Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-07-03
A PantOmime.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

(Originall
/ sat by my Office window looking
into the offices directly opposite on the
other side Of the court They consist
ed of several adjoining rooms. In one
at magnificent desk sat a gentleman
with a bald head and brown whiskess
constantly tapping a silver bell to call
boy. Next was an anteroom, next
rooms full Of clerks and bookkeepeyA
In the anteroom sat a girl at a type
writer, though she was constantly GET
ting up to go into the baldheaded
mans office to take dictation.
She was willowy girl, with fair
hair and large dreamy eyes. The door
of the room in which she sat opened,
and young man came in. He was
fashionably dressed, and / noticsd
| pinned to his vest college GreAak
letter society badge. He went up ~
the girl and said something to hey.
She looked up at him with half blush
on her face and great deal Of pleas
ure In her eyes. Then he went on into
the room where the baldheaded man
sat, and at once / noticed a likeness
between them. They must be father
and son. They chatted pleasantly tor
time, when the young man rose 70
leave. When his hand was on the door
knob, the elder man called him bacA,
wrote out check and handed 1t 10
him. He put 1t In his pocketbook, went
out, said something to the typewriter
girl that caused her to laugh and was
gone.
A few days later he came in again.
This time he talked good while with
the typewriter girl She went on with
her work, listening to him at the same
time. The faces Of both were very
serious. Presently he stole an arm
about her waist, lifted up her face and
kissed her. At that moment the bald
headed man got up from his desk ana
went to the door communicating with
the 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 WIS
endeavoring to shield the girl. Wheth-
er he was talking about marriage with
her I could not tell. / could not see
the expression on the fathers face, for
he sat with his back to me. Presently
the son went out. He found the type
writer girl with her face buried in her
hands. He took them away, displaying
two burning cheeks. He kissed her
again, spoke few words as il of en-
couragement and went away.
Every day the older man looked
more troubled, and his son had lost
all the vivacity / had first noticed
The next day the typewriter did not
appear at her desk. Another took her
place. / saw the son no more and con-
Guided he had returned to college. In
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 regularl.; and with an Office
boy was his fathers only assistant.
Words are not needed to indicate pros
perity or adversity-they speak for
themselves. i 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 morning-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 familiar
look. She advanced to the window
where the young man sat, and saw
that she was the former typewriter.
Evidently there had been a boule-
versement The young man had left
the realms Of affiuence. She had en-
tered them. She talked with him ear
nestly. / wished l 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,