Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-05

Government
Don't you think that's an imposi-
ton on the part of the, government?
She had been waiting with the end
of her pencil between her teeth, but
now she left the window and, going TO
the table. resumed her clickety click,
click, click, as imperturbably as if she
had not been interrupted.
Here's the money!" l said. handing
out n five dollar bill, though had the
exact amount. 1 hoped she would not
be able to change the bill and l would
have an opportunity to talk about il,
but she pulled out Il drawer, counted
$461 and returned to her table with
out looking at me.
The next day | found il necessary to
send another telegram-that is. 1 made
it necessary-and, handing it in ut the
window. 1 again saw the words
punched and heard the melodious
voice say:
'F'ifty-one cents, please"
81 make it 30 cents. What's the ex-
ira cent for?'
stamp"
what stamp"
Government"
"Are we living under an autocracy
or are we q free peOple?'
She started for her table, but threw
down 81 cents, and she returned and
took the message with her invaria bic
imperturbability. 1 had n look of adj
miration ready for her in ease 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 l went to the
telegraph office and handed in the fol-
lowing. Ut would be useless for any
one to tell me that | should have been
given a good thrashing for my impu-
dence, because l knew it ut the time):
Chestnut hair and brown eyes. VIII ex-
plain when l see you.
1 watched the little telegraph girl
carefully as she counted the words. but
there was not the slightest twitching
of single muscle. When she had fin
ished. she looked at Il quarter L had
laid down with the message and said:
'Twenty-siX cents. please"
The extra ceptT'
stamp.
An. Inank you. l1Cfo IL is.
For the next twenty-four hours l ex
pected that the girls big brother. if she
had one, might ut any time appear and
give me the thrashing l merited, but 1
was prepared for that. being ready to
compromise by marrying his sister in
stantly. However. he did not appear.
and l wrote another message to my
dummy:
am sad and lonely. Can't you fix 1t so
that 1 can call on you this evening?
"FOrty-seven cents
"Forty-siX for the message and one
for the government, 1 suppose"
No answer. L put down a bill and
received my change. Then, handing
her a dozen large American Beauty
roses, 1 asked if l could leave them
with her for q 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
err" And L took my departure as if in
a great hurry.
Three days later / returned and
called for my flowers. / saw them on
the telegraph table in Il very daisty
vase, but of course faded. took cour-
age.
MY flowers, please. l 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 cents? What for?'
Storage"
1 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 pen, I wrote a telegram to my
sister:
L am wildly in love with a girl with
chestnut hair and brown eyes who treats
me with supreme indifference.
1 looked for Mt least a slight blush in
the cheek or i hating as the pencil
jabbed the words. There was not Il
sign of either.
'Fifty-one cents"
l pulled a half dollar and a cent
from my pocket and threw them down
impatiently. The girl took up the sill
yer coin, looked at it critically,
scratched it, threw it down to hear it
ring, then said:
Counterfeit"
Counterfeit? That coin counterfeit?
You're mistaken. It's genuine
Not the coin-the telegram"
Her face broke into as merry and
happy a smile as 1 ever saw on the
face of a woman. 1 thrust my hand
under the bars where had pushed so
many kilograms and managed to get it
on hers. She did not withdraw it, and,
although the position was cramped, 1
felt a thrill running up my arm,
through my elbow, my shoulder and
into my heart.
JOHN MARTIN BANCROFT