Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-01-27
THROUGH A WINDOW.

her ana me there was q
great gulf, a chasm with precipitous
walls Of stone. We were so near to-
gether that / could SEQ the colcr Of her
eyes when the light shone fairly, bat be-
tween us was the gulf and in the bot
tom q IL a roaring river. In tho morn
ing the river ran southwark. At noon
it was full Of conflicting tides that
FLASHED and surged. In the late after
noon it ran mostly northward toward
Printing House square and Brooklyn
bridge. It WAS n river Of humanity,
and tho gulf was the canyon of Nassau
street, in New York city.
She was ON the W. stern bank and l
on tho eastern, $50 feet above the bed
Of tho stream. Crossing was easy, but 1
could not 60, because l had no errand.
How could ! invade the Office of Slough
ton s. Bland aud say, "Gontlemen, l
have come to tell your secretary that |
admire her?"
did not think it fitting even to ask
what name she bore Of such ~acquaint-
ances as might hayo been able TO an
swer. l would not havo known what
firm employed her, but l could read tho
gilt letters on the glass door Of their
Office when there was light behind it in
the hall. It was hard to make them QUO.
for Of course they read backward to
me, being glued upon the other side of
tho door, hut L looked across so often
that / should havo made them cut at
last had they been Chinese characters.
She used to wear neat and tasteful
clothes, and her hair was always just
right. Her desk and tho typewriting
table were never In disorder, and from
that ! inferred that she had been we'll
brought up, q conviction re-enforced by
my observation of her bearing toward
all who spoke with her. Busy from
morning till night, she never seemed to
DO buried or worried, and it seemed to
me sho rever had unfinished work TO
put aside at the close of the day.
As spring advanced her window and
mino were often open. 1t was then that
a ray Of sunshine striking down Upon
her one bright morning showed me that
her eyes were hazel. l had thought they
might DO blue, for her hair was light.
She was Of a slender figure, not strong
enough, it seemed to me, to work SO
hard. l noticed that her checks never
had in them enough color to be visible
from across the canyon.
The man who dictated and signed
most Of tho letters that she wrote was n
puzzling fellow. He looked not moro
than 80, but his hair wal almost white.
He was always very considerate of her,
In his manner, and she obviously looked
mp TO him as a great man. / wondered
why he did not SEQ that she needed a
long rect and the tonic air of the noun
taiRS Probably be found her indispen-
sable IN his business affairs yet l fam
cied he might mako that plea some day
and DO answered by the reaper that no
mortal is indispensable.
Sho was very faithful In her work,
and / think the young man with the
gray hair appreciated il. for l often saw
him praise her. 1t was easy enough to
know when she received this commenda-
ton, for it pleased her extremely.
There wero two clerks and a book
keeper in tho employ of Stoughton 81
Bland, and l judged that all Of them
were deeply conscious of the secretary's
charms The youngest of them was OBJ
viously in love with her, and he fire.
q~uently got Enubbed for his attentions.
He was a tall and handsome youth, with
corn colored hair that rolled back from
his forehead in q wave which he had
the good sense not to spoil with q comb
and brush.
There was also n square shouldercd
fellow who bris'led with energy. He
seemed to be employed in outside work,
and It was only in the early hours that
he had q chance to talk with her. She
treated him with sufficient cordiality
to cause jealous feelings on my side Of
the canyon-for it pleased me to fancy
myself in love with her.
Lastly. there was the old bookkeeper,
who must have lived somewhere in the
country, for he brought her such flow
ers a the florists do not sell and laid
them ON her desk before she came down.
lie would be alono IN the office then,
and no did not know that l was watch
ing him from across the chasm. / have
seen him spend 20 minutes in arrang-
ing half a dozen wild flowers, and then
dodge quietly away at the sound OF a
step in tho hall. In ali my days at the
window / never saw him address hor
till she had first spoken to him.
There was o day In June when she
did not come 10 the Office. A tribute Of
blossoms awaited her, and l could read
anxiety in the old bookkeeper's back
where he stood by his desk on the far
side Of tho room, as the minutes passed
ON beyond the usual time Of her appear
ance. When the gray haired young man
came in, his first glance was directed
toward tho desk. Of which the lid was
closed for the first timo at that hour in
many months
Immediately a messenger boy came
In with a telegram. and when the head
Of the firm had read it no looked toward
the closed desk again, so / knew what
must DO in tho dispatch. The bookkeep-
or was watching over his shoulder, and
by and by be plucked up courage TO ask
= timid question Of his employer. Tho
answer made him look very grave.
Whatever tho news may have been
be communicated il 20 the light haired