Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-20

ilohulu blSutoIl stopDcu at thC Stc
nographer's desk. and Henry ground his
teeth together savagely. He knew very
well that he could never hope to marry
Phoebe Childers. for she had made
this quite clear when, under the first
impulse of his boyish love, he had
written her a fervid declaration of his
intention TO marry her when he should
have grown up. Thereafter it was a
hopeless passion that he nursed, but
his grief was not assuaged at the spec
tacle of Dighton bending over his
desk, for the lad Shrewdly noticed that
she did not draw away from the chief
clerk as she did when the junior
partner came to her desk, as he so
often did.
Time had been when Dighton was
Henry's boyish hero. 1t was he who
had trained the lad to Office ways. and
until they two became rivals for Miss
Childers' love Dighton had been Hen.
rvs favorite. But with the coming of
the pretty typewriter to the office all
this had been changed.
AS Dighton stepped away from the
desk Henry slid up to Miss Childers'
chair with remark cOnjured up on
the spur of the moment, just to show
DightOn that he, too, could lean over
Miss Chiiders' desk until the fair hair
almost brushed his cheek. Then he
went back to his desk, but not before
DightQn had called him to his side and
had sharply ordered him to stop wan
dering about the Office.
I'll get square with YOU" muttered
Henry as he went slowly to his seat.
and even Phoebe's bright smile as he
again passed her desk did not ease the
hurt to his pride. He stood we'll with
Miss Childers, but it was within Digh-
toms province to .'call him" before her,
and the man had an absurd and un-
reasoning jealousy of the boy. Digh-
ton had not vet gained the assurance
to put his fate to the test, and the all
of easy familiarity with which Henry
copied his exact attitude was not to be
borne by a somewhat fiery and love
tried temper.
Henry was still meditating the par
ticular form of torture to which he
would like to see Dighton submitted
| when the two active partners, Evans
| and Sutton, came out of the private of
| fee. Kincaid, the silent partner, was
with them, and their faces were grave
and serious. The senior partner be
| came spokesman.
THE Burton Bradley company has
| obtained our bids on the naval job
he said without preliminary. Can yor
explain, Miss Childers, how they come
to be in possession of a typewriter
| copy of our bid:"
Il know nothing of it," said the cir
| evenly. ''As soon as the proposal wa:
| made out 1 returned to Mr.. Sutton the
| original, while the typewriter copy
| laid on your desk to be signed
Kincaid looked sharply at the junio
| partner THAT Is correct, Mr.. SUIT
| TOM" he asked.
| Il think so,' said Sutton uncertain
| ~. Il remember Miss Childers givin:
me rough draft of the bid and layin:
| some papers on Mr.. Evans desk.
was just about to go to lunch, and aft
er thrusting the draft in the safe
| left, | did not look to see the copy OF
Mr.. Evans desk"
Kincaid frowned.
1T is unfortunate for you," he said
turning to the typewriter, that MI
Sutton did not examine the copy oil
| the other desk. Some one in this of
flee delivered to the other company al
our figures. They made their bid fey
thousand lower and got the contract
The man from whom l obtained IN
information could not tell me by whom
the delivery was made, but the infer
| ence is obvious. You are the onl
stenographer employed in this office"
He waved the discriminating docu
ment toward her, and the current o
air from the electric fan blew it ou
of his hand. Henry, who had bee
gradually edging closer TO Miss Chi
ders' desk, sprang to pick it up. H
rose to his feet slowly, ignoring Kir
caid's impatient gesture.
This amt Miss Childers' writing,
he declared. Even a kid could Sc
, that"
''YOu employ detective upon you
, staff?" asked Kincaid of Evans, with
sarcastic smile. Henry flushed.