The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-05-14
DWERTING nIS MAD.

N EAUWa hrAIeu 00Wn on the once
when the senior partner came IN. His
hat was pulled down TO his ears, and
his bEOws drawn together in a black
bridge over bis eyes. The two stenOg-
rapbsrs quailed under his glance and
even the office boy was shaken from
bis usual calm. The chief acknOwI-
edged the saiutations Of the head clerk
with grim nod, and then strobe into
the Junior partners room. His voice
esme through the partition in q con-
fused growl.
Going TO be q chilly day with the
boss ] guess" the Office boy said 10
the stenographer who had been with
the firm for ten years.
You should call him Mr.. Barnett"
she answered reprOyingly. and added
little lecture on the duty Of respect
TO elders and employers. She was I'm
fishing her lecture as the senior part
ner emerged from the inner room. He
oomprehended her and the Office boy
in swift glance OF disfaVor.
Miss Murdoch" be said, ieliy. -if
you're not too busy talking to William.
/ should like to give you some dicta-
ton"
She rose with q deep flush on her
cheeks and went into the private Of
ice. He stopped a moment in the tele-
phone booth and the Office force could
hear him berating Central" He
came cut with heavier lines from his
nose TO the corners Of his mouth. and
his forehead was crumpled in q deeper
fnown
In half an hour Miss Mure>SS came
out Il don't know what's the matter
with him" she said 10 the second clerk
in an awestruck voice. Hes just
dreRdfully cross this morning. He
even made me spell difference with
one -
lie acts as II be thought we were
Just dirt" the new stenographer said
Il wish I'd stayed with that lumber
company
The fidelity Of years fared up in
Miss Murdoch Hes generally the
kindest man ever knew" she said.
The office boy nodded. That's right"
Within q few minutes Mr.. Barnett
refused TO see three valued clients. At
intervals Of a few minutes be rushed
from his room and shut his-self into
the telephone booth Each time be
came out more cross and haggard.
BY noon the Office force had fallen
into a state bordering on panic. and
even the junior partner, Burke. kept
out Of range OF his seniors sarcasm.
When for the tenth time Mr.. Barnett
entered the telephone booth. the as
tute William said. Il guess he'll Gre
us all when he comes out this time"
Mr.. Barnett stayed long time with
the receiver held 10 his ear. He came
out with beads Of perspirat5on on his
forehead and tears in his eyes He
looked round the room and smiled
TREMENDOUSLY. "She's come out Of il
BEAUTIFULLY. the doctor SAYS. The
apesthetie went of and she walked ike
a baby. And be says the cut in her
throat can be covered by a string Of
beads"
lie beamed tenderly on them all.
What are you talking aboutT' his
partner asked
Why, MY little girls at the hoSpi-
tai and hadan operation on her throat
this morning and the doctors lust
tclephoned that it's all right He
wouldn't let me stay at the hospital
said IL was better 10 come down here
and divert my mind by tending to
business
We'll, you've AZ least diverted our
minds" Burke answered. why
didn't You tell us so we'd understand
Mr. Barnett gave a shamefaced
smile. Il Just couldn't" he said sim
ply. but now l want you all to take
a vacation this afternoon. Its
Wednesday. and you shall all have
matinee tickets as my treat And now
I'm going TO buy some beads for An
ME"
When he had gone the two stenog-
raphers wiped their eyes and nodded
sympathetically The oder men clear
cd their throats. but William. the Of
fee hoy, looked about him belligerent-
ly.
Didn't l always say he was all
right - he asked