrl-the old One-waS here and gave her
drink too You see, this is all according to the
system intellectually interpreted, the princi-
pie of the core of the system being to keep
yourself before the public and not show your
hand. That white rabbit did the unconscious
act as if she'd been born before the fcotlights.
She's tough one. 1t must be put on; she
must have her little attention turned my way
some don you think? I've been keeping this
thing up steady, but I'm afraid I'm losing my
fine touch, and she not breathed yet. 1t makes
my head swim, Miss Arlington
l guess you're putting up q thanksgiving
prayer by this time because have been keep
ing away from you. All right, put up another
while you re about it on account of the fact
that I'm going to stay away. And I'll make
my other bulletins shorter. So there's another
item.
If you'd think something could do for you,
it would be the best assignment I'll get this
month. Pm in just as bad a fix as to obliga
tions as if you were being bored by Calvert
every day. You'll have it all the worse in the
end. By the time you get back he'll believe
he owns that room, and he'll only let you in
as laundering favor.
Bentley's next bulletin was made out
in orthodox form:
SLIGHT VICTORY.
The Besieged weakens SO far as to snub Be-
sieger. After the beer Besieger went into his
shell. Forgot to say good morning. Opened
the window without asking permission. Be-
sleged in subsequent conversations was stern
~ businessfike in a mousy manner.
N. B-After all, that's about her usual act,
SO probably there's nothing in it after ALL
wish sprained ankle was all there was the
matter with me. Yours truly,
B. BENTLEY.
The next voiced surprising PROPOSE
ton:
am thinking lit ready of doing the ancient
honorable and saying something to old Martin.
don't know anything more about the little
eloclworks that run that tame lamb of his
than did at first. You might as we'll try to
agitate Waterbury. But the Office seems to
be getting on to me, cur-r-rses on 'em, and I'm
afraid Martin may get fdgety. bet it's that
gabby old Irish woman of yours that's been
giving me away. I'd thrash him for the cash
he's got in his clothes Just on the chance if any
one would guarantee that it would pay for q
drink. Then if blow off to him (Martin), ten
to one he'll develop colossal genius for max
ing ass of himself ls different ways.
This was the last l heard directly
from Bentley for several weeks. In the
meantime l occasionally had news of
him from other people. An Office boy
came up for copy one day, and after he
had gotten it continued to hang around
in an engaging manner. He was nice
boyish boy and spent his spare time
writing to some one whom he addressed
as "Miss Tooty Fareman, Dear Miss.
He was unnatnrally careless Of these
letters Gas of all other matters personal
and professionally, and once, before re-
alizing what it was, read the opening
sentence of one. It ran, ''The Hours
spend away from Thee, Tooty, are nc
good whatever. but know you dom
feel truely as do. So you see he was
prepared by experience to take an in
terest in the game of love wherever he
saw it.
"Well, Jimmy, how are things goine
at the Officer asked, by way of being
friendly, while he stood irresolutely by
the door.
"They say-they say Mr. Bentley
in love with that Martin girl, " sale
Jimmy, his tone even more than hi
phrasing showing that his callow con
tempt for feminine kind still included
all of the sex but Miss Fareman or he
successor.
'.Do you think he ISL" asked.
"When look at her l don't" he as
serted ''She don t amount to nothin
but Mr.. Bentley acts kind OF queer. HI
keeps lookin at her when he thinks no
body don't see him-he don't motto
me- He stops still sometimes and stare
right before him till somethin make
him jump. think that's bad sign
don't you, Miss AddingtonS''
At last the time came when l wa
able to make little trip down town.
went to the office, but not to the edi
torial rooms, because they could
reached only by means Of a short high
of steps after leaving the elevator, an
l did not want to attempt the climb
NY errand was with that great perso
known here AS "the boss
The boss name was j. B. Higgens
He was a big Drained, big bodied
coarse fibered, powerful old fellow, wit
q good deal of human nature in him
And though all the other women an
most of the men in his employ stood i
terror of him, did not, and SO 1 di
not, like them, altogether hate him
He was highly skeptical of good alway
and anywhere but yet he had too niue