Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1903-06-05
FROM THE WINDOW.
nv JOHN n. nAFrnRp.

encouragement In the deep-set belief that
The Jaw was not overdone as g profession
and that he. A Hamilton Ponder, was
destined to fili a high, wide place in the
legal and forensic history Of Chicago.
His Office was a wailed-oh corner on the
eighth floor Of the blackstone building, and
fer its use he paid with desultory services
as copyisl. messenger boy, correspondent
and assistant" to an elderly attorney Of
great fame and no wealth, who seldom via-
Ted his chambers, and never under any
conditions. considered either the necessity
or the desirability of having the office swept
or earnished Mr. Ponder, who spent
much Of his time walking around the loop
district with a load Of oalf-bound books
under his arm "for appearance sake" often
felt like washing the windows himself, but
having high and due regard for profession
al dignity, was loath to appear in public in
the capacity Of ianitor
But one bright autumn day, having sub
consciously applied the end Of his dingy
Prince Albert TO the grimy window, he was
both pleased and fascinated with the cheer
ful though narrow prospect which this
small outlook offered him He stared for
awhile across the street at the clear and
glittering windows Of the wellkept building
opposite Then with vague yearnings and
sense Of his own loneliness, he began 70
''size up several spfightly stenographers
who, perched upon chairs at many office
windows, eeemed 10 be walloping enough
briefs out Of enough typewriters to reas-
sure the most disconsolate and brieheas
lyr0 in the profession From contempla-
tion Of the vast possibilities indicated By
this industry on the part Of 20 many stenos
raphers, he drifted-naturally, / think
into a study OF their personalities.
This line of investigation led his eyes a.
well as his mind from the farthest and
most remote windows of the opposite
building to the window directly opposite
his own, and here, he decided, sat the flower
Of the flock, the ideal lawyers stenographer
perhaps, who knows, the personidcation Of
all his romantic dreams.
Her hair was brown, or was it red His
window was yet quite murky, but he pre-
ferred to call IL red, because he was fresh
from the country and didn't know the pre-
vailing styles She wore a fluffy white waist
/ with little bifurcated paper cones about her
nimble wrists-probably 10 keep her sleeves
/ from soiling. Her shapely white hands lit
orally flew over the keyboard Sometimes
when the man in the adjoining Office came
\ in to dictate a letter or a long document
/
/ her employer and wondered in a vaguely
/ Jealous way if she were smiling at him.
often in pauses Of her work she would turn
her eyes outward and upward as if looking
at the sky, and the young lawyer, nnob-
served, gazing through the dim window Of
his squalid Office saw that she was very
| pretty, and that her eyes were very large
and soulful After that, by stealthy assaults,
he managed to keep the window fairly clean.
and often he caught himself vainly hoping
that she would see him, that she would di-
vine the utter loneliness Of his sad lot and
Well he didn't exactly hope that she'd
smile at him, but he was conscious Of
yearning fancy that she might let fall upon
| his pale, anxious face some CLEAN Of pity,
tome glance OF interest, some sweet but
hhadowy intimation that she knew he was
there and pitied him OF course she didn't,
but the hope sustained him, kept him in
DOORS and at last became a mild but
strangely fascinating mania with him He
endowed her with every conceivable excel
lence; he began TO fancy that her employer
was a tyrant and longed for the day when he
himself could afford stenographer He
planned how he could get her away from
her old place; planned the manner in which
he would treat her, and, in vague but exalt-
ed day dreams, let himself into an elabo-
rate romance in which she was the presiding
genius, the guiding star, and from which
there was only one mode Of exit-matri-
mony.
One day, arriving at his dismal hole an
hour late Ponder saw his divinity in tears.
At least her usually white and patrician
nose seemed to be more ruddy-or was it
blueY-th usual. "The wretch, growled
| j. II I -. g. 4 L.
back Of the man in the opposite Office. 'The
villain has been rude to heri II / only had
him by the throat" And all that day Pom
Ter watched till he was convinced at last
that the fair creature in the Office on the
eighth floor opposite was mysteriously in
the clutches Of villain who maltreated her.
lie watched her gaze sloomily into the
street, he saw her mop away the involuntary
tears that trembled upon her fair cheek,
he tremblec with an ecstasy Of anticipation
Rs to what ne would do il he ever got good
chance at her rascally employer. For day1
thereafter she did not smile
But one Saturday morning, coming oppOr.
lunely to his window, Ponder saw her stand.
Ing beside the mans desk. Her face was
turned from the watcher, but he could zee
The villain and knew by his gestures that
he was in a rage. He was waving his arms
his face was purple, and he seemed 10 be
pouring upon the bowed head Of hh unpro-
tected stenographer the full walls Of his
lnveetive At last he jumped up, slipped the
ateh on the door and slapped--yes, thers
could be no doubt about 1.-THE was slappina
the face Of the defenseless divinity. Thaj
was too much for Ponder! No
waiting 10 see the denouementof this COW
ardly outrage he grabbed his nat and al
most fell down the stairs two flights beior.
he thought OF the elevator. In two minutes
he was standing at the door Of the 0hic,
o. his goddess in the opposite building H'
knocked The girl, her eyes red with weep
Ing, admitted him He had read the name
On the door-'Horatio Roebuck, Lawyer
'Ts Mr.. Roebuck I'M asked Ponder
beaming graciously upon the distressed
damsel
mo, sir, he just went out, she quavsred
'Did you wish to see him professionally -
''No, miss" quoth Alexander Hamilton
Ponder, with ominous gutturals Il wish t.
zee him personally, personally. do you un
derstand, miss?"
"Ohl Then perhaps / can tell you wha
you want 10 know. I'm his wife"
And Ponder doesn't wash his window an,
more Chicago Record-Herald
Not 50 safe.
Newitt-Well, there's one thing about IN,