The Wilmington daily Republican., 1902-01-06
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JIMMIE'S ASSIGNMENT
by CHARLES w. LAMB,

days to the womanly attractions, and even
after he had accepted much sought after
position on the Press and had commenced
to realize that his education instead Of
being finished was only begun, had not
ceased his attractions to the ladies', but
rather. if possible, increased them, until
he met Miss knight, tall, blonde Miss
Knight, who, he remarked, would better
have been called Day.
1t was while dining with an old class.
mate one evening that he met her, and at
first only remembered the tall girl with the
blue eyes and the sweet smile, in vague,
pleasing manner: but one day when she
appeared in his dingy city room with the
friends wife and asked him to give her
amateur theatricals a notice. he became
aware that there was something attractive
in the slender face beneath those bright.
wavey locks.
He went TO those theatricals. refusing a
complimentary ticket. and watched her
play the heroine with far more school girl
grace and bashfulness than histrionic tai,
ent. and discovered that he was envying
the young man who took her in his arms
and called her his own.
So things drittcd along. The spring was
born of the winters SHOWS and the bios
soms OF summer came out of the buds and
died in the autumn's blast. and the glow
of the yuletide candles gave warmth and
beauty TO the cold. white reflections from
out of doors; and he stood beneath the
mistletoe, and taking her in his arms,
pressed kiss on her lips and called hef his
own. and the only applause was in their
tnpt !, .Nf ,,lu
Jimmie was very happy in his engage,
ment to Miss Knight, and looked forward
to the coming fall with great pleasure. for
then was to come his wedding. For her
sake he gave up his visits to the rat tier
Bohemian Press club, and confined his time
to her or his den where his books were his
company, and even gave up his pipe, be,
cause he felt that tobacco fumes were not
consistent with her purity, and that the
money he smoked bad better be saved. So
bis promotion came with'the autumn and
he was transferred to read exchanges and
write editorials. But it happened one fore.
noon in September, as he sat at his paper-
btlittered desk. clipping the extracts from
the brilliant brains OF the newspaper world,
that the 'old man sent for him and
shipped him on an emergency asign.
ment to interview an actress who had inst
secured a divorce after highly sensational
trial.
The interview was not long. and was
pleasant, for with all his aversion to the
woman she could be very fascinating He
found her with her street wraps on ready
/" go out. and after the interview she
walked downstairs with him telling of
wine supper she was to attend that night,
and as he left her at the street door and
turned away. she called after him in a
reckless boldncss: Come join us tonight
you'll have good time And Jimmie
strobe down the street without noticing the
ladies standing in the doorway of the ladies
entrance Just behind him.
That evening Jimmie spent in his den
with Macauley, and after Il chapter of
Stockton as "A rest for his brain, retired |
with light heart and clear conscience, |
for j. was one day nearer to November.
The next morning as he sat among his |
exchanges. thinking of the call that he |
would make that evening, district mes
senger boy came into the Office whistling |
the song the actress was making famous,
and gave him dainty, perumed note,
which he took smilingly ard gazed for
some seconds at che superscrption for he
knew 1t was from her and giving the boy
time 10 get out Of the way he wished to
be alone when lie read her notes. slowly
opened and read it. The bright smile died
AWAY as he read, and as he finished and sat
holding the open note in his hand. his eyes
gazed away into vacancy, a troubled look
on hls face Gregg OF the city staff, strolled
mt" the room and greeted him with:
What's up, old man; You look blue. Bad
news"
Just thinking, that's all, but the under.
tone Of the would be jolly voice was such
hat Gregg quietly withdrew.
Bad news! Thinking! That explained it,
Ior the/little perfumed note, written on the
delicate lavender tinted paper said simply:
Having witnessed your conduct with that
woman at the Normandy yesterday will
not be al home this evening nor here
after"
lie could not understand it. There was
surely some mistake, and all that day he
worked like one in a trance. scarcely know.
ng how the moments passed, and as
soon as the paper was on the press, he
.losed his room and went directly to her
nome. There he was met by the maid the
same as usual, bu, she brought back his
ard with the message on the back: Miss
Knight is not at home to Mr.. Walker And
Jimmie went back to his den and throwing
.imsei on his couch, buried his face in
lis arms and shut the world from him.
So the months driftcd by, and the com
nent of his fellows was: What's the mat.
er with Jimmic:" But they soon became
scd 10 his changed manner and ceased to
ak about it. The glorious Indian summer
With It's mellow skies and its golden air; the
oyous yulelide with its snow and ever
reen; the first month Of the new year with
Is ice and blizzards were passed and Febru
ry was bringing its searching winds when
me day again the "old man" came to him
! hurry and asked him TO take an as.
gnment and report the annual meeting of
ne thildren's hospital, and it was a work
! winch she was interested. During all
hese weary months he had not seen her,
or had he allowed himself to inquire for
er, stlIl he knew that now he should meet
er, for this was her special work
AT the entrance he met the n,atron, and
as ushered into the office while the scere.
Try was called, and he stood pale and
'embling for moment as in the person of !
lie secretary he recognized Miss Knight, [
nd he saw that she, too, was pale. For .
moment only it was thus, and then his 7
aep, calm voice broke the quiet with
81 would like to get report of the meet.
e for the press, and her reply was equal. .
calm.
Certainly. Be seated. please" and lie ..
t at the little desk while she sat at the I
I'd of it and gave him the report. and no c
lie could guess what was beneath those q
I'm cAteriors or note the tremors that b
1uld not be heard in voices. And while c
aiding her notes in silence for moment n
e unronsciously laid her hand on the
SIX near him, and with the old soul in
5 eyes be raised il to bis lips and kssed