The Washington herald., 1908-02-20

Mrs. Darnley looked up eagerly when
her niece came in.
Was it herd?' she asked, letting her
magazine slide TO the floor
Eleanor Wynn unpinned her nobby
little sailor hat. and leaned back on the
couch pillows with sigh Of relief
~All examinations are narrowing
she said, her eyes still dilated with re-
cent mental strain. 4 never saw such
long columns OF figures in my life,
Auntie, / shall dream about them for
weeks. II seems almost impossible 10
hope that I added them correctly. The
rough draft. letter writing. and arith-
metic didn't bother me a bit, but those
pages OF rapid addition were awful l
shall be-so-ashamed- fail 20 pass
after all the interest and kindness you
have shown"
Mrs. Darnley saw tears rush % the
girls eyes. and picked up her magazine
with seeming Inconsistencies.
Run and take a nice bath, my dear
There IS half an hour before dinner
You needn't dress-come IN your
kimono. ! wouldn't worry II ] did fail
on a civil service examination. Lots
OF wei educated people have gotten so
ratified they wanted 70 spell cat with
two IS"
The girl wiped her eyes furtiyely as
she started from the room.
There was a horrid woman sitting
next 20 me during the exam. She-she
added every blessed one OF those ng-
ures-in a-Ioud whisper" and Eleanor.
ashamed Of her tears, made a rush for
the door Of her own little hall bedroom.
When her father, after an attack OF
pneumonia. had been LEFT with a lung
trouble that his physician said would be
fatal unless he al once left for a south
ern climate. the girl had resolutely in
sisted upon his using the greater part
of their small bank account to start
for Arizona Then deprived or her
fathers salary she had been forced 20
leave college with the determination 10
seek work. Her aunts letter, advising
her 10 come 10 Washington 10 try the
examination advertised by the civil
service to secure a hundred and nifty
clerks for a years work on an extra
rush, had caused the motherless girl to
invest her little money in the chance
that she might be one Of the fortunate
ones. She settled down in her aunt's
tiny fat 20 await IN suspense the two
or three months necessary 20 hear the
result Of her examination
Mrs Darnley came home one after
noon much elated-
Il met John Dabney on the street.
my dear You don't know who John is
of course-but that doesn't make any
difference. He's the incest man in town
He's been out West for three months
and just got back. He's a dear. and he
knows one OF the powers that be-or is
down at the Civil Service Commission.
He offered 10 60 down and ind out just
where you stand on the list of eligi-
bles."
When John Dabney arrived that
evening he looked at the slender girl in
amazement
Miss Wynn, I have TO congratulate
you. Eighteen hundred people took
that examination, and only ten Of them
made higher average than you.
There is no doubt about your getting
an appointment. But" turning TO her
aunt. 1T seems a pity for a mere girl
10 be shut I'D in an Office, adding fig
ures ali day"
But It's only for a year" the girl
said with the youthful enthusiasm Of
one who never worked for a living and
knew nothing of how long and tedious
a year may seem
When the official appointment finally
arrived II was John Dabney who ac-
companied the girl when she reported
TO take the oath Of office. Later he
often made the excuse that she was a
stranger and needed plotting home
after Office.
One hot afternoon in August he met
her on the stone steps near the main
entrance of the government building
Your aunt is waiting for Us at the
Junction. he said. raising her red para
sol and after the manner Of men, hold
ing it at an angle that let in all the sun
and gave occasional digs at her hat.
we three are going 10 run down to
Chesapeake Beach for dinner and a cool
breeze We will get back by u o'clock
tonight"
After dinner they left Mrs. Darnley
with book and stroIled down the
beach until they came 10 an old pier
used only occasionally by small boys
with their fishing tackle.
Lets walk 20 the end of this II
gives a feeling Of being in the middle.
Of the ocean. Except for the narrow
strip Of boards reaching back 10 the
beach, we can imagine we are stranded
on a desert island"
He settled her comfortably on an old
sill lying across the end of the pier