The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10
The Clerk at Pay Corner
BEATRICE HERoN-M maxwell

-ll
quickly and left her so strangely pale that
he apologized again.
81 beg you to forgive me-" he said. 1T
am afraid have touched on a subject that
Is unpleasant to you"
at is not that" she said. hurriedly. ''Mr.
Marine is nothing to me-not even friend.
Until lately / had never spoken to him.
Indeed, 1 have no wish to speak to him
now. for he-he frightens me. He is a
dangerous man. am told. and II have an
instructive dislike for him.
She was quite unaware of the appeal that
, her stammering agitation made to him, or
that he was registering a mental resolve
to Illustrate any designs of Mr.. Jonas
Marine towards her.
II was not prepossessed in his favor"
he said, quietly. land I shall report him for
breaking the rules
She looked more troubled. ct would not
do that" she urged. He boasts that he
has never owed any man a grudge without
paying 1t in full. Be careful of him, please.
He will know that you reported him when
he gets a reprimand.''
He Will know more than that present.
ly. Miss Halliday, since chance has In
troduced and fellow-workers,
may ] venture to count myself as an ac-
| quaintance of yours-a friend. hope. later.
May tell you my manner"
81 should like to know it." she answered.
simply.
II am Godfrey Brennan. May I call and
! see you tomorrow"
| She hesitated. MY little sitting-room Is
very humble" she said, "apd my landlady
| is very severe. / think 1t would be better
| not"
/ ct am very lonely here" he pleaded.
might we not even go for a walk to-
| gether?"
She shook her head, laughing. 'Tt is
very kind of you, but"
| Some people were coming down the street
| towards them. Revere looked at her watch
But must be going home now" she
concluded, ''or Mrs. Dale will believe am
out to tea. Goodbye. Mr.. Brenann."
| Goodbye"
| They shook hands this time and she
crossed the road so that they walked apart
until he reached No. &c. and went in.
| And Jonas Marine, lettering in the street
| a little further on, waiting for an oppor-
tunity of speaking to Revere again, looked
suspiciously at both, and, muttering some
thing to himself, turned on his heel and
| went away
| Had he known that Godfrey Brennan was
watching him through the Venetian blinds
the antipathy that he already felt for the
| new clerk would have deepened. AS 1t was,
| although Marine failed in his attempts to
see Revere for a whole week, he did not
definitely connect this fact with Bren-
nan until one evening after work hours he
met them walking together by the little
| canal that belonged to the factory.
The sudden flash of keen and jealous sus-
picion. followed by an evil look of rage at
Godfrey, told Revere that this chance en-
| counter would mean mischief If Marne's
| reputation for paying of scores was a re-
liable one.
She had drifted so easily and gradually
into friendship with Godfrey, and it had
begun to seem so natural that they should
| meet at the end of each days work and
saunter homewards together. that she had
almost forgotten her apprehension about
| Marine until this meeting.
"Mr. Brennan" she said quickly, when
| Jonas was out of hearing. "have you had
any more difficulty with Mr.. Marine? Did
you report him?'
al did. He will learn the result next pay
day"
HE is not going to be dismissed?' She
clasped her hands in alarm.
'I thought" answered Brennan, gravely,
that he was not a friend of yours--that
you disliked him. in fact. Why should his
dismissal distress your"
Because he will revenge himself on you;
he will believe 1t to be your doing. Did you
see how he looked at you just now?"
HE is an insolent fellow. Don't let us
waste our time talking about him."
She laid her hand persuasively on his arm.
"Don't make light of It," she said, earn
estly; from the moment that he is dis
charged you will be In danger. Will you
promise to be careful, to give him no
chance of attacking your
Godfrey took the pleading hand in his.
docs it matter to your" he asked.
She drew away from him, and was silent
until he repeated his question.
At should be SORRY" she said. 'Tf any
friend of mine
She broke off in surprise. for they be-
lieved themselves alone on the canal path,
and, at this moment, a man whom neither
of them had perceived brushed past them
so clumsily that he jerked the stick out
of Godfrey's hand.
Sorry he said, briefly, picking up the
stick and handing it to Godfrey. With a
lift of his hat, he walked on, crossed one
of the small bridges, and disappeared
among the buildings on the other side.
"Where did he spring from?" said God
frey. Rather queer his coming upon us
like that. There was something familiar
about him to me, too. Where can I have
seen him before?"
Revere looked troubled. He reminded
me of someone. but 1 do not really know
him. He must have been in the shed we
have just passed
The incident. slight as it was, had broken
the thread of their conversation, and they
did not revert to 1t.