The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-12-09

afternoon, and you need not wait. Young
ladies, ghost of smile Aickered across
his set face, casually have plenty to do al
this time of the year. Good afternoon.
ITO Miss Judith Colt, No. 217 Crane
Avenue" she read. "Called away un
expectedly. See you tomorrow if possible
r. Murfree.' 1T s for her." she gasp
ed, addressing the unresponsive walls anc
furniture. "For the girl with the eyes
This is the night of her dance, and he viii
be out at the furnaces. He had to GO
but she won't understand that-she' |
think he broke the date because he didn'
care-T be apt to myself, in her shoes
and now she Il never forgive him-never!
Murfree came into the Office at ter
O clock the next morning looking haggard
and unkempt, but his tired eyes lighted a
little at Miss Lintner's smiling good morn,
ing. From the topmost undulation of hel
elaborate blond pompadour to the hem Of
her trim short skirt the stenographel
breathed an atmosphere Of good cheer, and
her voice was full of human sympathy as
she handed him batch of letters and
said
~ guess this one is personal-I looked
over the rest -
He had been at the furnaces from two
yesterday afternoon until nine this morn,
ing. He had gone back to his boyhood
days and worked with his hands like the
other men about him; he had been with
the dead and dying, had seen sights, the
thought of which turned him sick with
horror even now. During that time he
had neither eaten nor slept; he had found
no chance to send her woodland she had
written-she had written! He turned the
letter over and over in his hands, scarcely
daring to open it; then
"NIiss Lintner," said the manager, and
the girl waiting in the next room looked
up, amazed at the strange, depressed sound.
II am ready if you will take these letters
now" The stenographer crossed the floor,
note book and pencil in hand, her bright
blue eyes eagerly searching the room for
some explanation of its changed atmosphere.
Among the papers on Murfree's desk lay
the envelope which she had decided held
something personal, and beside it, torn
deliberately across, we're two bits of yellow
paper which had once been telegraph
form. Her pupils dilated with a sudden,
swift understanding, and, seating herself,
she wrote rapidly and silently from Muir
free S curt dictation for more than an hour.
The day dragged YEARLY on. Men
came in and out of the offices; reports from
the furnaces were made at regular inter
walls over the phone, and Murfree seemed
as absorbed as usual in his work. At five
Miss Lintner came to him with some let
tiers to be signed, and he dismissed hel
rather shortly.
"You had better 90 home. l will not
need you again today She hesitated,
and he spoke again, more gently. 81 will
wait here until nine for the last news from
the furnaces, but there is no reason fol
your staying
''Good night, Mr.. Murfree, and Merry
Christmas" she called, then closed the
door hastily after her.
II must have looked like jay she
unused as she briskly boarded an uptown
car, 'but he did seem so peaky. Now
Maybele Lintner, cheer up, there is more
to come There nobody else to fix thing
up for them, and they can't take care o.
themselves Proper pride is all right
but-There' Grand Avenue now-I think
the house is corner one. Now brace up
Maybelle- need all your spunk.
Ten minutes latter an aggrieved and re,
splendent English butler presented himself
in the drawing room at 217 Grand Avenue,
eli hexplained to the young person
that you was not at 'ome, madam, but she
said as 'ow she didn't mind that little
bluff, for she just ad to see you. So
showed er into the liberty, and" He
paused, too overcome by outraged dignity
to 90 further.
II will see her, of course, Mercer. -
Miss Colt looked very young and slender
as she stood up in her white clinging gown.
1.-The man tells me you want to see me
very particularly" said Miss Colt. She
dropped the heavy dark curtain behind her,
and stood within few feet of her unbidder
guest, look of puzzled recognition dawn
ING in her dark eyes. ~ think, )" graci
ously, eve have met before, but" hel
glance went swiftly over the trim, vel
rounded figure, in the long tan coat, then
rested on the fresh girlish face with its
frame of blonde hair, and elaborate black
hat, II can't recall-you are?
"Miss Lintner, Maybelle Lntner, y
supplemented that young woman briskly
Il saw you last week in the office. I an
Mr.. Murfree's stenographer.'
''Last year the girls in the company
offices got up little tree for the furnace
children not much of one, but they en-.
joyed it, and this year we had planned the
same sort of thing. Then came this ter
rible accident-you knew about it, Of
course p She paused interrogatively.
"No," said Miss Colt, and there was
an odd little catch in her voice. @
hadn' heard of any accident. - She came
swiftly across the room and laid small
hand on the arm of the chair. "Won'
you sit down and tell me about it p sh
said persuasively. "Was any one hurt
killed p
II expect you don't read the papers.
The stenographer took the chair indicated
and fixed pair of bright, friendly eyes Of
the other face II don't blame you fol
skipping those sort of things any way
I'm interested, of course, because [ work
for the company, and then I got the 'phon
call for Mr.. Murfree. He was out Their
all night, poor man, with not wink o
sleep; but then nobody can control the mel
in panic like he can-where was l p
"You were going to tell me of Christ
mas plan you had for helping the peopl
who suffered in the accident" Miss Col
prompted softly. Her slender, interlace
fingers lay quietly on her knee; her eye
looked big and luminous in the freight
I can give you check, of course, but
would rather do something more, if 20,
will only suggest" She made quicI
little questioning gesture.