Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-10

and an expression of sorrow that he
could not come to terms with me.
There were no more possible husbands
TO meet me that night [ learned when
l had been conducted downstairs and
into the back office, where half a dozen
young women We're buSyilY engaged
ticking out words on their typeWriters.
These We're, learned from one of them,
letters to their out of town corresponds
ents. I could see through the open door
there were other young women ana
two men, all engaged over ledgers and
other office paraphernala.
Outside the eye caught GlimpSes of
figures, men and women. coming and
going up and down the staircase. At
last the senior member of the firm
came in, and after finding out that
was not engaged for the following Sun
day afternoon entered me i'm a book as
due at the bureau at 1 o'clock, the un-
derstanding being that / should stay
on that day until and that L should
meet a gentleman each hour.
One Man an Hour
I kept the appointment to the letter,
and when the servant opened the door
she was accompanied by a woman who
introduced herself as Mrs. Sharp, wife
of the senior member of the firm. Mrs.
Sharp had all the suaVity of a minis
ter'S wife receiving one of her hus-
bands parishioners. She conducted me
upstairs, and once the door was closed
behind us-we had entered the front
Iarlor, where | had met Mr.. Larkns-
she whispered
MY dear, | have good news for you.
Very good news Three gentlemen are
here already anXiOusly waiting to meet
you. They have been much attracted
by your description on the Cupid blank.
hope you will find some one among
them to your taste for they are all
excellent opportunities"
With that she disappeared only to re-
turn in a moment, bringing in her wake
prepossessing young man of the name
of Parkhurst. Mr., Parkhurst was affa-
BILE and entertaining. He stated his
case confidently and without embar-
rassment. He was a young telegraph
operator, he had been born and brought
up in Burlington, n. j., and, though
he had been working for five years in
the city, he had not succeeded i'm meet
ing very many girls.
We We're chatting away convention
ally enough when gentle tap on the
door indicated that Mr.. Parkhurst's
time was up, and he took his departure
quite like any other young man might
who had spent pleasant half hour
with a social acquaintance.
With Number Two
His footsteps had no sooner died
away down the stairs when Mrs. Sharp
returned with client No. 2. 1t was now
s o'clock, and as four more remand
to be introduced-a new man having
come but few minutes before as
Mrs. Sharp eXplained-it was necessary
to work against time. SO the good lady
told the candidate in very brisk terms
and with many a smile and nod "to
make hay while the sun shone."
And he did. In less time than one
can say Jack Robinson he had out
lined the salient features of his life
and had sketched the background of
his career. He was an artist, as he
styled himself His particular avoca-
ton consisted In teaching classes of
young ladies in country towns from
Maine to California how to make
crayon enlargements of photographs
of their friends and relatives, or even
of "still life studies"
He had roamed everywhere, tasting
OF the sweets of life, but fancying none
of them sufficiently TO induce him to
settle down until a recent attack of