The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-11
MISS MIFFETTS AND TOMMY

Z
I AS time went on Tommys infatuation for
the pretty stenographer grew. To all out
ward appearance Miss Miffetts took small no.
tice OF his existence Sometimes she said
good morning. How bright the world was!
More often she did not The earth was
gloomy spot after all. After awhile he cher
isned other. desperate ambitions. He hoped
tnat the building would burn down and he
could carry her to the street in his arms
Then again, he waited for Esterbrook to in
suit her. Tommy could then pull out pis-
tol and shoot him-shoot him dead-r-i-g-h-t
Through the HEART But, no; the
building remained unconsumed, and Ester
brook refused to be other than polite and nice.
So Tommy sat at the telephone switchboard
and hoped.
| One night he came into the Office after the
others had left it. Miss Miffetts was there
alone. Presently Miss Mffetts donned her hat
and coat. She put her hand into her pocket
| and pulled it out empty. Then she started in
to cry.
''Thomas!'' sobbed Miss Miffetts.
Yes, miss. Anything l can do for your"
IF you please, Thomas, I have forgotten
my purse, and l haven't cent to take me
home. Can you lend me my fare?"
| Tommy brought forth dime and handed
it to her She turned to go. Then Tommy
lied. If you please, miss, that's my last
coin. Wei! have to go home together, miss,
take the west side elevated.
| So did the stenographer. They pushed their
way up the crowded station and into the
car. Then Tommy learned that Miss Miffetts
lived with two cbums. Miss Miffetts learned
that Tommy was afflicted with a brace
of parents and four brothers and sisters.
| How old do you think l amp asked Miss
! Miffetts comfortably.
Nineteen answered Tommy.
| Correct. And your"
! "Oh, I'm 16. But I'll grow older some day.
| he added sententously
Tommy saw Miss Miffetts to her door and
meandered homeward On clouds. That night
he astonished his father by inquiring whether
"a feiter could marry a girl he younger
than" On being informed that such an
| obstacle was no bar to matrimony he swal-
| lowed hard and went to bed happy.
| The next day Miss Miffetts said, Good
morning, Thomas" and returned his nickel
with thanks. Esterbrook thanked him, too,
and said he was an 'all right fellow" What
| business was it of Esterbrook's2 Tommy
hated him worse, much worse, than ever be-
| fore
| After that Miss Miffetts spoke to him daily
They became very good friends. In fact
Tommy was on the point of informing heI
half dozen times that he had now saved
$4.-- and would she please wait But in the
| main he was miserable. AS if to add to his
unhappiness he was summoned to the mana
| gers sanctum one day and was informed that
| If he did not exercise more care with his
duties he might leave. The position meant
| nothing to him. He could secure another
within the space of day, but to be separ-
| ated from Miss Miffetts, to leave her to the
| unprotected designs of Esterbrook! Decided
! ly could not leave. The telephone service
| improved.
| Then came the eventful Sunday Tommy
never forgot that Sunday. The evening be.
fore Miss Miffetts came to his desk. Wont
you come over to see me tomorrow after
noon? Come promptly at 3. Tommy"
| THANK you, Miss"
| With thrill he recognized that this wal
| the first time she had called him Tommy.
The following day he went. AS he hung
| his cap in the hallway he noted a familiar
coat that hung beside his worn habiliments.
| Esterbrooks! What was that fellow doing
| there anyway? And yet when he entered the
| room and Esterbrook extended his big broad
| palm Tommy took it and forgot his hatred.
| Miss Miffetts smiled all the time except
when Tommy took big white chrysanthe-
| mum out of a bit of tissue paper and LANDED
| it to her. Did everybody cry when you
bought EN- flowers?
| Events crowded fast after that, and Tommy
| remembers but dimly. There was snow in it
heaps of snow piled high. Then there was
church-a quiet awful place, with rows
and rows Of empty benches. There was also
a minister, in a gown like womans. Tom
my's hatred of Esterbrook returned hun
| dredfold when Esterbrook kissed Miss Miffett!
and called her Alice. He remembers distinct
| ly, very distinctly, that Miss Miffetts kissed
him. too and Esterbrook shook him by the
! hand. Then Miss Miffetts spoke:
"Goodby, Tommy. I am not coming to the
Office any more John will be back next
week We are going away on a little trip.
We shall be home next Sunday night Come
over to see US. You will, won't you, the
very first night?" --fg.-
Heaps of snow and Tommy alone: the loom
ing church and the muffed trundle of cable
car: a white chrysanthemum on the whittier
snow, dropped and forgotten. She had drop
ped it. Yes, after all, it was right she
should drop it. God bless them both-even
Esterbrook! But if she had only waited!