Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-12-18
ccoocooccccocc
ALL THERE WAS TO IT
Bv GRACE kERRIGAN.


look for any social side of 1t. There
couldn't be any i'll business ONCE
She would ask for the respect that is
due any girl or woman, no matter
whether she has money and social
standing or must earn her living
Ames & Co. were middle-aged men
and both married. Both were workers,
and both quiet men. They had small
business, but paying one, and their
bookkeeper was also their cashier. lie
was young man of twenty-four, ana
the newcomer was not favorably I'M
pressed with him. 1t is none OF the
stenographers business whether the
bookkeepor in his den is young or old
good looking or ugly-social or surly
Neither Mr.. Adams nor his partner
were good at debating, and they put
the work off on the bookkeeper
Again, they would be the only occu-
pants of the business for hours at
time, and if he was surly and gruH II
would make things lonesome.
Mr.. Walter Bardsley, the said book
keeper, was in his den when Miss Car
ford called and was hired. There had
not been girl in that office in the five
years he had been there, but he never
turned from his desk to look. She had
pleasant voice, but he didn't seem to
hear it. After she had gone, and he
was told by Ames that she was to take
the place, his only comment was;
Very well, sir"
She was waiting for him next morn
ing when he arrived
Mr.. Bardsley did not bow. He did not
introduce himself. He did not look at
her
He picked up the morning mail and
carried it into his den and the girl was
left for half an hour to twddle her
thumbs Then he came out and sat
down by the machine and started OH
with:
MIR. II. o. Wharton-Dear Sir: Your
letter of the 9th inst at hand
Miss Lizzie picked up pad and pen
Gil and wrote. There were five letters
in all He never paused to say com
ma" period" or paragraph. but
drove straight ahead, and when nm
ished got up without a word and went
back to his den. She typed the let
ters and laid them on the desk and
when Mr.. Ames came in they were
signed and sent out to be mailed.
Very well done,' said Mr.. Ames,
and that's all there was to 1t.
At noon Mr. Bardsley went out to
lunch.
When he had disappeared Miss Liz
zie went out to lunch. She was back
first, and when he came in she did not
look at him nor he at her. He could
have said: Nice day. Miss Carford?
And she could have answered: Yes.
very nice"
But he didn't say and she didn't say
From her place by the machine she
could look into the bookkeepers den
and she his back-always his back
After she had surveyed that back for
three mortal hours, and could have
drawn a war-map of every line and
wrinkle, she turned and looked out
upon the roof of the adjoining build
ing. There was clothes-lne stretch
ed across 1t, and on that line hung an
old red flannel shirt. 1t tapped In the
breeze 1t tluttered like a wounded
bird. There were moments when 1t
almost ceased to breathe, as it were.
That shirt when new was blood
red in color. 1t was now faded to the
color of an old brick house In Tarry-
town-the one where General Wash
ington once stopped after licking the
British to ask the owner for the tenn
porary loan of his boot-jack. The
shirt had four patches on 1t to cover
four holes. The buttons were missing
and with increasing age 1t had shrunk
What was the romance-what the mys-
terry of the old red shirt?
why | thought you'd gone.'
1t was the voice of Mr. Ames at her
elbow The girl had fallen asleep.
The bookkeeper had departed without
awakening her. Wasn't that the trick
of a mean man?
Each day for the next month was
like every other day. Outside of the
Q1CldllOH
tween the stenographer and the book
keeper They came and went with
out noticing each other. 1t vexed
and annoyed her for the first week
and then she said to herself:
He's probably mad because some
one he recommended wasn't taken
on instead of me, but II he thinks
he'll get rid of me by playing the
bear he'll find himself mistaken. I'm
real glad to find one man In the city
who isn't smirking. around and brag-
ging how smart he Isl"
| Then a son of Mr. Ames' partner
came home on his vacation from col
lege He was a very fresh young
man. He wanted to be high roller
but his father was tight with money
matters He hung about the office
good DEAL though neither the book
keeper nor the stenographer was
more than barely civil to him.
At the end of week, Miss Lizzie
noticed that the two partners were
anxious and perturbed and held con.
situations Some excitement also
seemed to have got hold of the book
keeper There were three days of
this, and then he disappeared and
| Mr.. Ames took his place. 1t wasn't
for the girl to ask why. but she nat
urally wondered over 1t. The rou-
tine continued about the same. At
noon all went to lunch. The door of
the bookkeeper's den, in which was the