Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-11-06

VI believe the old fool thinks Miss
Gildersleeve has ensnared me-" re-
Elected Roach, gnawing his mustache.
''The meddlesome fossill%
As a matter of fact, the Judge has
found his stenographer so quiek-wit-
ted, so modest, so amiable and so come
ly that he was beginning to consider
the propriety of showing her a little
more personal attention You see. she
was the daughter of an old and re-
spected client and she had come to
town an utter stranger. Her manners
were those of the nurtured southern
lady. She was young, diflident. indus
trious, discreet. Why not show her
some of the consideration which is
usually omitted between employer and
employe? So thought Judge Roach
It could do no harm, for instance to
take her driving in the park after
dark. Nobody would see them. lie
could keep away from the crowded
drives and fashionable resorts. So he
asked her.
ooh, thank you, Mr.. Roach. she had
answered, "but I promised a friend to
attend the concert this evening. It's
very kind of you, I'm sure"
He saw that she was pleased, fiat
tered, he guessed, and by the merest
chance he drove that evening past the
music stand in the park. He saw her,
her face radiant, smiling, chatting gay
ly to man.
The next day, having asked Miss Gill
dersleeve to withdraw, Judge Roach.
looking quite solemn. his hand tremb-
ling a bit, his face flushed, called Eben
into his Office and closed the door.
"Eben." he said, awkwardly con-
fused, "I've been thinking-of course
it's just notion of mine, but 1-have
you thought anything of Withdrawing
from the partnership-going in for
yourself, Eben?"
eyes, I've thought of it, George"
said Lufkin, quietly, a sad kind of
smile lowering about the corner of his
gentle mouth, 'I think I'd have done
better alone, perhaps, but it's a bit late
now, I'm afraid. You see, I've been
fitting myself to your necessities so
long that-but if you wish it, George"
ooh. I don't wish it, Eben," blurt-
ed Roach, who was beginning to feel
very Cheap" "I don't wish it, I've no
fault to find, but you're a different
kind of a man from me, you're little
too-that is, you're too blamed slow"
concluded the judge, trying to Justify
himself by becoming brutal.
"As you say, George" answered
Eben, very softly, "I'll drop out. tn
be especially inconvenient just now"
"Why?" The judge was resolved to
have no mercy.
"Well, you see, had arranged to be
married at New Years, and"
"Married?" Judge Roach forgot his
resentment in the surprising news.
eyes, George" resumed the quiet
man. "we-that is, Miss Gildersleeve-"
"You don't mean to tell me that you
and Miss Gildersleeve are to be mar
ried. Ebenl" Mr. Roach was growing
gray about the lips.
eve intended to keep it a secret for
awhile, George"
"Stopl Shut up. will you'll Just for
minute. please. Eben." The two friends
sat quite silent for few minutes. and
then: '.Ebe, old boy" said the judge.
"you don't want to remember anything
said about breaking up the partner
ship; I didn't mean it, just wanted
to see what you'd say before I went
away. I intended to tell you that I'm
going to Europe for month. ] think
I'll start tomorrow. Courts ad-
journed and you can look after every
thing. including the correspondence,
eh, Eben?"
There was a vague smile as he said
this, but Eben laughed softly and they
shook hands, and when Mr.. Roach was
alone he looked absently out Of the
window and muttered:
"And I gave him credit for being too
slow!"- Chicago Record-Herald.