The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-03-07

be able to change the bill and / would
have an opportunity to talk about It,
but she pulled out a drawer, counted
S401 and returned to her table with
out looking at me.
The next day l found It necessary TO
send another telegram-that is, / made
It necessary-and, handing II in at the
window, again saw the words
punched and heard the melodious
voice say:
"Fifty-one cents, please"
81 make It 80 cents. What's the ex-
ira cent for"
stamp"
"What stampT
Government"
"Are we living under an autocracy
or are we a free people|
She started for her table, but threw
down 81 cents, and she returned and
took the message with her invarlable
imperturbabllity. had look Of ad.
miration ready for her I'm case her eyes
met mine, but she gathered up the
money, went to her table, and again
came the clickety click.
/ arranged with my sister to send her
peculiar messages, to which she was to
pay no attention. Then | went TO the
telegraph office and handed in the FOL.
lowing. at would be useless for any
one to tell me that should have been
given a good thrashing for my impu.
dence, because knew It at the time:
Chestnut hair and brown eyes. Win ex'
plain when see you.
1 watched the little telegraph girl
carefully as she counted the words, but
there was not the slightest twltching
OF a single muscle. When she had I'm
lshed. she looked at a quarter had
laid down with the message and said:
"Twenty-six cents, please"
"The extra centT
stamp"
"Ah! Thank you. Here II IS"
For the next twenty-four hours ex.
pected that the girls big brother, II she
had one, might at any time appear and
give me the thrashing merlted, but l
was prepared for that, being ready to
compromise by marrying his sister in
stamtly. However, he did not appear,
and wrote another message TO my
dummy:
am sad and lonely. Can't you fix It so
that can call on you this evening?
"Forty-seven cents
"Forty-six for the message and one
for the government, suppose|
No answer. put down n bill and
received my change. Then, handing
her a dozen large American Beauty
roses, asked II l could leave them
with her for a few hours.
Certainly, at your own risk" she
said. There's nothing TO put them in."
"Never mind that They'll spoil In
time anyway, Everything must with
or." And / took my departure as II in
a great hurry.
Three days later returned and
called for my flowers. / saw them Oh
the telegraph table In a very dainty
vase, but OF course faded. I took cour-
age.
"My flowers, please. am sorry to
have troubled you with them so long"
She handed them out with the same
undemonstrative face and the words:
"Ten cents, please"
"Ten centsI What forF
Storage"
l threw down 10 cents and handed
IN another dozen roses, which she took
IN her usual businesslike manner. Her
composure was -upsetting me. Seiz-
ing a pen, l wrote a telegram TO my
sister:
I am wildly In love with a girl with
chestnut hair and brown eyes who treats
me with supreme indifference.
I looked for at least slight blush in
the cheek or a hating as the pencil
iabbed the words. There was not
sign OF either.
"Fifty-one cents"
pulled a half dollar and a cent
from my pocket and threw them down
lmpatlently. The girl took up the sill
yer coin, looked at It critically,
scratched II, threw II down to hear 1t
ring, then said:
Counterfeit"
Counterfeit That coin counterfeit
You're mistaken. It's genuine"
mot the coin-the telegram"
Her face broke into as merry and
happy a smile as ever saw on the
face Of woman. thrust my hand
under the bars where had pushed 80
many kilograms and managed to get It
ON hers. She did not withdraw It, and,
although the position was cramped, /
felt thrill running up my arm,
through my elbow, my shoulder and
into my heart.
John MARTIN BANCROFT.