Gilpin observer., 1912-11-28
ONCE KEPT A DAIRY
BY KENNETH JONES.


pher as she turned toward the book
keeper and scrutinized him carefully
before opening her desk for the day.
did you ever keep diary?" asked
the bookkeeper by way Of reply.
"Oh, you poor mani" exclaimed the
little stenographer, understandingly.
Some one found it, of course"
: He nodded and sighed.
"Of course, might try to comfort
you by saying we all learn by expert.
ence and there's nothing that time
doesn't heal and such things. but l
won't. It's all Just SO much rubbish
to the person you try to comfort So
I'll Just admit that it's perfectly aw-
full scrape. / can see that some one
has found 1t who oughtn't to know"
my kid brother explained the
bookkeeper, laconically.
what! AS bad as that?" exclaim-
ed the little stenographer. Mortified.
Its one kept quite while ago
and I'd forgotten It," began the book
keeper, Frightening up at the prospect
of unburdening his mind and gaining
sympathy. II noticed for two or three
days that Bill was grinning at me in
a mysterious way and this morning he
made known the secret. He found
1t in an old coat pocket up. in my
closet. used the pocket as a hiding
place, and haven't had that coat out
in ages to go through the pockets.
"You see," he went on, II kept that
diary when / had an awful case of un-
dying love for girl, and, of course,
It's all about her. When I see her
coming now make bee line for the
next corner and turn the other way.
Why, never even want to meet any
one with her first name. But my
present feelings didn't influence what
wrote in that diary-not a bit!
when it happened I was ashamed
of going with any girl and I kept it
all a secret, telling the folks at home
that I was going to be out with some
of the fellows when went to see her.
And as the diary wasn't dated-for
considered that unnecessary-there's
no proof that the whole thing isn't of
present standing!
"Bill called me aside today and
whispered audibly, so the whole fam
lily heard: Have you written in
your diary this morning. When l
looked my surprise-for, of course, the
truth didn't dawn on me for Sec
ond-he laughed and pulled out the lit
tie red leather book! That brought
it all back with lightning speed. Then
he darted out of the door before I
could get hold Of him.
"The family began to make inquir-
. les. Soon Bill pat his head in at the
/ window and said he wanted to speak
to me a minute. When + refused he
called out: oh, well, I'll just read
, page from this little red book to
amuse the family So he began to
shout some silly trash about Mildred
rushed out hurriedly to buy him OF
! But he won't be bought of. Tha
is, not once for all. He demanded s.
q this morning, because his roller skater
, need to be put into condition. Nv,
!. always thought 10 cents too much TO
7 him, so you can imagine that the dol
:. lar came hard! But he wouldn't par
v with the book, and although l begge'
4 him all morning until I left to give
to me he simply thought up scheme
4 for levying blackmail.
, Il don't dare thrash him and tax
= away the book, because he's quote
a SO much of 1t from memory that
q know he's got 1t all by heart, and he
q repeat it with interest II given half
:. chance. II he did, of course, couldn
:. disprove 1t, without showing the oril
inal!
"a "And to think 1t was about Mildred
N Why. she's putty-faced and has tn
disposition of poodle, and she hasn
.t any more style than a bag of pot,
"a toes, and-oh, she's absolutely tn
~ limit! Bill would go and read tn
~ whole thing to her in a minute If
II took the notion. / don't know no
in I'm going to exist! I'm totally in h
70 power and it means ball games eve
q. when 1 have previous engagement
= 1t means taking him along in the ev
" nings II he wants to go! It means
=. thousand trials that will make deaf
~ blessed thing to contemplate!
AZ why on earth do people NAL
-, such fools Of themselves? What goo
Nv did 1t do me to keep that horrib
- diary, anyway? never read 1t owe
~ and 1t makes me hot to think of Il
"a good summer hours I wasted writil
the stun just to amuse Bill"
But why don't you let him do b
worst?" asked the little stenographt
It'll only make Mildred know you d
ry care once-and she knows you dol
an now. And you don't care II your fal
by lily knows that you've got over 20
lni foolishness!"
ns' "Yes." bitterly responded the boo
I'm keeper. "and Bill would hesitate or
m. about five minutes before he'd take
tut over to Grace and, then"
ne "Oh!" The little stenographer sho
OF her head. perhaps you'd better h,
'ge ry and elope with Grace" she 8,
as gested as she began cleaning the Ike
be- of her typewriter.-Chicago Da
he Nowa