Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-03-12

to lay more stress upon the undesira.
bility of pain than upon the desira bill.
ity of pleasure.
'You will consent, won't you?" he
asked, anxiously.
/. She paused moment to bid common
sense a deliberate farewell. EYES,"
she said, II suppose We could manage
it by spring."
"Good! 1 ought to write Brown
Bros. by this mail, but don't believe
can make it unless you will lend me
the use of your typewriter for few
minutes"
Certainly. You know the way to my
study?'
Fright through this window, isn't
it? Thank you.'
The girls hands frightened on the
arms of her chair. Was it pleasure or
pain?
At first they did not see very much
of each other. Crisp little business
notes furnished their medium of COM
munication. and as far as she was con-
cerned common sense put forth all her
strength to keep them crisp-and lit
tie. But gradually they grew longer.
Then the proofs began to come and
the strenuous task of final polishing
derided the medium of notes. He.
dropped in daily to discuss the tricks
of the trade. There was usually some
member of the family reading before
her study fire-''it was such a good,
quiet place." Their presence did not
interfere with the consultations. Her
desk stood in bay window at the 9th
err 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 hregu-
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 a 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
with a bothered look al 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: I finished the proDfs an
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 I 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.
But the girl had never overlooked
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 it's pocket and
he toyed nervously with the roll of
proofs. He had got himself into the
very deuce of scrape.
She realized it all and arose to the
'Will you have time to run over that
before you go?' 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
a fine parallel line with painstaking
zeal.
"What Icannot understand" he said,
n 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 rapidity.
The lady by the open window closed
her book with slight yawn, cast
ri
people at the desk and went out.
"Now is your chance" the girl said,
without looking up. go on. III finish
that"
He obeyed instantly. The girl wrote
for moment longer, then she
threw down her pen and reached for
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-
NAMED with him was the clinging de-
'iciousness 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 un-
Outstanding the tricks of the trade,
and then go around for six months
not knowing what is the matter with
you. 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