The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-08
TIE EVENING STORY
Woman Proposes.
- Beatrice Stnrges. i

Lei C0 stuart Lee O441CE as clCAO~
grapher Miss Atherton's desk was
placed so that every time she glanced
up she saw the back Of his head. This
Cft-reeurring incident. coupled with
the fact that it was a very good look
ing head. we'll set on a pair of stalwart
shoulders. probably had much to do
with the state of affs irs at the end OF
six months. Even in that time she
had learned to distinguish his step
from the dozens of others that trav-
ersed the same hall. to watch for his
smile Of greeting and to listen to his
CHEEKY "Good-morning" as he took Off
his hat and rolled up the cover OF his
desk. Then she would take a good
look at the smoothly brushed yellow
hair, and turn again to her work,
which consisted of copying out long
contracts and other tiresome legal
forms.
Stuart Lee was a lawyer, and had
bent all his young efforts so hard
toward success that 1t was beginning
TO come his way. At the end of two
years he took larger offices, allowing
himself the luxurious necessity of
private room. Miss Anterior then had
charge Of the large outside room. the
second stenographer and the office
boy. She saw more people and re-
ceived more salary, but she missed the
closer CCuTdOeSLlp OF the Olu ue1yS anu
the familiar sight of a blonde head
rising firmly above blue serge Shout
ders.
She kept on loving him. though, for
the simple feminine reason that she
couldn't help it.
Sometimes Lee gave her dictations
that would take up an hour or more,
and then he would make her rest a
bit and chat with him before she
started to work again. At other time
he would ask her advice in the matter
of an office boy, or as to the choice of
two samples for a summer suit, or
whether he looked fit to make a call
without getting his hair cut, and he
would sometimes lay a case before her
to get another point of view.
To all of these friendly manifesto
tons she responded gladly, with an in
ward thrill at the pleasing intimate
basis on which it seemed to pl;sce sheir
relations.
Then this friendly glow would be
suddenly chilled by a sweeping real
lzation of the fact that she was only
his stenographer, and that he probably
talked to her during the day because
there was no one else at hand. Still,
there had been times when he i'm
puls4Vely called her into his room to
watch a thunderstorm or an unusually
beautiful sunset across the Hudson,
and, standing close beside him at the
window, she wondered if he had not
felt some of the emotion that throbbed
IN her own pulses If he did, however,
he never spoke, and so the most gorg-
eouS sunset was yelled in a gray mist
for her, and it was a long time before
a gold-lined cloud appeared on her
own horizon.
That was when she overheard a
fragmentary conversation between Lee
and one of his friends In reply to
some remark Lee had said: Il don't
know what would do without her.
Ihe other laughed and responded:
Well she's too pretty a girl to spend
her life in an Office; somebody will be
carrying her off some day.
Lees reply ended indfstinctlv- in.
stop 1t someway," as he closed his
desk with a bang, and as they passed
out the other door she heard the friend
laugh again, and say: DO it your
self, eh?"
From that day she was changed
girl. She moved as one with a pur-
pose, and yet there was a dreamy soft
ness In her face and manner that
seemed to envelop her as an atmos-
phere. Lee, looking at her closely
wondered that he had not realized how
creamy was her skin. how deep her
dark eyes, and how fascinating the
gold and copper lights in her brown
hair Gradually she told him about
hersef: that it was her grandfather
VINO had won a certain gallant fight
Tor the Confederacys her father who
mad held an honorable Office in a
southern state and her brother who
nad Won recognition for bravery in the
philippines; how she had been s1,d
denly obliged to work after her faith
er's death, and stenograDhy was the
most immediate thing, but that she
had no intention of being a stenog-
rapher all her life
When he asked her what she would
do, or what she wanted to do. she f7rsf
looked at him and then biushed deenlv
looking out of his window toward the
palisades, and he felt strangely dis
euuas oeo. he mad accepted her in his
once as matter of course, compan-
ionship with her on that basis seemed
natural and easy; but he was a man of
reserve and departure from the con
serVatlVe routine disquieted his phleg-
lnal1c nature Their conversation kent
the old friendly tone Of every dav bad
mage and comprehension: but there
was subtle difference, and he began
10 feel her presence more and more.
Finally, one spring afternoon when
the sun was flooding his Office with a
primrose yellow glow, she looked in
and asked II she might talk with him.
Why, certainly" he responded with
smile. "and I wish you would sit in
that brown Dress
She sat down, but did not speak at
first. Her lips trembled and she seem
ed to be seeking courage from the yell
low SKY. suddenly, she turned to him.
MI Lee" she said. 7 have been
with you four years"
rs 1t as long as that?" he questioned.
-Four years this day."
They have been busy years." he
said, land, I hope, happy ones
Yes. they were happy she answer
ed slowly, as a pink flush spreak over
her face; but now must go away"
GO away? Leave me? Why, Helen,
you mustn't. 1 can't spare you. Where
would you go?''
In his surprise he had called her
Helen for the first time and her heart
leaped. She turned to him tremulous-
" and said, almost tinidly, Il am GO
ing to get married"
Married" He brought out the word
incredulously. why, I thought
Here he broke off and walked to the
vyindow where he sfood hfs hands In