The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-09-10
The DuiV
Short Story
BY PROXY OF PHoNocRApH

Miss Preston removed her long
gloves and absent-mindedly fluffed
the wavy hair above her smooth
forehead into added becomingness.
meanwhile feeling a distinct aver
sion to the task before her.
Although the sun shone joyously
and the leaves Of the trees in the
park opposite swayed and danced
merrily in the soft June breeze, she
owned to her sub-conscious self that
blue" was the adjective best de-
scribing her state of mind.
With unaccustomed hands she
drew the photograph forward
upon her desk and shifted 1t to a
favorable position. Since her ad-
vent as secretary in general to the
decidedly wealthy and exceedinly
quiet president of the Gordon Ora
ham Co., limited, the blatant instru-
ment of torture had been relegated
to the passive background, although
formerly said president had die
tated most of his letters with it's
aid, as he could not endure the
average stenographer."
Ito DdhlSuIuSuL u}tu UeeH q
matter of pride with Edith Preston.
1t lifted her above the average, al
lowing flattering suspicion as to
brains. But the day before, rather
early in the afternoon. Mr.. Graham
had announced with slight
heightening Of color, the following:
Miss Preston, can you get down
a little early tomorrow morning?
I'm going to talk very important
letter into that tonight"-in dicat-
ing the despised phonograph-"and
I'd like to get it out rather early"
Certainly" Miss Preston had
replied In her most formal tone. But
under the calm formal tone was an
underlined hurt that had ranked and
festered ever since.
Reluctantly she touched the
mechanism that controlled the
nasal squeak she so detested, and
sat waiting for the first words.
They came, singularly reproductive,
in spite of the metallic twang, of
the voice of Gordon Graham.
"My dear-you needn't mind the
name just now. I'll give that later.
This is matter about which have
always hesitated for reasons which
| am sure you will appreciate. |
could not bear the thought that my
hopes might go awry and l lose
valued friend and assistant. dared
not hope that you could learn so
readily as | the lesson of caring"
Edith Preston stopped the ma
chine hurriedly, and, with a look
Of wonder and vague fear in her
expressive gray eyes, adjusted it
so that that last sentence was re-
peated. She would have paused
there, lost in strangely sad med
itation, but, like the famed brook,
the words went twanging on:
"And it the event of your not
caring-if | were rash enough to
lose my head and tell YOU would
probably have to give up the small
comfort of seeing you daily that has
at least been mine until now. Dear
est, I'm trying to tell you l love
you-but I'm such differ at this
sort of thing. Can't you say that
care a little?"
A sound like faint catch for
breath made a brief break in the
words, and Miss Preston caught in
effectually, because of shaking
hand at the mechanism, with
dawning suspicion that she was
listening to something very private
and personal, which it was not her
, professional business to hear.
With a little, saucily metallic
click the monograph recklessly
continued: Edith! Edith! Can't
you care? Only say 1 word into this
Edith Preston's cheeks were
crimson with the realization that
this Every private and personal die
tation" decidedly concerned herself
alone. With surprising suddenness,
her indigo atmosphere vanished
uttedly, the world grew suddenly
sunny and marvelously in tune, and
every tiny leaf in the park was
nodding merry good morning"
you blessed monograph" she
whispered. touching with caressing
fingers the brown recording cylin-
der that had filled her cup of hap
piness to the very point Of brlm-
ming over in happy tears. In an
other moment her lips would have
touched and blurred the tender con-
fession irrevocably. But some one
tall, stalwart, with quiet strength
in every line and feature of his like
able face-entered in the fraction
| of time necessary to prevent this,
and another good morning" greet
ing was given in a manner thrill
ingly satisfactory to pretty Miss
Editor Preston ana the president OF
the Gordon Graham Co., Ltd.
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