The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15
THE JUNIOR
| CLERKS COURTlNG
Romance Of 'Ofloway Road Con-
fided to the Office Boy.
by EDWIN PUaH.

The small Office boy, with the inf1nitesimal
nose made temporarily visible by a smuage
Of ink, desisted from his occupation OF
cracking Brazil nuts In the copying preas
and regarded the very junior CLERK "lon
grave solcitude.
Il cay, Jimmy, what's up9' he asked
sYou got a face on you this mornin' K q
farden kite. Amt bin an lost nothing, ave
your"
Jimmy sighed.
sOnly my art, ole man. he eaid, send'
mentally.
Come again.
'1'm in love" the other explained, with a
blush.
"Takin' anything for it1'
Il was thinkin' o. prussia acid said the
very junior clerk. ,
sLast time I was in love- unused the
ONCE boy, Il Thought Of a ~fourpenny button
hole. But p'r'aps you're WISE
'Youl" soornfully. Why you're only a
kid as yet"
$50 kids are always tsIin' me- W the
ready retort.
The very Junior clerk started from his
posture OF l~aokadaisioal indifference to
mundane things, and looked exceedingly
ferocious.
If you're goin' to be funny he said,
sim afraid I'll ave to wollop you.'
aQuite right to be afraid" remarked the
office boy. Then, as the other reached for
q ruler. he added, hastily: But I do
symperfzs wi you; really, ole a 1
was merely tryin' X cheer you UP. Only
you're 30 'asty.'
SHer name,' said Jimmy somewhat
appeased, SIS Emma Smith"
Never mind" said the Office boy.
'What d. you mean?'
Il was thinkin', p'r'aps, you might get her
to change 1t. She'd still be Emma, though,
Of course" he reflected, moodily.
There's worse names n Emma said
the worry junior clerk.
sI've been called worse myself. tho ofhce
boy admitted, frankly.
"We met, ouoth the lovelorn one, dra-
matically, sin the 'olloway road. I'd got
the fair pip. Hadn't the faintest idea 'ow
! was goin' to spend my evenin'-'avin'
nothing else to spend
Friday, I s'pose9'
SOW did you guess'"
Fridays such an unluoky day-for those
who happen to be paid weekly"
"Stll, I remember times, said the very
Junior clerk, when I've had as much as q
tanner on a Friday before now
SI've 'ad as little as sixpenoe myeelf, ]"
said the Office boy.
"Well, as / cay, I was mooohin' about In
the 'olloway road, with o cigarette in my
mouth that / didn't like to light, because
1t was my last, when ! saw her %sauntering
49, t..IA T. f.z.A 800 llAI Nhn lab
Of her at once, though MIND you l admit
seen her face and for all / knew she might
have been quite plain and az old as Old
SOW old Is that?' asked the office boy.
'Twenty, say"
women amt really old at 20, though
objected the Office boy. why, Nv known
some IS, or "a even, 90 reokoned themselves
quite young
-she, said the very junior clerk, 'was
just the sensible age
"Whenf"
Il mean she's Just the sensible age now
sNever knew they lad a sensible age"
remarked the Office boy, morosely.
Il crossed the road" Jimmy ven. on,
s is9Sstads d tSs f shs o dESif' .l Ras'P g sSe ' saa
and then crossed over again and came
back. That brought US face to face. And
the moment l set eyes on her l knew II was
all over
Ali npAt over WI me, fss'eadi she'd-1
mean she has-got one o those faoes that
grow on a feller."
"Pretty?"
q picture"
PITY n never grew on you; Though
almost like life, so ugly they were"
II rose my at said the very Junior
clerk, aand bowed. She smiled.'
Fl s'pose II wac your thinkin' you'd got a
topper on stead ola cap made her RuRh?'
said smiled Anil did ave my topper
on, as It happens. l up TO her and
paid, Good evenin', mise"
Unjust remember them words; theyrl be
sshe said. Z don't think I know you. SIR
] eaid, mo; that's q pleasure in store"
"You didn't say who It was In store forf'
'She understood. She isn't q fool, like
fools never are like me- said the office
'VaAnd then I said, May I see you 'ome,
miss?' I tell you, she was all In a flutter.'
aP'r'aps the poor girl didn't want to go
"Oh, you always open the ball like that.
You must say something. You can't stand
Though 1t has been done" said the of1oe
boy; .h.n :, lac. than al, q, M Tim. .,,.
very Junior clerk went on, there we were,
chatting away together like two old friends.
All, I've never oottoned to q girl as I cot
toned to Emma, some'ow. There was an
other girl with her, by the way"
There always is."
"she's Jolly pretty though said Jimmy.
who is'"
THE other girl
"Well, after all, what's looks7' said the
office boy. $50 long as you think your
Emma's all right.
Il don't see what you're driWn' ati'