The Marshall republican., 1907-05-03

any other clerk In the Office. We both
finally left her to herself. Bob OK.
planned to me, some three weeks after
she came to the ONCE, that she re-
ceived no visitors at her home, a hotel
on a quiet uptown street. and that
even he had never had permission to
call upon her there.
But from the day she came to occu.
by her desk In our Office, Bob was a
changed man. whether for better or
for worse neither Kate nor I could de.
eide. His old bounding elasticity wal
gone, and with It his r~ollicking laugh
He was now a man where before b.,
had been a boy. q man with a burden,
Even II | had not heard Beulah Sands
story, | should have guessed that Bob
was staggering under a strange load
stock exchange until Its opening the
next morning. he was. as Kate was
fond OF putting II, always ready 10 oil
In for anything from chaperon TO
nurse. always open for any lark we
planned from a Bohemian dinner TO
the opera. now weeks went by without
our seeing HIN at our house. In the
Office II used to be a saying that out.
side gong strikes. Bob BROMLEY did
not know he was In the stock business.
Formerly every clerk knew when bob
came or went. for II was with a rush.
a shout. a laugh, and "a bang OF doors:
and OF the floor OF the stock exchange
no man played so many pranks. or
filled his orders with so much Jolly
good.naturo and hilarious boisterous.
ness. But from the day the virginian
girl crossed his path. Bob BROMLEY
was a man who was thinking. think.
Ing. thinking all the time. IL was only
with an effort that he would keep his
eyes on whomever he vas talking with
long enough TO take H. what was said.
and II the saying occupied much time
II would DO apparent to tho talker that
Bob was on in the clouds. All kis
friends and associates remarked the
change. but ! alone. except perhaps
Kate. had any idea OF tho cause. !
knew that two million dollars and ths
coming New Year were hurdllng like
kangaroos over Bob's mental rails and
bitches. though ! did not know Il from.
anything he told me. for after that
talk on the upper deck Of the Tribes
man he had shut up like n clam.
lie did not exactly shun me. hut
showed me In many ways that he
had entered into n new world. In
which he desired to bo alone. That
Beulah Sands plight had reused Into
Intense activity all the latent omanc
OF my friends nature. did not sur.
prise ne. | foresaw from tho first
that Bob would fall head over heels
Ia love with this beautiful. sorrow
laden girl. and II was o o obvious
that the longdelayed shaft had plant.
ed It's point In the lnnermost depths
Of his being. His was more than love;
a fervid idolatry now had possession
OF his soul, mind and body. Yet lts
outward manifestations were the OPP
posite OF what one would have looked
for In this gay and optimistic south.
erner. II was rather priest.like wor.
ship. q calm imperturbability that
nothing seemed 10 distract or upset,
ut least In the presence OF the goddess
who was Its object. Every morning
he would pass through my ONCE head
ed straight for the little room she oc-
cupied as II II were his n objective
point OF the day. but once he heard
his wi Good morning. Miss Sands"
he seemed 70 round TO. and while In
her presence was the Bob BROMLEY OF
old. lie would be In and out all
ay on any and every p~retext~A