Middletown transcript., 1905-09-30

during that time / want you, Til come
down for you. Give taken another room
for tonight If l don't want you, you
can go home at two. But you're not to
mention my name or let any one know
that I've hired you, aud you can set your
own terms for the evenings work.
I left him then and went upstairs to
my new room. 1t wasn't nearly SO large
or SO airy as the one I'd had ever since
the legislature assembled, and it was two
stories higher, just under the roof, in
fact But it had some advantages one
was big old-fashioned transom, exactly
like the one belonging to Benson's room,
next door.
On the score of my new room being SO
small and my needing lot of room to
dress for the ball that night, lad Sam,
the porter, set my aat-topped big trunk
outside i'm the corridor. Sam misunder-
stood the number OF my room and set the
trunk in the little blind square off which
Benson's door opened. But tipped him
just the same in fact, twice as much.
| heard little Benson stumble against
the trunk when lie got home at 4.30 pre-
cisey; the little square landing was
already dark and he must have come
upon it unexpectedly. But he didn't
swear nothing perturbed Benson long.
In just five minutes saw the light he'd
lit, through my open transom-his was
open, too-and l heard his typewriter
rafting off voley, its clacking, crack
ling commentaries punctuated by the
singing little bell and the almost as regu-
larly rhythmic tearing across OF each
sheet of paper as he finished with it.
l waited years-years of moving the
typewriter carriage back at the end of a
line years of insertions of new sheets.
And, in spite of my excitement and the
tension OF my nerves, | laughed at myself
as l sat there in snug, short golf skirt
and trim knit jacket. looking like an
athletic, even acrobatic Cinderella, while
my new, my first, my only ball gown lay
spread in dainty fnffiness OIL the bed,
waiting its chance, too.
wondered whether either OF US would
be gratified. 1t must be neither or both
I thought, as l sat there in the dark
listening to the perpetual clatter in Ben
sons room. l couldn't see myself going
to the ball, knowing had failed, though
everybod else there should be talking
Of my success. And | didn't dare to
fancy myself OH the way there with this
thing accomplished, for that was enough
to intoxicate me. And I'd need all the
small wits had before got through.
1t was half-past six when Benson's bell
sounded the last time and the typewriter
gave discordant screech as the last sheet
was torn from it. 1t took Benson ten
! minutes more to get ready-he'd been
working two hours without seconds
breathings- pace. | waited till heard the
patent lock on his door click behind him
and lie ran hurriedly down the stairs to
his dinner.
Then, guilty., opened my door Yes,
gniItily felt as though the dim CORR
doris were alive with suspicious eyes,
They weren't Everybody was down.
stairs at dinner. All l could hear was
the opening Of door now and then and
the porters scurrying busiIy about in the
hall below.
It didn't take me minute to get to
Benson's door and on top of my trunk.
And with good grasp on the lower edge
Of the open tfansom, was just about to
Sip through Wien
heard a heavy step in the hall be-
hind me !
Oh, I'll never forget that minute ! 1t
serves you right, Rhoda Massey Il cried
bitterly to myself. You wiH be famous
now. Your very own office will boot at
you. You greedy little pig, why couldn't