Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-03-03
Typist
and Irifler


Il want to know" said the Trifer,
! Il just want to know how long he Is
| going to be-that's all.
He seated himself comfortably as he
as the limitations Of Office furniture
permitted-in the only arm chair in
| the room, and, crossing his legs, di-
rected gracious smile at the typist,
who sat with the fingers of one dainty
| hand poised impatiently over the keys
of the typewriter at the other side Of
the table which divided them.
81 am sorry cannot tell you," re-
| piled the typist, gazing pointedly at
heap of unanswered letters before
her. 81 do not know how long Mr..
Calthrop will be exactly"
"Ah," observed the Trif1er in
meditative tone, there are SO very
few things in the world that anybody
does seem to know exactly Perhaps
| 1t has never struck you how difficult 1t
| is to acquire exact knowledge of al
most anything?"
NO" said the Typist, ut never
has"
II thought it probably hadn't" adj
mitted the Trif1er affably. "Yet, take
quite common illustration. If you
ask passerby the time, be will either
tell you off-hand, or he will glance at
his watch--if he is a polite person
and tell you that 1t Is about half-past
three, say, or twenty minutes to six
as the case may be-whereas, in point
Of fact, it never is within five minutes
of the time he asserts. His watch Is
wrong, or he hasn't taken the trouble
to count the divisions on the dial be-
tween each fine minutes. What a
wonderful thing that typewriter Of
yours isl"
"This typewriter" She looked up
at him with mild surprise. why, 1t
Is quite an ordinary one"
II suppose so,' agreed the Trifer,
little regretfully. And you really
can write with it?"
"Well, should not be here II
could not" retorted the Typ1st,
should II"
81 don't know" said the Trifler.
I'm here, and / can't"
"Oh, that's quite different. Besides
-" she glanced at him def1antly-
what are you here for?"
For the matter of that" replied
the Trifier, meeting her glance with
unruff1ed composure, what are you
here for?''
The Typist colored violently, and
her eyes dropped again to the pile Of
letters in front of her
81 think that is rather an imperti-
nent question:" she slid in low
tone.
The Trifier gave an audible sigh.
"It seemed to me rather a pertinent
one" he remarked, in a disappointed
voice "Of course, you know what I'm
here for?"
"To see Mr.. Calthrop- you told me.
But he's not in-I told you"
at doesn't matter at ALL" rejoined
the Trifer airily. "I'll wait. I have
nothing to do for the next hour or so,
and this is--er"-he gaZed round the
room with expansive appreciation
IAN extraordinarily comfortably of
fice''
Hadn't you-better go?" asked the
Typist in low tone.
60! Before seeing Calthrop? Why,
he would never forgive me" protested
the Trifer II couldn't really dream
Of going yet Besides"
81 don't see that there is any be-
sides to keep you here" said the
Typist
",rhey say love is blind" murmured
the Trifer, with an air of philosophic
abstraction.
"I don't understand you'll" said the
Typist, drawing herself up.
'I am not in the least surprised at
that said the Tri er amiably. Very
few people do. 1t has long been my
fate to be misunderstood. Yet /
hoped"-he paused and looked at the
Typist little uneasily. II hoped" he
epeated-by.the-bye there is no
harm in hoping, is there?" he broke
off to inquire.
None that am aware Of" she re-
piled, with her chin in the air.
well, then, / hoped you did" he
explained in italics.
"Hoped-I-did?" She affected an
admirable bewilderment. Hoped |
did what?"
The Trifler spread out his hands
with gentle deprecating gesture.
"You compel me to be explicit;' he
expostulated. Its so much less en-
barrassing to approach these-er--
preliminaries in the elliptical manner.
Except" he added as an after thought.
when you have typewriter handy"
81 have no wish to compel you to
be anything" retorted the Typist.
"And 1t Is quite tine I returned to my
work; so If you will kindly allow me,
Mr.. Clavering-" She made him a
little ironical bow, and was in the act
Of sweeping past when the Trif1er,
with incredible dexterity, caught her
by the wrists and drew her back side
ways so that she faced him involun-
tarily.
"How dare your" cried the Typist,
struggling to free herself.
81 am man of simply extraordinary
courage" he explained. Now, look
here-look at me-look me straight
In the ewes! You know it-and you
have known it, you obstinate, wiilful
girl, for months past! love you. Oh,
yes, love you-there isn't the least
mistake about that whatever. But
what want to know Is whether you