The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14

take employment for a year or two yet,
she gave way to bitter tears. II don't
care" she cried, ''some of the girls are
working down town and they amt no big
germ me-"
It's too bad everybody isn't afflicted
that way" was the rather cynical comment
of the young woman who works in the Of
flee, as the weeping child was led away.
There was real, genuine CONSERVATION In
one of the State offices the other morning.
The dignified young woman who presides
at the typewriter and files away tran
scripts they come in, was the cause of
the agitation. She is modest and usually
shy and never uses slang. On this occasion
she came in with brisk good morning,
doffed her hat and went to work. The type
writer was going at merry click when 1T
stopped suddenly and the fair operator look
ed up from her work. Say" she remarked,
addressing the chief clerk across the room,
do you know why a hen never lays eggs
at night?' NO" said he, II do not; IL you
know, tell u.s." Because she's a rooster"
chirruped the young woman. The chief
clerk softly whistled and everybody else in
the room looked aghast. "Oh, that reminds
me-" sang out a fiippant young man. why
does a hen cross the road?' cause she
wants to get on the other side,'' yelled a
half dozen voices in chorus. The work
then proceeded without Interruption.
This is an East Washington street
romance and 1t started on trolley car.
Out about keystone avenue one baimy
May afternoon a blond-haired girl with
pretty blue eyes and pouting mouth
picked her dainty way through the crowd
ed car until she found a seat about the
middle. Settling her skirts gracefully she
prepared to enjoy the ride inland inspect
the passengers. Up toward the front sat
a mana stanchly built, we'll set up young
fellow the kind a woman would trust-not
to flirt. He looked UP and found the girl
taking him in" The blue eyes rested on
him an instant longer than was necessary,
perhaps, and he thought he detected
suggestion of a smile. Then he was
sumed with his own vanity and self-con-
ceit. He gave the girl bold stare of adj
miration and deliberately smiled at her.
She resented it all with a scornful toss of
the little head and the blue eyes looked
straight ahead through the window. To
the man in the front end sudden frost
had fallen over the car. well, that's
curious situation" he thought to himself
as he saw her alight at Delaware street
and walk ahead with the haughtiest kind
of an air. Next day she was on the car
but she didn't see him, apparently. The
next day she was there and the next and
day after day they rode in together and
sometimes waited on the same corner for a
car. He studied her millinery and her
nd bap hut iad bar
face. He had not forgotten the lesson she
taught him. He found himself wondering
who she was and finally sized her up as
stenographer. He could imagine her sit
ting at the machine, straight and digni-
fed, in the cleanest and coolest shirt
waists. taking dictation from a lawyer. He
wondered If the lawyer dare stare at her
or say complimentary things about fingers
which he noticed were small and shapely.
Day after day he saw her and wondered
all of these things. He learned to expect
her just as much as he expected his dinner
in the evening or his newspaper in the
morning. She became part Of his affairs
and If she missed turning up at that par
ticular corner at that particular time he
felt in bad humor all afternoon and I'M
til he her next day. Meantime this
fair-haired, graceful young woman stood
on the corners and got on the cars with
him Supremacy unconscious, it seemed to
him, of his being in the world. A week
ago they met on the car but it was through
the introduction of a man who knew her.
She gave him her hand and this time didn't
toss her head in indignation when he
stared at her. He wondered If she would
mention that first day the and she
did, "You spoiled it ALL" she declared
trying to look severe day or two after
he met her, by trying to fiirt with me.
Why did you do it. Why do men ever do
those things. Just the minute I looked
you over and made up my mind you were
not the sort of man who would, you i'm