The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-12-25
GERTRUDE'S REWARD.

IClllllely dtlu nc oilold IN VI ~ pow
ting machines. But in the outer office
there was a calm scarcely broken, when
1.-THE door was opened and the scream Of
presses Surged In.
The, desk by the side of the door Lloyd
Grant had held for a dozen years, and all
that time by his side sat Gertrude Wal
ker, turning to him when she took dicta-
Ition and away when she wrote the letters
lon the typewriter. Worked by his side
hlntil she knew the business as well as
The, though Lloyd knew the ms and outs
better than any other member of the
printing firm of Grimes, Normandy &
Grant.
what are you going to do holiday
week." Lloyd asked as he brushed his
desk before beginning the days task.
Doe The door came open and closed
again, the clatter Of machinery coming,
staccatoed, from the inner room. 81 am
afraid 1 cannot tell" Gertrude laughed
as she spoke. There was plenty to do
at home, with a brother and sister in the
high school. But why should Mr.. Grant
know anything about that?
at will be playtime for you. But L do
not see how the rest of us are going to
tget along
You will be troubled very little, L
guess. Some of these days 1 shall be sue
'ceeded and another will do your writing"
perhaps. It is to be hoped the day is
"a long time off"
We'll, 1 hesitate about fixing the late"
Tel me. Have you any idea? You see
I am awfully in earnest now Lloyd
was standing in front of his desk with the
buster In. his hand. Why he was so in
earnest and had so suddenly discovered
it caused the young woman to look up and
ask:
"Why?" .
"Is there a chance of you leaving use"
Not Of my own accord, though that
time will come-some day. At present,
however, I have no idea of quitting
Lloyd sat down to his desk and opened
a letter. Gertrude found her bookSand:
pencil and took his dictation. -Four hours
they worked, and many times the door to
the press room had opened and closed,
and as often the multitude of noises
strove with each other and the odor Of
burning gas crept across the floor.
Gertrude membered the words that
had been said, and was not surprised to
have a girl come to her desk directly
after dinner and demurely inform Ger
trdue that she was to have help. Ger
trude showed the newcomer the mys-
teries Of the filing case and how the let
tiers were put away for future reference.
Night came and brought with it the
suffering electric lights and the hurrying
crowd upon the streets. Over the town
and lake fell a mantle Of snow and melted
III lilo "dlc dliN dboul lilS AoI tOs v Lib
ties sounded the hour of G o'clock, the
presses stopped running and the typeset-
ting machines ceased their clicking. OPP
orators and pressmen and electricians
| went home and the room was turned
over to the shadows and the janitors.
"Miss Walker" called Lloyd as Ger
trdue pinned on her hat. What I said
this morning was only half said, after
ALL" Gertrude opened wide her eyes at
this. Then there were but few to leave
the office, and they went on to the ele-
| vator, for it was not unusual for the man
ager and his typewriter to be there at
that hour.
"Only half sai6E'
II meant to ask you-if there was any
prospect Of your quitting"
you did ask that, Mr.. Grant"
Il m~eant-well, what l meant is hard to
tell. You see, 1 nave sat by. your side FOR
so long
II seem part of the office fixtures, to be
invoiced once a year." Gertrude smiled
at the discontinue Of her superior.
Now, look here. i was going to say I
had been by your side so many years 1
could not get along without you. I mean
at my home. OF course there is nothing
here to drive you away, only I feared
and have feared for years-you would go"
Gertrude sank into her chair. The hour
for her had come, Unexpectedly, like a
thunderbolt from a clear sky.
But my brother and ~sister?'
'They will be cared for
And they Were. There was a wedding
at Gertrude's fiat those holidays. and
there was a strange typewriter by the
side Of Lloyd Grant.