The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-07

his elbows resting on the upholstered
arms. his gaze dxed on the !, tips Of j his
perfectly geometrical angle. He had all
the appearance of man deciding for or
against the prisoner at the bar.
Suddenly his thin, firm lips parted in
the mere suggestion: Of smile, and he
NODDED % his head empphati tic
INJURED. eff one: decides to alter. the !
entire course Of his existence, New
Years Day is the: most appropriate time
for instituting the--er- change. Quite T
so-an extremely happy thought.
Crossing the room, he opened the door
crowned with pale gold hair, woven in
satiny plaits, was lifted at the sound.
"Ihe foreign r.: mail will be ready in
- ] ETwhat} J., oh, yes-you may bring
He closed the door very quietly be-
hind him and returned to his desk. Here
hole was labeled Letters, reports from
statesmen and memoranda were arranged
in neat piles. He plunged his hands into
his pockets and4stared at the desk with
"Of course, there's the mother. She
might wish to live with us, but un-
derstand there is a brother, older than
Helen. An.amicable arrangement might
be made-for a consideration. I shall
be liberal, and the year which Helen
fsp pe abroad VIII prepare the mother
| Then Mr.. Grey drew from. one of the
pigeon-holes long slip Of paper COW
cred with figures, and studied it with a
slight frown. r ~ :. ..
4 II wonder if have allowed enough
for that year in Paris' She must, &C,
quire every accomplishment that will fit
her for her new position as mistress Of
nay home.''s
:. The paper slipped from his fingers to
! the desk, and the man Of affairs was lost
in memories Of the past
He had married the first Mrs. Grey
exactly repented at leisure, his matri-
monial experience had made him eau
/ tious. There: had been times when his
wife had gotten on his nerves. She
had been one of those butterfly bits
Of femininity who never grow up, She
/ had never outlived her youthful i'm
with advancing years, that he was her
father rather than her husband. She
had thought that every business. trip
to Liverpool, where the firm had heavy
interests, should be the repetition Of
their wedding journey, and she had
never failed to, make the last few days
before, his departure an eternity. Of
|
hours she had had absolutely no respect,
and during the last year Of her life he
had grown to dread the tinkle Of the
telephone bell on his desk, because she
had utilized it to interrupt him with
.. a hundred domestic and social ques-
tions which he had thought might very
, well have waited until his return home
accident she had called him up to an
nounce that she had on perfect love
of a bonnet. If only he could have
seen it! And did he still love hers
Having been assured in somewhat i'm
, patient tones that he always loved her
sion of equipages on the Mall, from
,. which she had returned bruised ano
battered doll. Even her death ha(
been characteristic, for she had begged
him to pick her up and let her die ir
his arms, where she could feel his heart
+ beating against her face.
. His chain of thought was broken by
light tap on the door, and Helene
a Ormesby swept into the room, her hands
: filed with typewriter sheets.
j.. No word save swept would describ'
her movement. The queenly carriag
. which had been the envy Of her class
mates at:the fashiona BILE finishing school
. death Of her father, had been her great
! |mestic holocaust. The women anon,
: : whom she, worked. thought her. proud
! and they withheld the sympathy an.
- companionship which she really craved
: love to, her, or, concluding. from he
!: imperial bearing and her quiet but ele
: Egant gowns, that she was a society gil
! on sociological research bent, had re
}. fused to take her seriously. For thi
one reason she had come to feel for Nj
8 Grey more than ordinary: gratitude. H
had accepted her as an integral part o
: his office system, raising her salary a
Q intervals, just as he advanced his NAL
o employees.
,, Now she laid the letters at Mr.. Grey
+ elbow, and tnrned to leave the room:
Q lone moment, Mis- ormesbysn b
:. pen trembled slightly. IL would lik
d to speak to you when have signe
these.''
:, |'Certainly,'' she said, accepting tn
- - chair toward which he had motione.
70 She WATCHED him as he signed his mai
70 thru each letter. How firm and clear WE
70 his signature. She had often heard hi
u Ispoken of as a man blessed with wo1
o fderful gift Of organization and a ma
8 Vicious capacity for detail. This shove
=, now in every line Of his straight, spa7
" dered idly. What was the life he led
l. the granite house that she had pointe
II Tout to her mother one Sunday as the
q had ridden up Riverside in the electr
I, m The: last letter signed, he touched
a. button and turned the mail over to
"a small boy, trinity clad in the uniform
"a the firm; then he swung round to IA
e e 1.Miss Ormsby, ] understand that ye
10 and your mother have apartments
40 40 the .Glendale9'' ~'
ne 1e The girl g eyes opened just a triAe.
- Yes, sir. -
~ ~ :s9Then I shall do myself the pleasu
Il of calling on you both tomorrow +
lie / The girl s eyes were opened very wi,
"a now. Her amazement was obvious: T
8 flushed just trifle; IT always make
Il. fpoint of plying q few calls on Ne
or Years Day, and-well-I have be,
i'll contemplating this particular call FOR
1t. er some time-Miss Ormsby. 70
i'm services have been exceptionally sat
IT. factory-your conduct in the off
ny emin ently-er- pleasing, and ha
en- wanted to meet your mother and e
enl press my-er-appreci In fact
ad feel that the future should hold sol
lis thing better in store for you than t
of post of head stenographer for James
ito Grey& Co., and ]; am coming-to TIA
he it over with your mother"
ct-=l The last sentence ended abruptly a
It'll a trife lamely., The girl had risen 81
, I tho. she stood very straight and tall