The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-11-05

"Of course I'll take it home,' she was
saying to Frank. eve keep kitty orphan
asylum, Mother and l."
Some class!' said Johnny the waiter
as the door closed behind her. Then he
wondered what had gone wrong with her
appetite.
1t was only a few days later that closing
time at Hathaway Eaton's found Miss
Mackan still at her desk with some little
matters postponed from buster days. A
recess by window, curtained from her own
section, served her as an office.
Presently silence and solitude settled
about her. The hubbub of daytime died
away into peace. Like the heavy quiet OF
an empty theatre, there was something
almost uncanny in the dim aisles between
the cleared counters, the covered tables,
and swathed dummies
The shaded light hanging low over Miss
Mackan's desk frightened her hair into
gold, and threw her figure in its black dress
of newest cut into relief. The twilight
without the lamps circle was hardly re-
lieved by single light far down the aisle.
The noise Of the street below came to her
muffled For some time she worked with
concentration characteristic of her, then
her eyes grew dreamy, and her pencil tapped
idly on the pad before her. Perhaps she
was thinking of Tyler, who had been look
ing rather detected since the dashing of his
hopes the other night.
A board creaked softly outside the green
curtains little sound like light step
perhaps a mouse venturing forth on jour
ney of exploration.
Miss Mackan had not troubled to draw
those curtains together-they hung now
half apart; she had heard the sound with
out paying attention to it, now she lifted
her eyes to see a man standing there in the
aperture.
The shade of her desk-lamp cast the
upper half of him into shadow. She did not
move nor scream; her gaze sought his face
his famished eyes that were yet reverent
as the starved might pause for grace before
the feast.
Glory" he half-whispered question
ingly.
We can't all meet our great moments
with blank verse on our lips.
h, NWhy, hello" said Miss Mackan, slowly.
He advanced few steps to the desk, hat
in hand, big fellow in brand-new suit of
clothes; gray eyes set steadily in a face of
How are you, Glory2" he asked awk-
wardly.
"Well," said she, not rising.
They did not touch hands
YOU'RE looking fine" he affirmed.
"Sit down." She indicated the other
chair.
He did so, drawing it up SO that the light
now included his head, too, in the aura it
cast around hers.
"Aint / looking fine, too7" he questioned
eagerly, thrusting his head toward her as if
to force upon her notice the clearness of his
ewes, the freshness of his skin, the firmness
of his mouth, the health and vitality that
exhaled from him like breeze blowing off
the mountains.
She knew it was not altogether these
externals that he wished her to see.
I'm so glad" she said simply.
"We're friends them"
eyes" she nodded gravely.
A silence fell upon them-why, what
words are going to express the years, the
regrets, the tears, the heartaches, the
trembling hopes, the high resolves, empti-
ness, and the dream moment come true
II hear you've done fine, he began after
moment. "Got good position, haven't
your" !.
"Pretty good, since got with this firm"
Mother with you"
eyes"
"Still taking in all the lost kittens, 1
expect2"
She smiled. "About all that ask, l
, guess"
, He turned his hat thoughtfully in his
, hands
II had hard time finding where you
, were"
} "You-looked for me2"
You must have known it, he said.
} Her hand, lying relaxed on the desk,
suddenly clenched; she did not reply. .
II want to tell you about it, /" he said
II want to tell you all of it, 500 you'll
; understand and-dont you want me tc
, tell YOU'D"
eyes"
Thanks" and he drew long breath
e He spoke slowly and quietly and with the
3 earnest simplicity of man unaware how
his awkward phrases were laying bare the
travail of his soul.
When you left me" he said, the bot
tom dropped out of my world. | never
t thought you'd do it. guess there's sor
of conceit in men that makes them thinl
e no matter what they do that the woman i
t going to stand for it. AT first, was scared
e then thought YOU lust did it to scare me