The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-07-23
The Gentleman
From Indiana
BY BOOTH HARRINGTON

IHhNlIb siltu uVWHSNitlI5 uha wv wy
lady's chamberl Just behind you,
dear!'
aI'urnng quickly, tho foreman beheld
a blushlng and smiling little vision. n
vision with light brown hair. vision
cnveloped In a light brown rain cloak
nnd with brown gloves from which
the handles OF big brown travelling
bag were let fall ~ the- vision dis.
appeared under the cotton umbrella,
while the smitten Judd Bennett reeled
gasping against the station.
Dearest" the girl cried 10 the old
man, "you should have been looking
for me between The devil aud the deep
sea, the parlor car and the smoker'
I've given up cigars, and I've begun
TO study economy. 10 didn't come on
eitherl"
The drixzle nnd mist blew In under
she top Of tho "cut under" as they
drove rapidly Into town, and bright Ut
tlc drops sparklcd on the fair hair
above the new editors forehead and on
the long lasbes above the new editors
checks. she shook these transient
gems of lightly ~ she paused In the
doorway OF the ONCE at the top OF tho
rickeiy stairway.
Mr.. schofeld had Just added the last
touch 10 his decorations and managed
20 slide into his coat N the party came
up the stairs. and now. persplring,
proud, embarrassed, he assumed an at
tltude at once dcprccatory OF Ills en-
deayors and poln,cdiy expectant OF
commendations for the results tHe
waa modest youth and conscious
After IDS ilrat sight Of her ms she stood
In shc doorway Il was several days be-
fore he could llft his distressed eyes
under the new editors glance or. ln'
deed. dare to avail himself OF more
than a hasty and iiu,tering stare al
her when her back was turnedl Az
ehe entered the room he sldled along
the wall and laughed sheeplshly az
nothlng.
Every chair In the room was orha'
mented with one Of his blue rosettes,
tied carefully and hrmly to the middle
slnt Of each chair bnoh. There haa
tbeen seyeral yards OF ribbon left over
and there was hard knot OF glossy
natIu on each OF the lnkstands and on
tho doorknobs, A blue band passing
around the stoycpipc lent II an nntiqua
rnklshness Suggestive Of the chnrioseer,
and n number Of strcnmers suspended
from n hook In the ceiling encouraged
m supposltion that the employees OF the
Herald were contemplating the In
trlca,e festivities OF May day. II need
nd no ghost to infer that these garnl
tures had not cmbelllshei the editorial
S. oR tiurIpg My AE harsle"s ark ,.' ACTIVITY .',', !,
place that very morninssd insd been pu. y
had not known OF the decorations, -rJ
% bis eye fell upon them faint looI
OF pain passed over bis brow. But ID,
girl examined the room with dancing
eye, and there were both tears and
laughter In her heart
How beautiful" she cried "How
beautifulg' She crossed the room and
gave her hand to Ross. ut ls Mr..
Schoheld. isn't IN The ribbons are
delightful. ! didn't know Mr.. Hark.
less room was NO pretty"
Ross looked out OF tho window and
! laughed as he took her hand. which he
shook with long up and down motion,
but he was set at better ease by her
apparent unconsclousncss of the fact
that the decorations were for her. "Oh,
It aln't much. reckon" he replied,
and continued 10 look out of the win.
dow and laugh.
She went 10 the desk and removed
her gloves and laid her rain cloak over
q chair near by. "Is this Mr.. Harkless'
chair" she asked, and. Flsbee answer.
Ing that II was, she looked gravely at II
for n moment, passed her hand gently
over the back OF II aud then. throwing
the rain cloak over another chair, said
'chcerily:
do you know, l think the first thing
for us to do will DO to dust everything
very carefullyT
you remember, | was confident she
would know precisely where to begin"
was Flsbee's earnest whisper in the
willing ear OF the long foreman. mot
nm lnstant's lndeclslon, was thereg"
NO. Stree" replied the other, and as
bc went down to the prcssroOm to hunt
Tor n feather duster which he thought
might be found there he collared Bud
Tlpworthy. the devil, who, not admit.
ted TO the conclave Of his superlors,
was whlstiiDg on the rainy stairway.
"You hustle and find that dustbrush
we used 10 have. Bud" said Parker
And presently as they rummaged IN
ihe hooks and crannles about the ma.
dnlneiy he melted to his small assist
ant '>rhe paper is saved, Buddir-
saved by an angel In light brown. You
can tell II by the look Of her,"
''Gee!" said Bud
Mr. Schoheld had come, blushlng, to
Join them. "Say, Gale, did you notice
the color Of her eyesr
'Yes. They're gray"
II thought so, too, show day and at
Kedge Halloway's lecture. But say |
Gale, they're kind Of changeable. When |