The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-07
A BoOkkeeper'S Escape.
[From the Record-Herald.,

want as StenOgrapner to the manager
made a great stir in the office, espe-
cfally among the men. Even the Office
boy, that red-haired outlaw. seemed
tanned and awed by her presence She
was beautiful. of course, but it was her
angelic manner, her sweet simplicity,
her air of trustful belief in everything
ana everybody that won for her 4
quick and easy way into the hearts of
an. Even the other girls liked her.
homage seldom enjoyed by pretty wo-
men, and as for the meni The bill clerk
couldn't work for ten minutes after she
spoke TO him: the cashier got ratified
every time she looked his way. and
LOngfnan, the city salesman, who had
desk Just outside the managers office,
spent SO much time about the place that
the old man asked him if he'd hired a
substitute to look after the local trade.
only Simpson, the head bookkeeper.
the suave, COOL matter of-fact, poisefUl
simpson, alone of all the office force, re-
manned unmOVod, oblivious of her pres
ence or addressed her at rare intervals
DIS II she were a craven image or some
remote and impersonal telephone CORE
spondent. Simpson was a bachelor GER
tainly; you couldn't think of him as
even going with" girl. much less
marrying He was tall, spare. smooth
Of face and voice and so clean that
ne kept his windows shut all summer
and shut off the electric fan for fear
SCOT, dust or sand would mar the spot
less pages OF his books. He never SWore,
smoked, drank. chewed tobacco. or ate
meat. He wore lawn bows all the year
round. and he had his cotton sleeve
holders faundered twice a week. During
Two years of the bill clerks service in
the office Simpson had never spoken to
him because he had caught the former
smoking cigarettes. In retaliation the re-
sentful clerk always mentioned the
bo0kkeeper as Miss Julia" though the
epithet was never repeated in Simpsons
hearing.
When Miss Sturtevant had been in the
office about six weeks, and the sartorial
splendor of all the men and boys had
been advanced to an extraordinary de-
gree of costly and even assertive per-
lection, nobody could claim to have
made any perceptible progress with her
she was uniformly polite, very demure,
more 1Ovable than ever. But one morn
ing, the bill clerk having come down
about an hour earlier than usual. and
having pre-empted the "old mans
morning paper to figure out the base
ball percentages, ensconSed himself in
the private office behind a screen. He
hadn't been there very long when he
main office and peeping out, discovered
the Incompatible Jeanette, a fresh
bouquet in her dainty hand, tripping
furtively back into the corner which
Simpson cal1ed his own. He heard the
opening and closing or a drawer. and
when she came back the flowers which
she had carried were gone. The bill
clerk felt cold around the gills, but he
AC6alIiGu HIS CLd1, AiIilSSL "
know whether hewas awake and gasped
into his paper:
Suffering Iscariot, Can she be
'mushy' on Miss Julia %
Then he set himself to watch develop
ments When Simpson came in and
marched majestically to his place be-
hind the high desk Jeannette's fair face
was bowed over her notebook. The bill
clerk saw that she was blushing but as
he turned he saw Simpson hang up his
coat, take off his cuffs and open the
drawer for the cotton sleeve covers. The
look of scared establishment that swept
over the cadaverous face was followed
by furious blush. He slammed the
drawer shut and for the first time with
in the memory of his associates went to
work in his shirt sleeves All day he
avoided that drawer. all day his face
wore a look of grieved but puzzled hau-
teur He paid no more attention to
Jeanette than before. He looked hurt,
affronted, but he bore himself with +.ea
most precise and unyielding dignity. If
he had been anxious to identify the Civ
er, glance at the girls shirt waist
would have disclosed a rose and a spray
of gladiolus that matched his own. But
| it was not his habit to inspect either
the faces, apparel or ornaments or wom-
| en-
The bill clerk made q practice of COM
| ing down early after that and he saw
the flower incident repeated. In the ev-
ening he ''rubbered'' about the office till
| lie lOQilQ lue WltuSTSQ DOuQucl III OIIlD-
sons waste basket. And at last. feel
ing exceptionally gay one morning, he
wandered in behind Simpsons desk be-
fore that aScetic man arrived, aDDro-
priated the flowers and boldly wore
/ them all day in the lapel of his vest. 1t
would be hard to tell how this perform
| ance affected the bookkeeper. for he
never mentioned it. but for reasons that
the bill clerk couldn't divine Simpson
| thereafter made particular and unmis-
taxable efforts to make friends" with
his late foe He began with Good
morning, Frank" and finally made a
pointed hint to the effect that he twas
going the same way"
"Frank"he said, when they had walk
ed a few blocks in silence. what would
you do if a young woman were to get
that is. if a girl were to put presents in
your desk?"
I'D get back at her, Miss-Mr. Simp-
son. If she wasn't a fright, I'd go after
her hot footI'
ooh, but I don't want to encourage
her, I'm not a marrying man" this with
a wise shake of the head, "and besides,
though she is fairly good looking, she
has no. means. !. too am poor. you
why don't you tell her to cut it
out?'' asked Frank. swallowing an I'M
printable expression why don't you
shut her off?''
.'Oh, I'm not supposed to know. She
does it all on the sly, She
But you do know, don't you? OF
course, I thought so. Well, if you don't
like her and you're afraid she'll steal
you, why don't you send her a note-1
was going to say polite note but the
note wouldn't be exactly complimentary
would it? Tell her you're q vestal, a
celibate, seated to a higher destiny
That's what the Mormons call it,
"Oh. I couldn't do that, Frank" ex-
postulated the bookkeeper, Il don't
want
mo, of course, you don't want tc
hurt her feelings, but
1T isn't that altogether, but-don'
you see, I don't want her even to know
that 7 know what she's driving at
l.
why don't you get acquainted with
her That ought to the bill CLERK
hesitated. 1t was rude speech, but
Simpson didn't hear it's drift as he Went