The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-11-08

coe entered the office of Messrs.
Dunno e Findlay, and made her way
to her accustomed seat, she was quite
Mortified to see a fragrant bunch of
violets reposing on the tin cover OF
her typewriter.
"Oh. dear" she murmured, what
would Mr. Dunno say if he saw that?"
Very quickly she whisked the Of
Tending flowers out of sight, and
then glanced at the outer office with
a frown, wondering Indignantly who
the culprit might be. owing to her
position as typewriting clerk Nellie
occupied little compartment to her.
self, cut off from the outer Office that
the rattle of her machine might not
disturb the others. She had been in
the employ Of Messrs. Dunno & Find
lay for nearly six months now, and
of late she had been much troubled
at finding small offerings continually
appearing on her desk. Once there
was a box of chocolates, which she
has ostentatlously handed over to
the old office cleaner for her children,
and in secret she had chuckled much
over the huge and quite apparent
disgust of the ledger clerk. the man
whom she had at once suspected.
After that there had ensued Sc
ries of small nosegays, which had
been more difficult both to dispose
of aud to resist. For Nellie felt that
a few flowers made a wonderful diff
ference in the dull and dusty Office
Then she heard Mr.. Dunno rap out
with somo temper to a clerk who had
introduced a fancy brass inkstand on
to his desk that IAN Office was place
for business, not fal-lals." So Nellie
felt that flowers, too, were contra
bands, and now as she looked at
them she discovered new and
alarming departure, for she noticed a
piece of paper, bearing the type
written words, please wear them"
What impudcnce," she said, as
she tossed the scrap of paper into the
waste-papor basket The flowers
should have followed, she knew, but
she had not the heart. How sweet
and strong an odor they have" she
murmured, as she inhaled their fra
srance.
She hesitated little, and finally
compromised by putting them in
spare drawer and trying to think that
NO one could notice the odor, strong
az 1t was. She stood in considerable
awe of her abrupt, curt employer,
and never dreamed that he was as
nervous us she. Only the day before
MIR. Dunno had reprimanded severe
ly young clerk whom he had caught
smoking in working hours, and Mel
lie was convinced that he would re-
gard an indulgence in flowers as
quite as serious an offence against
business principles.
Mr.. Dunno was always punctual in
his arrival at the office, and Nellie
had hardly got her things off before
he appeared. In a few minutes he
came out of his private room and
walked towards hers, and she real
ICED with a sinking heart that he
was coming to dictate to her.
Good morning." he said, in his
customary gruff tones, as he entered.
81 want you to take this for me,
please"
Nellie slipped her paper into her
machine and sat ready, her fingers
resting on the keys; but for all her
apparent absorption in her work she
noticed with dismay puzzled look
on Mr.. Dunne's face.
Dear me-" he said; what a Gu
rious smell there is here-very faint,
but quite distinct. Very curious, very
curious. indeed. Have you ever no
ticed it before, Miss Briscoe?"
mo, sir" she answered, bending
over her machine to hide her Grim
son cheeks, never before"
Most unpleasant" he said, sharp
ly. Il shall have to speak to Findlay
about it,
Mr.. Findlay, the other partner in
the firm, was a man whom Nellie did
not like at ALL and this prospect in
creased her alarm. She took a des-
perate resolution.
Perhaps it's these, sir" she said
meekly, and not far removed from
tears.
AS tNNiASU AOi w diui elllu ODSHlhS
a drawer, displayed the offending
flowers.
"oh," said Mr.. Dunno. Dear me, :"
he said again; "er-howers. Miss
Briscoe?"
Yes, sir" said Nellie, with even
greater meekness.
Dear me-" he said again; Ger
violets, are they not?"
Yes, sir" replied Nellie for tho
third time.
"A very pungent odor," he re-
marked, "and not at all unpleasant,
really; no, not at all unpleasant-in
iact, distinctly agreeable"
lie looked at Nellie as he spoke
with such an air of surprise that at
announcer time she could have laughed
outright But now she felt too dis
tressed, for it was saying in the
once that Mr. Dunno was only really
angry when he seemed mild and in.
.erested and polite. II he had closed
ehe uoor with contemptuous snort
she would have felt comparatively
renewed, but 1t seemed to her that
.n's quiet curiosity was a bad omen.
1ne began to rattle her typewriter
nopins 10 recall his attention to his
correspondence. But ho still exom.
ineu the unlucky yiolets with inter.
est' ana mad Nellie beon less alarm cd
She might have thoreb4 +1,.4 'Nu