The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-03-13

! OF the trade. There was usually some
member of the family reading before
! her study fre-''it was such a good,
quiet place" Their presence did not
| interfere with the consultations. Her
desk stood in bay window al the 9th
| er end of the room. As long as the
weather continued cold he went
through the formality of knocking at
her closed door; but when it grew
warm enough to open the window on
| the gallery he went in that way, and
neither of them noticed any irregu-
larity in the proceeding. He would
stop to exchange civilities with who
ever happened to be present and then
pass on to her desk, where he would
be seen holding forth over proof
sheet. He rarely remained over Is
minutes and never sat down. Neither
did she rise or go through any form
of greeting.
''See here" he said, stopping beside
her chair one morning late in March.
'These fellows are trying to rush us.
They want that last batch of proofs,
| and you haven't had time to look at
it, have you?" He thrust one hand into
his trousers pocket and glanced down
viii b bothered look at her be.ittered
desk.
She paused moment to make sure
of her eyes, as she always did, and
then leaned back to meet his glance.
"Oh, yes; | finished the pronfs al
hour ago. 1t is this bit of outside work
that is about to drive me to the wall.
Has TO go off by the next mail"
"Then [ had better take the proofs
and clear out" He reached for the
roll as he spoke and she mechanically
resumed her pen.
But about that''-the rest of the
sentence vanished from his intelli-
gence. His hand slipped from his
trousers pocket and his heavy ring
rang against her chair. He bent down
in sudden forgetfulness of the third
person and when he raised his head he
was wildly conscious of that other
presence. Also that he would have to
meet it face to face before he could
leave the room.
lbul Tue SIll ndN never ON lOOhtu
the third person. As soon as it hap
pened she plunged her pen into the ink
and began to write rapidly. The man
stood watching her busy pen point.
His hand rushed back to its pocket and
he toyed nervousiy with the roll of
proofs. He had got himself into the
very deuce of a scrape.
She realized it all and arose to the
emergency.
'Will you have time to run over hat
before you gn?,' She showed some
sheets toward him and spoke briskly.
He caught them quickly, and, rest
ing them on the top of her desk, drew
out blue pencil and began to draw
fine parallel line with painstaking
zeal.
"What | cannot understand" he said,
in a worried tone, sis why | couldn't
have done it one of the hundred times
we have been alone together"
There was no need for you to do it
at all" she replied, and her pen ran on
with increasing rapidly.
The lady by the open window closed
her book with a slight yawn, cast
careless glance toward the two busy
people at the desk and went out.
"Now is your chance" the girl said,
without looking up. $50 on. I'll finish
that"
He obeyed instantly. The girl wrote
steadily for a moment longer, then she
I, E
| the sheets.
AS soon as he gained the open air
| the mans sensation underwent a sud-
den change. The horror of his unpre-
meditated act vanished. All that re-
manned with him was the clinging de-
liciousness of that long, warm kiss. He
still felt the yielding pressure of her
lips beneath his own. They had not
| shrunk from his-he stopped in his
rapid walk and stared in black con-
tempt at the unoffending roll of proof.
"Blithering idiot! Talk about I'M
Outstanding the tricks of the trade,
and then go around for six months
not knowing what is the matter with
tou. And she-knows."
| This time there was no third person.
| He realized that much as he went
| through the window. His ring rang
against her chair before she was aware
of his presence and she showed aside
"a sheet immargined with fine blue lines
rather hurriedly.
''I'm sorry l spoiled your copy that
| Way | was so bothered-Of course I
ought not to have done it-that way,
without saying anything. Can't you
see how it is with me? /"
He wheeled her chair around and
drew her up to him.
Cant you see how it is?"
! At any rate, the third person who
looked in just then saw how it was.
/, She closed the door noiselessly and
beat rapid retreat.
81 thought that was what he did, -
she murmured, in a tone of satisfied
curiosity.
The Indian and the spectacles.