Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-12-17
Mr.. Smithers, Bachelor.

bachelor. SAT LOOKING out OIL the Win
dow as he smoked his after breakfast
cigar. In AN open window across the
street a girls face suddenly appeared.
She had a birdcage in her hand, and
she looked all around for a nail to
hang it on. While she was looking for
the nail Smithers was looking at her.
He saw Il vision of loneliness, aged
about twenty, and while the bird was
hopping about on its perch Smithers'
heart was hopping about in his bosom.
Even before the girl had disappeared
in search of Il hammer and nail he
realized that he was close to that state
termed ~"goneness."
The girl began operations with the
hammer with Il great show of conf
dence. In her innocence she supposed
that a nail could be driven into a brick
as easily as into a hunk of putty, and
she paid for her innocence by pound
ing her finger. When she uttered a
cute howl of pain and dropped the
hammer to the sidewalk within an
inch of q pedestrians head and then
stuffed the bruised digit into her mouth
to suck away the pain the bachelor
fairly groaned in sympathy. After a
moment she disappeared, but his heart
went with her. The idea anne to him
to u across the street, introduce him
self and pour out his sympathies, but
after combing his mustache and put
ting on his hat he decided not to.
However, he set himself to watch
for her temperance, and, though it
was three long hours before he caught
sight of her again With q white rag
around her finger, he did not feel that
he had wasted his time. She looked
across at him, and be thought he saw
a longing for sympathy in her face.
He therefore waved his hand. 1t was
in no sense an act of Irritation on his
part. His sympathies went with the
wave. 1t was the same as if he said.
Poor little orphan girl. but ! pity
you" The girl drew back. and Smith
ers blew her a kiss. Nc. the slightest
idea of flirting entered his mind. He
was simply conveying by signs what
he couldn't put into words and yell
across the street-"Never mind, little
girl. you'll! be happy yet"
That afternoon the girl and the fin
ger and the rag walked out together.
SO did Smithers and his sympathetic
heart. After being charmed with a
view Of the young lady's back they
passed her and were still more charm
ed with a view of her face. That face
was ETHEREAL. tender. affectiomate. 1t
had the longing look thar comes to the
face of Il Girl left all alone in the
world and two weeks behind on her
rent to n hard hearted landlady. Smith
ers might have found excuse to raise
his hat and say something about the
weather, but n peanut man pushed his
cart against his knees and sent him
spra Wing. ard an romance was driven
out Of his soul fer the next three or
four minutes.
That same evening as Smithers sat
by his window smoking the same
brand and wondering how much he
would have to pay Il waiter in Il res
taurant to write an ode entitled The
Sore Fingered Angel the girl appeared
at her easement. She sat down and
looked up at the starry heavens and
leaned her sore finger on the sill to
rest it, She didn't see Smithers at
first, but when he thought he detected
tears i'll her eye and Il Quivering of
her chin he thrust himself forward to
let her know that there was at least
one human being in this world who
felt for her.
The same rag and the same finger
and the same girl walked out next
day. Smithers was on the watch. and
he walked out too. Nothing was fur
Their from his thoughts than "mashing''
or flirting. That was something he
had never done in his life. After fol
lowing the girl four or five blocks and
thinking up just what words of sym
pathy to address her with he over
hauled her and raised his hat and
was about to get off his little speech
when a big. lusty fellow without the
least romance in his soul took him
by the scruff of the neck and adj
dressed him for a moment in words
of fervid cloquence. While the girl
with the sore finger stood by with a
pleasant and eNpectant look on her
face. Her expectations We're realized
that is, Mr.. Smithers was shaken till
his teeth bit his tongue. Then he was
made TO perform strange antics With
his heels. While his legs would kink up
and then Strengthen out again in a Won
derful way. Before the big man was
through With him his collar and tie
We're torn off. his coat ripped beyond
repair and Ills hair badly mussed up.
He could not afterward swear that he
was also kicked and cuffed. but he
felt reasonably sure of it. What hurt
him more than the kicks and cuffs, if
he got them. was the pleased and
complaceut look on the girls face dur
ing the continuous performance and
the words of the big man when he
had finished toying:
There. you weakened faced, lop
shouldered son of a gun, if you aver
dare to look at my wife again I'll
break your neck like a pipestemw