Evening journal., 1907-05-21
A PantOmime.
9@94.99A9V989e9V4999e
Goriginall

OlfAel biue VI thc court 4heg tohbihl-
ed Of several adjoining rooms. In one
at a magnificent desk sat gentleman
with a bald head and brown whiskers
constantly tapping a silver bell to call
a boy. Next was an anteroom, next
rooms full Of clerks and bookkeepers.
In the anteroom sat a girl az a type
writer, though she was constantly get
ting up to go into the baldheaded
mans Office to take dictation.
She was a willOwy girl, with fair
hair and large dreamy eyes. The door
Of the room In which she sat opened,
and a young man came in. He was
fashionably dressed, and 1 noticed
pinned to his vest college Greek
letter society badge. He went up to
the girl and said something to her
She looked up at him with half blush
on her face and a great deal Of pleas
ure In her eyes. Then he went on into
the room where the baldheaded man
sat, and at once l noticed a likeness
between them. They must be father
and son. They chqtted pleasantly for
n time, when the young man rose to
leave. When his hand was on the door
knob, the elder man called him back,
wrote out q check and handed It to
him. He put II in his pocketbook, went
ont, said something to the typewriter
girl that caused her to laugh and was
zone.
A few days later he came IN again.
This time he talked a good while with
The typewriter girl She went on with
Ter work, listening to him at the same
line. The faces Of both were very
ierious Presently he stole an arm
ibout her waist, lifted up her face and
Sissed her. At that moment the bald
headed man got up from his desk and
vent to the door communicating with
he anteroom They were caught.
The father turned and went back
INTO his private Office. His son follow
ed him and talked rapidly. knew by
The expression Of his face that he was
endeavoHng to shield the girl. Wheth-
or he was talking about marriage with
her I could not tell l could not see
the expression on the fathers face, for
ne sat with his back to me. Presently
The son went out. He found the type
writer girl with her face buried In her
bands. lie took them away, displaying
two burning cheeks. He kissed her
again, spoke a few words as if Of en-
couragement and went away.
Every day the older man looked
more troubled, and his son had lost
all the vivacity I had first noticed.
The next day the typewriter did not
appear at her desk. Another took her
place. l saw the son no more and con
cluded he had returned TO college. In
a few months there was a sudden re-
ductlon Of the Office force. and all the
rooms except the private Office and an
teroom were given up. Then the son
appeared regularly and with an Office
boy was his fathers only assistant.
! Words are not needed to indicate pros
perity or adversity-they speak for
themselves. l knew that the house Of
| Blank & Co. had received financial
! blow. The son was at the Office early
and late. Having to do some extra
work myself at night l saw him
through the window working. He
seemed to be his fathers mainstay.
The older man looked much broken
and sadly needed a stay.
One m0rning-it was the next spring,
and all windows were up again-the
son was sitting at the typewriter doing
some copying. The door opened and
lady came in. She was handsomely
dressed, and her face had a familiar
look. She advapced to the window
where the young man sat, and l saw
that she was the former typewriter.
Evidently there had been a boule-
versement. The young man had left
the realms Of a6iuence. She had en-
tered them. She talked with him ear
nestly. l wished 1 had a telephone
connection with them to hear what
they said, but I hadn't and must be
content with pantomime. The girl ap-
peared to be trying to persuade him.
He laid his hand on her arm and, look
/ ing into her face, said something i'm
pressively. She was evidently disap-
pointed. She arose and walked impa-
tiently to and fro in the little room,
/ theu sat down by him and renewed the
attack possibly in a new form. l fan
cied that the tables being turned, she
was mingling with her persuasion a
| trifle of feminine lovemaling, such as
a wealthy woman might make to a
| poor man. Presently / saw him throw
/ his arm about her neck and rain kisses
on her cheeks and lips.
/ Meanwhile the old man in the next
room was fussing with his papers, un-
conscious of what was going on so
near him. Presently the young man
arose, left the girl. entered his fathers
room and began TO talk to him. The
! fathers face was turned sidewise, so
that l could see his expression. From
/ interest It passed to wonder and from
wonder to pleasure, but before either
I Of the first two expressions died a
smile dawned on the fathers lips.
Then the son went back and brought
/ IN the girl. The old mans looks were
far different from when she and his
son had been caught in the act of a
/ kiss. He smiled on her benignly. The
girl took out pocketbook. drew forth
bit Of paper, which she unfolded and
handed to the father. 1t was the size
of a check. Mr. Blank looked at it,
hung his head for a moment then tot
tered to the girl with outstretched
arms. She threw her own about his
neck. Presently he took one OF her
hands from of his shoulder and, grasp
ing the sons hand, placed the two to-
gether.