The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-03
THE EVENING STOR
His Delayed Proposal.
(By H. NJ. Kerner..


The pounding of themachines and END
less click of the shifting stencils SEEM
ed to pierce her very brain she cast
a quick glance down the long WORK
room of the Rotary Addressing COM
pany.
Out through the windows at the
other end could be seen a patch OF
blue sky, blurred now and then by a
puff of steam from the pipes of the ao-
Joining building; modest seven-sI.o3I,y
structure. Here and there some bu1id-
ing larger than their own reared It's
head to cut the skyline. and through
the open window there came OCCASION
ally sounds from the street below,
sharp notes in the monotone OF the
MAJ chimes.
Within. long rows of girls leaned
over their work. their deft fingers
forcing envelopes into the hungry
maws of the machines with only
pause now and then when a 1resn
stack of stencils were needed. Be
tween the aisles paced the sharp-eyeu
forewoman. A man had peen II
charge of the room once. but the nrtIl
had found that he was too easy Ioo
commiserate of the women unoe5
him into the office, sending in ms
stead the angular Miss Petut. VIM
forced the girls in her charge 70 ene
limit Of their endeavors. Her Sharp
eye detected Nell's pause she
"Burrowes,'' she called acidly; Sne
never wasted time on Miss: II you
have one ofSyour silly headaches, put
in your time at the office and go noIne'
This is no hospital"
NeITs nervous fingers clutched a
fresh package of envelopes. ana tn liz
pounding of her machine aooeu ~
noise to that of the others. she coulu
not afford to go home. the plttance
that came to her each Saturday was
little enough without 1ndulglhs enS
luxury of an afternoon on.
Jimmy Nelson, coming into the
room to consult with Miss Pettlt apou.
an order, looked with kindly sympathy
at the tired girl. When he mad mao
charge of the room, he had been more
gentle. She had told him sometnlIls
of her story in the noon Intervals,
when he had insisted upon standing
treat to hot coffee to augment the
scanty sandwich that usually consul
tuted her lunch. Coffee cost hve Genus
a day. and the errand girl who made
the trips to the lunchroom must pc
dressing company, paid only from
three to five dollars week, ana COZ
fee was luxury to those who did not
live at home.
There had been time when Jimmy
had dreamed of little fiat wherein
Nell should be mistress. That was
just after he had been promoted to the
office and had had his salary raised TO
fifteen dollars week. He had lacked
the courage to make his proposal In
person and had written her note.
st shall consider silence polite
negative he had added.
once Jimmy had aspired to the
stage, and he had obtained the phrase
from the advertisements in the dra-
matte papers that he studied with re-
ligious care. 1t had struck him as be-
ing a phrase of singular elegance. She
need not refuse him. She could just
ignore the note. He was sorry after
ward that he had not asked for an
answer. 1t would have been something
to keep. AS 1t was, she was as pleas
ant as ever to him, treating him with
the same old frfendlfness and giving
no hint of her reason for the refusal
of his offer.
He Ionged to repeat it. He wanted
to be able to take her out of the place,
from under the very nose of Miss Pet
tilt, yet he lacked the courage to
speak and he contented himself with
coming into the room as often as his
business with the forewoman gave him
an excuse. OF course, 1t would never
do for the office force to chum with
the girls from the operating room dur
ing the noon hour, and in the evening
it was Jimmy's duty to see that all
were out before he locked up.
So Nell struggled on. Just so many
thousand envelopes must be completed
to constitute a minimum days work
the advancement or reduction of salary
depended upon that. She had barely
managed to complete the task when the
gong struck and the girls began to
bles in order. Nell staggered slightly
as she took the last of her work to the
who entered her record in
the book. Miss Petit eyed her sharp
1y as she want hack to her machine.
Unless you are feeling better you
had better not come tomorrow" she
said GROSSLY. 81 can put on another
girl who will make faster use of the
machine"
IT will be all right in the morning"
Nell answered. Miss Petit could not
know that the girl had had no break
fast. There had been medicine to buy
and until pay day came again she would
have to walk to her home and make
dry bread serve for food.
She was slow in preparing for the
street, and even Miss Petit had gone
when she stepped into the elevator The |
street was dark and lonesome. Most |
of the places had closed at 5, and there |
We're few persons moving along the |
narrow strip of sidewalk as she step |
ped out.
On the corner little knot of people |
had gathered about some object of in |
terest, and she peered curiously over |
the shoulder OF the office boy in front |
pushing the men aside.
Miss Petit had slipped upon the |
greasy sidewalk, and lay moaning and |
half unconscious with pain. The girls |
had all gone on and a bootblack was |
trying to make her comfortable until |
the attention of policeman could be |
attracted.
Nell pushed him away and took the
head into her lap, disposing /
her so that the wrenched ankle was |
more comfortable. Then she turned to |
the lad who had stuck to her side, de-
termined to at least share the interest
with the newcomer.
1T is my forewoman," she said. run
Up to the Rotary Addressing Company
nd ncIr NalcOr1 to ril,I-