The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-27
...CUPID: FLOWER Boy.
BY MELVILLE CHATTER.

You, gentlemen, have often watched
the royal progress of James down the
avenue, as he sat, spick and span, with
squared arms and ramrod pose, beside
the liveried driver atop of gorgeous
wagon, purple with silver trimmings,
behind a smart, glosSily harnesSed
white team. You. fair ladies, have
watched futteringly from your win
dows the imposing approach of James,
his dignif1ed descent, his soldierly
dealings with the maid, and have thrill
ed with the correctness, the discipline,
the chastened glory of it all, as you
tore off the tissue paper and exclaimed,
shifting, "Oh, aren't they dear!"
Such qualities are the very founda-
tions of ames' house-not shop. To
ames they came as painfully reared
pinnacles. When he first reported for
duty, baggy l1need novice with cheer
full grin, nicotined fingers and defiant
tufts of tow hair, he gave his name as
Jamesey.
James," corrected the manager,
coldly. He unfolded the inflexfble ira
ditions of the house-uniform. shoes
and hair irreproachably brushed, linen
immaculate, spine stiff, arms squared,
eyes front and unfailing respect to
patrons, not customers.
James hearkened, abashed. He tried,
too, but laundering counts up, especial
ly when your little brothers and sis
tiers cannot be reckoned on both hands,
and your weekly salary can be reckon
ed easily on one. Also, James had not
been born with a perked nose and
winkable eye for nothing. He per-
sisted in mouthy stares. entertained
patrons with appalling levity, and
snickered upon the faintest provoca-
ton. On route he Scandalized the
driver by alighting with cake walk
steps and whistling sentimental bal
lads through his teeth. Reformation
was as tedious a process as would have
been the extraction of his wink or the
depression of the perk in his nose.
The manager believed that James
meant we'll. Yet it was distinctly hui
initiating, one day, when a pop-eyed,
bigtailed young person entered, star
ing awedly about the great, green, cleo
tric-lit bower. and faltered that when
James Quinn went out for dinner, now,
would he ask him to stop around to
Heinrich s-glove counter-to see
someone? Just someone.
The manager raised James conscien-
tiously plastered hair Someone never
called again, but Joseph and William
jealousy observed that James dinner
hour was more often a dinner-hour-
and-a-quarter. They gloated privily
upon the end of evil ways, perceiving a
Damoclean blade suspended over James
plastered head.
One Monday morning James, instead
of recounting the delights of Coney
and balladizing through his teeth,
ascended the wagon with heavy
sigh All day he sat dumb, his spright-
Illness wilted, his assurance crushed,
his stolid face squared arms and stiff
spine but empty mummeries.
Hickey, at the reins, observed that
the Boss must have been combing
I, 401y
it too hard, as he did need toning
down, as you might say. James only
sighed, staring distantly, as though
discerning, far off, unhappy things.
For a week consultations were vain,
then he began to mend His dress and
department were beyond suspicion;
he was soberly cheerful, but his wink
had fled, and even the perk in his nose
seemed subdued. His sole lapse was
on the morning of Heinrich Brothers
fire, when he ran out to watch the am
balances pass and forgot to return for
an hour. Hickory judged that the Boss
must have combed James hair afreSh,
for he made the afternoon trip very
wan an dnerveless and for the rest of
the week his was the face of one who
realizes that he has done, left undone,
and there is no health in him.
One morning the wagon started half
an hour earlier than usual. James was
obliged to spend most of his dinner
hour at work in the packing room, and
that afternoon he was given a new
route on an unusually full wagon.
There was also unusual indecorum on
the part of young ladies; many rushed
down stairs before the maid had fairly
opened the door, and some opened the
door themselves. James questioned his
driver listlessly.
Kelly, bachelor, had not delivered
flowers for twenty years without be-
coming trifie cynical
oh" he shifted, its what-you- call
it day-Valentine's an every teller
who's scrapped with his girl gets a
chance to try a feeler. You see, he
don't have to put his pasteboard in the
box She knows where it comes from,
all right, an if it don't come, she
knows it's off. Say, a wagonful O.
vylets, which stands fer love- an nine
tenths of EN- standin' fer red-hot
scraps! Funny, amt it?"
James said it was, and sighed
To cheer him Kelly got out his tally
sheet and explained the raison d'etre
of every bunch. This one was a regu-
lar weekly, and represented an engage
ment; that was a three times weekly,
and represented, he guessed; a would
be engagement. Here was a monthly
and newly married couple, to whose
wedding Kelly had carried the deco
rations. All those there used to be
weeklies. and represented the making