The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-03-05


coe entered the Office of Messrs
Dunno & Findlay, and made her way
TO her accustomed seat. she was quite
Mortified TO see 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
frcwn, wondering Indignantly who
the culprit might be. Owing to her
position as typewriting clerk Nellie
occupied a 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 box OF chocolates, which she
has ostentatiously handed over 10
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 a Sc
ries of small nosegays, which had
been more difficult both to dispose
OF and to resist For Nellie felt that
a few flowers made a wonderful diff
ference in the dull ana dusty Office.
Then she heard Mr.. Dunno rap ont
with some temper to a clerk who had
introduced fancy brass inkstand on
to his desk that AN Office was place
Tor 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 impudence." she said, as
she tossed the scrap of paper into the
waste-paper basket The flow ers
should have followed. she knew. but
she had not the heart How sweet
and strong an odor they have" she
murmured, rs she inhaled their fra
GRANGE.
She hesitated a little, and finally
compromised by putting them in a
spare drawer and trying to think that
no one could notice the odor. strong
as 1t was. She stood in considerable
awe of her abrupt, curt employer.
and never dreamed that he was as
nervous as she. only the day before
Mr.. 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
nad 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
lied with a sinking heart that he
was coming to dictate to her.
Good morning" he said, in his
customary gruff tones, as he entered
II 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 a 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 IL before. Miss Briscoe?"
No, sir" she answered, bending
over her machine to hide her Grim
son cheeks. never before"
Most unpleasant" he said. sharp
~. II shall have TO speak 20 FindIay
about it."
Mr.. Findlay, the other partner in
the firm, was a man whom Nellie did
not like al all. and this prospect in
creased her alarm She took a des-
perate resolution
Perhaps it's these. sir" she said
meelSly and not far removed from
tears
She leaned forward. aud opening
drawer, displayed the offending
flowers
ooh" said Mr. Dunno. Dear me. %
he said again: Ter flowers, Miss
Briscoe?"
Yes, sir" said Nellie, with even
greater meekness
Dear me-" he said again. Ger
yiolets, are they not2"
Yes sir" replied Nellie for the
third time.
"a very pungent Odor." he re-
marked and not at all unpleasant.
really; no, not az all unpleasant-in
fact distinctly agreeable"
Tic looked at Nellie as he spoke
with such an air Of Burpr'se that at
another time she could have laughed
outright But now she felt too dis
tressed for IL was saying fin the
Office that Mr.. Dunno was only really
angry when he seemed mild and in
terested and polite. " he had closed
the door with contemptuoua snort
che would have folt comparatively