The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-28

HE ASKED EAGERLY.
regarded by Tommy as a model to be
slavishly copied. Truesdell had been
Tommys favorite before Miss Mars
den moved into the studio building,
and it was hard to hate him, now that
he had cut in between them, but Tom
nv realized that love is ever breaking
as we'll as making friendships, and he
strove hard to conceal his hatred lest
it give pain to Truesdell
Tommy ran the elevator in the Rem
brandt studios, and from his position
was able to see even more of Nancy
than Truesdell, who had to hover over
the stairway to get chance to happen
in the elevator at the same time she
rode down. TruesdelPs room was two
flights above, and more than once Tom
my had caught him looking over the
banisters with the result that Trues-
dell now rang in vain when Miss Mars
den approached the elevator.
Then came day, the saddest in
Tommys young life, when Truesdell
and Miss Marsden came in together
and he gathered from their converse
ton that they had met at studio tea
somewhere.
After that Truesdell hung over the
banisters no longer, but went straight
to Miss Marsden's door, when he
wished to see her, which was very fire.
quently, and he even added to the
offense by ringing for the elevator to
take him down and up.
These were heavy days and sleep
less nights for the little red headed
elevator runner In his boyish pas
sionate way he fairly worshiped the
brave little woman who supported
herself and her invalid mother by her
brush 1t was agony to feel that
Truesdell would win her before Tommy
himself should have attained the
grownup state wherein a proposal of
marriage is regarded with other than
scorn.
His bitterest moment, one that lived
in his memory long years afterward,
was that memorable afternoon when,
through the latticework surrounding
the shaft, he saw Truesdell take his
leave from the Marsden apartments
and Nancy put UP her sweet face for
a kiss.
Elevator running in a studio build
ing sharpens the wits, and Tommy
knew that that kiss would have never
been permitted unless they were en-
gagged.
His worst suspicious were verified
the next morning when on Miss Mars
denis ungloved hand he saw the ring.
That afternoon Tommy went home
sick, and even sulphur and molasses,
his mothers infallible remedy for boy
ish complaints, gave him no comfort.
He was back at his post the next
morning, but through that sleepless
night something of the man had en-
tered his being, some curious develop
ment that left him still boy and yet
almost a man.
He ran the elevator up and down
with his accustomed skill, but even
Miss Marsden in her new found hap
piness saw that there was something
different in the wistful smile with
which he greeted her and patted his
head, thinking that the boy, in his
eagerness to work, had come back too
soon.
The days passed in mournful pro-
cession, and Tommy made application
for another job that he might not be
called upon to witness Miss Marsdens
happiness, when one afternoon the
door to her studio slammed and Trues-
dell strobe toward the elevator with
wrathful face.
"Going up" he called, and there was
a sharpness, an intensity, to the voice
that Tommy had never before heard.
Truesdell left at his own floor, and
as Tommy watched him turn in at his
own door he caught the sudden col
lapse from the pride of carriage that
told him much. Truesdell had hurt
Miss Marsden and he was sorry for 1t,
though he pretended not to care.
Just before dinner she went down In
the car and Tommy could see even
through the thick veil that she had
been crying. He longed to go upstairs
and thrash TrucsGell, to beat his face
until that smile should be replaced by