Smyrna times., 1908-05-27

yvould marry within a year, but he had
made no change whatever. The boys
had winked and smiled over the mes
sage from the inner office, but all of
them knew that the junior partner had
a deep seated respect for wOmanhoOd,
and in turn they respected him for it.
For weeks and weeks after Kitty |
Burnham had taken her place it might
have been said of the "old man" that |
he hardly knew that she was in the |
Office. The work was done quietly and |
without mistakes. There was hardly |
any conversation outside of business |
matters. When the first month was up |
he quietly informed her that her salary |
was raised to $12 per week. and her
simple Thank you. sir" seemed TO
cover the occasion. There were no in
Productions to the clerks and no invita-
tions to lunch. In one case out of a
hundred the girl was being given a
fair show. She instinctively recOgniZ-
ed the fact and was grateful for it.
One night after a hard days work
the 'Old man" sat alone in his room
in a family hotel and INDUCED in a
reverie for the first time in years He
found himself thinking of a home. of
wife and children. of some one to kiss
him gOOdby in the morning and well
come him home at night. And present
ly there came creeping into that reverie
a face that startled him. 1t was the
face of his stenOgrapher.
To 1fx-r nd od
| the vision away. with a laugh. But it
would not depart for good. He went
out on the street and walked about
| but he seemed to see that face He
| fought to put away the idea of wife
and home. but when it still clung he
said to himself that he was getting
nervous from OverwOrk and ought to
take a week off. Next day when he
dictated his letter Kitty noticed a
change in his voice. and she marked
that he avoided looking her in the face.
There was some subtle change in him,
and it worried her a little.
That reverie came back to the junior
partner and that face came back in
/ connection with wife and home, and
finally he welcomed them. Why
shouldn't he have a wife anG home?
He was rich enough now. and he was
longing for a change from his lonely
existence. At the office he was the
man Of business; at his own room he
was the man of reveries.
By and by there came legal holi-
day. and the office was closed. At
such times the "oid man. usually hung
about for half day anyhow. but on
this occasion he did not go near the
store. Instead. he took train for the
beach and saw the sea for the first
time in years. Without really plan
ming it he soon found himself in the
suburb where Miss Burnham lived
He had carried her address in his
head for days and days. He walked
by the house. He would have laughed
at the idea that he hoped to see her
At the gate he almost halted. as if he
, would enter ard pay a call, but he
, caught himself just in time.
An hour later. in a seaside park hal
: a mile away. as he sat alone on ;
bench with his reverie strong upol
him, a young man and a girl took
seat back of him. A bush hid then
. from sight, but his heart gave a lea
as he heard a we'll known voice.
: was saying:
"NO. Walter. there is no occasion 70
! jealousy on your part. Mr.. Gray i
one of the incest men l ever met bu
he is an old bachelor and has neve
: thought of love. Besides, he is at leas
= fOrty-fve. while I am only nineteen
The idea of my marrying a man oil
= enough to be my father! Why. it
Il perfectly ridiculous"
. There was more conversation, bu
the junior partner heard nothing ful
u ther. He rose softly and tiptoed ava
II some distance. Then he sat down o
another bench and held his face III hi
= hands until the ache ceased. He forty
IL five. she nineteen. Old enough to /
70 her father Old bachelor and nevC
y thought of love! A ridiculous ide;
Is Walter was young. Youth mated wit
= youth.
- And the reveries and the dreams an
the face passed away to return 1
io more. and the boys at the office saf
10 that the "old man" was pitching in
"a work as if he wanted to get somethir
u off his mind.
rt
n Dividing the Trout Family.