The daily Alaskan., 1909-01-11
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Mr. Smitaers, Bachelor.
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] cigar. In an open window across the street girls face suddenly appeared. She had a birdcage In her hand and she looked all around for a nail to hang 1t on. While she was looking for the nail Smithers was looking at her. He saw vision of lovellness, aged about twenty, and while the bird was hopping about on it's perch SmIthers' heart was hopping about in his bosom. Even before the girl had disappeared In search of a hammer and nail he realized that he was close to that state termed "gonencss,"
 The girl began operations with the hammer with great show of conh' dence. In her innocence she supposed that 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 cute howl of pain and dropped the hammer to the sidewalk within an 1 inch of a pedestrians head and then stuffed the bruised digit into her mouth to suck away the pain the bachelor fairly groaued In sympathy After moment she disappeared, but his heart went with her. The idea came to him to run across the street introduce him self and pour out his sympathles, but arecr combiug his mustachc and put tino, on his hat he decided not to.
 However he set himself to watch for her reappearance, and, though it Was three long hours before he caught sight of her again with a white rag around her finger, he did not feel that he had wasted his time. She looked across at him. and he thought he saw longing for sympathy in her face. He therefore waved his hand, It was in no sense an act of Irritation on his part. His sympathies went with the wave. It was the same as if he said, Poor little orphan girl, but l pity you" The girl drew back, and Smith CTS blew her kiss Not 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 strcct-"Never mind, little girl. youW be happy yet"
 That afternoon the girl and the fn- ger and the rag walked out together, So did Smithers and his sympathetic heart. After being charmed with view of the young lady's back they passed her and were still more charm cd with a view of her face That face was etheral, tender. Oftectionate. It had the longing look that comes to the face of girl left all alone in the world and two weeks behind on her rent to a hard hearted laudlady. Smith CTS might have found excuse to raise his hat and say something about the weather. but a peanut man pushed bis cart against his knees and sent him sprawling, and all romance was driven out of his soul for 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 a waiter in res taurant to write an ode entitled "The Sore Fingered Anger 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 be thought he detected tears in her eyes and a quiverlng 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 ou the watch, and he walked out too. Nothing was fur ther 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 10 get of bis little speech when a big. lusty fellow without the least romance in his soul took him by the scruG of the neck and ad- dressed him for moment in words of feryld cloqucncc. while the girl with the sore finger stood by with q pleasane and expectant look on her face. Her expectations were realized that Is, Mir Smithers was shaken till his teeth bit his tongue. Then he was made 70 perform strange antics with his heels. while his legs would kink up and then straighen out again in a won derful way. Before the big man was through with him his collar and tie were torn of, his coat ripped beyond repair and his hair badly mussed up. He could not afterward swear that he was also kicked and cufred, but he felt reasonably sure of 1t, What hurt him more than the kicks and cuffs, if he got them. was the pleased and | complaccut look on the girls face dur ing the continuous performance and fhe words of the big man when he had finished toying:
 "Tberp. you weazened faced, Top