Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-09-09
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L AaihO vi a pm AaN~
damped the stone, linked the roller ana
then the stone, set the cards TO the
lines, put on the overlap, pulled down
the timping, showed in the carriage
pulled down the lever, turned the ham
die, lifted up the timping, removed the
overlap and lifted UP the cards with
the aid OF another card. Then he re-
peated the process. And again. And
again. And not once did he think of
what lie was doing, for his thoughts
and, for a large part of the time, his
eyes were on a young who was
working a typewriter In an ofnce on
the other side of the street, a pretty
young woman with nut brown hair and
delicate features and eyes that seemed
TO sparkle at so great a distance.
Jack was in love. He admitted 1t to
himself. 1t began when he took his
present position two months ago. She
had come to the window and smiled
at him. 1t was probably "a leftover
smile" one not intended for him at
all, but 1t filled his heart with glad
ness, At all events, he pleasedly
thought, she had not changed IL to a
frown when she found that she was
looking at him and he was looking at
her.
She had not smiled at him since that
time, but he had caught her eye on
several occasions, whereupon she would
lush a little INK get very busy with
her typewriter.
From the early days of his appren-
ticeship Jack had taken much joy in
long distance flirting. Ever so many
young men and women in office and
factory buildings have some practice
in the gentle art. One may say much
with a smile, or a nod, or the hutter
of a handkerchief. But here Jacks
c%leverness awaited him nothing. This
vas different" he thought. 1t al
ways is different.
He had never spoken to her, had
never even seen her on the street. With
some circumlocution he discovered
from the elevator boy in the building
opposite that she quit work at 5
O'clock. He didn't get through till $50.
On two occasions he lay off in the aft
ernoon and bought flowers and made
up his mind to waylay her. But his
courage always failed him, and, having
bought the flowers, he would shame
facedly walk home with them and give
them to the landlady at his boarding
house. The landlady liked Jack. and
she thought 1t was very nice OF him
to bring flowers to decorate the table.
The young lady in the case never sus-
pected what she was missing.
OF all these things he thought as he
printed steamer cards, and while he
thought the stone got greasy and the
letters filed up, which fact, when 1t
finally dawned upon him, caused him
to get busy with picker and nitric acid.
This happened several times at long
intervals, and when at last the boss
stopped to examine his work there was
nothing left on the stone but some In
distinct lines and a few smudges. Jack,
wholly had been going on
running the cards with cheerful bu
mechanical industry.
What In thunder is the meaning of
this? ~ asked the boss.
"She hasn't been at the window for
fifteen minutes" said Jack.
WHAT"
Jack came to earth, blushed and
stammered.
sort those cards out and put the
bad ones on the side. What's the mat
ter with you today, anyhow"
II guess it's a slight heart affection"
said Jack.
The boss walked off with a red face.
It'll have to go to the trouble of get
ting another stone made ready" he
grumbled,
when, Mr.. Smith accepted his posi-
ton as foreman In Chalk & Pallets
big lithographing establishment he had
taken Jack along with~him, knowing
him to be competent and trustworthy;
but he didn't know what had come into
Jack during the last couple OF months,
and was beginning to fear that ne
WDu4u IdfG ~ dt6SildA sc DIAlis
Jack sorted out the cards, making
two plies OF them. And while he sort
ed the girl over the way industriously
worked at the typewriter. Presently
a young man went up to her and
placed his hand Familiarity on her
shoulder, n by and by began strok-
ing her hair caressingly as he talked
to her. Jack boiled over with indigna-
ton. I'D like to smash that yellow
haired dude" he said to himself, but
ne went on sorting the cards.
When Mr.. Smith returned Jack put
his hand on the small pile of cards and
said. THESE are the pad. Mr.. smith
looked relieved. Jack had a don't-care-
IT, 1.-The school-keeps-or-not expression
as he put his hand on the big pile and
said. And these are the very bad"
Mr.. Smiths eyes seemed about to
start from his head for a moment, n
then he laughed and walked away. A
sense of humor has averted many a
quarrel. y.
sTm trough with her forever" said
Jack to himself. IT don't care whether
stay here or net. I don't care for
anything"
Jack" said the shipping clerk, 7
wish you'd give me a hand with this
paper IL you've nothing else to do
ASure thing" said Jack. The ship
ping clerk went downstairs and Jack
went to the hatchway. He hated to
walk downstairs when he could slide
down the rope or let his weight carry
him down on the rope. The tackle was
constructed for the slow hosting of
heavy weights, and when Jack hung to
the hook his speed down the hatch
way was swift enough to be exciting
and yet not swift enough to hurt.
Sometimes he grabbed the brake as
he passed the first 1oor and allowed
himself to touch the ground easily.
More often he let the brake alone, so
that when the drum kept on revolving
the rope would coil up again and he
would shoot skyward with II. This
/ never failed to startle people who hap
pened to be passing.
This time. instead OF grabbing the
hook with one hand as was his wont,
he put his foot on 1t and caught held
of the rope higher up. When the brake
was released he shot down the hatch
way at a lively rate. HALFWAY down
he heard the cry Of Mad dogg" from
the street. He glanced down In
voluntarily grabbed for the brake. But
before he pulled 1t he saw q girl dart
into the hallway and instinctively knew
It to be the girl from over the way.
He never thought OF the brake again.
Down he winged. Ar he touched the
floor the dog darted toward the girl. a
policeman In pursuit. The girl