The Press., 1903-10-08
A MIDAFR
ROMANCE
BY MARIAN GRANT
Copyright. 1913, by t. c. Mcclure

OSO~O~OS0~O~O O~O~OSO~O0OO
They both worked In the clouds. she
on the top floor of a great factory
building. he amid the iron framework
Of huge skyscraper.
He did not know of her existence,
but she felt quite sure that she should
recognize him If ever they met in the
street, whose noisy, busy life swept on
far below their feet. She could always
single him out among tine mechanics
working there in midair. No other
workman trod the iron beams with
such assured poise or squared his shout
ders just as he did to the days work.
He did everything with En- air of abso-
lutte confidence which thrilled and mas
tered her
He was too far away for her to scru.
tinize his features. but she was quite
sure that he had honest, clear blue eyes
and brown curly hair, and his eyes
could twinkle merrily. This she knew
by the Jovial way in which he signaled
his fellOwswOrkmen.
Not that she had much time to study
his mannerisms. for Ellen Mulvihill
was designer in the factory of john
son & Co, makers of ladies' shirt waists
and neckwear. and a very busy wO-
man. Perhaps it was well for the firm,
however. that while she designed
stocks and fancy boas she wOve in the
thread of her romance, for this strange
~ one sided love affair seemed to beau
tify the whole world for her, and
!, Rr,ox Yo,sly
ed 1eftly, and the firm reaped the
profit.
If she had not been so absorbed just
at this juncture she might have noticed
that she was rising in the favor Of her
employers, but she was quite amazed
one day when they voluntarily raised
her salary. Quite naturally they did
not offer the explanation that they
feared their competitors and gave the
increase as a precautionary measure.
Ellen accepted 1t as a part of the rose
color which had suddenly envelOped
her entire life scheme. The extra sal
airy had come just in time, she argued,
for Trixie, the idol Of her heart, or,
rather, the one person who divided
heart space with the hero of her mid
air dreams, had been wanting to go to
dancing school these two months to a
wonderful hall where children all in
white frocks and velvet FauntlerOy
suits tripped to fairy music.
Ellen lived with her married brother,
and knowing ones would say that she
paid a high price for the privilege.
Mulvihil's wife was something Of
shrew, while Ellen was of more gentle
birth and breeding. The sister-in-law
loved neighborhood gossip and was not
above a quarrel with the other jewellers
In the fat house. Ellen enjoyed her
books, the hall bedroom, furnished and
decorated with the dainty simplicity
which marked her designs at the fac
tory, and the championship Of Trixie.
The girls at the factory were kind to
her. too, and then there was the quiet.
shadowy church midway 'twixt home
and work where she stopped each day
to say innumerable "all halls to the
Blessed Mother, who must have inter
ceded to secure for her 80 much happi-
ness.
1t was about a month after the mem
orable advance in salary that an omi-
nous silence fell upon the Mulvihill
supper table. Ellen knew instinctively
that some domestic problem was COM
ing up for discussion.
At last John Mulvihill pushed back
his empty teacup and lighted his pipe.
ELLEN, the Shamrock association are
after givin' their annual ball a week
this Tuesday night, an the wife an
mesilf think you'd best be goin' along
Ellen raised startled eyes to her
brothers face.
"I'm no dancer, as you well know,
John, an crowds like that give me the
headache. I'd rather stop at home with
Trixie"
John MulvihilPs face darkened.
you're always stoppin' at home with
the child, an it Is time you went out
an met the boys an had steady COM
pany. You're the first Mulvihill girl
that ever passed twenty five without
havin' her offers to marry. You'll new
er marry If you stay coOped up here
night after night an not even visitin'
our friends of Sunday afternoon"
Going to the Shamrock associations
ball In search of a husband! Ellen's
face famed, then turned pale But,
then, they did not know about him.
The very thought seemed like treason
to the strong, erect figure which never
passed out of his mental vision.
Its well enough Off / am, John,
without husband, an I see no reason
why you an Mary should want to mar
~ me off. I'm thinkin' Trixie would
miss her old auntie sorely." And she
drew the child close as IL to ward of
with her innocent childhood some i'm
pending disaster.
Mrs. Mulvihill blazed forth on the in
slant
Eyes, an that's what the neighbors
are all sayin'-that use you as nurse
girl for the child an dance an go to
the theater with John an my child
would suffer If 1t wasn't for you. They
talk like you was a sort Of Cinderella,
an It's fired l am of their long tongues.
Did 1 ever ask you to spend money on
Trixie when you needed 1t for your
own clothes? Did, ever ask you to
stay home with the child2 It's,an I'M
grateful lot, that's what you are. to
bring me In disrepute with me neigh
bors just because you're that uPpish
our friends amt good enough for your
And that was how Ellen happened
to go to the ball Of the Shamrock asso-
citation. She gave. her. sister-in-law
carte blanche in. the matter of a new
dress. and that parsonage, restored to
good humor, reveled in the purchase
nd f1oa EfIttr AZ n ,.t,., Info ~ n frocly
: But the day OF the ball Ellen could |
hardly keep her mind oh her work. Her
glance would wander toward the sky |
scraper where he was working. She |
felt that he was whistling, his move
ments were so brisk. And John was
trying, with the best intentions, to
marry her off solely to maintain the
honor of the Mulvihil1 family She
had thought of day when she should
marry when the SkvacraDor was done |