Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-10-10


And this day was Harvey Maxwell's
busy day. The ticker began to reel
out jerkily its HtfuI coils of tape. The
desk telephone had a chronic attack
Of buzzing. Men began to throng into
the office and call at him over the rail-
ing. jovially, sharply, %viciously, excit-
eddy. Messenger boys ran in and out
with messages and kilograms. The
Jerks in the office jumped about like
sailors during a storm. Even Pitchers
face relaxed into something resem-
bling animation.
On the exchange there were hurri-
canes and landslides and snowstorms
and glaciers and volcanoes. and those
elemental disturbances were reproduc-
ed in miniature in the brokers' offices.
Maxwell showed his chair against the
wall and transacted business after
the manner of n toe dancer. He jump
ed from ticker to phone. from desk to
door. with the trained agility of a har-
lequin.
In the midst of this growing and inn
portant stress the broker became sud
denly aware of a high rolled fringe of
golden hair under a nodding canopy OF
velvet and ostrich tips, an imitation
sealskin sack and a string of beads
as large as hickory nuts. ending neal
the floor with a silver heart. There
was a self possessed young lady con-
nected with these accessories, and
Pitcher was there to construe her.
LADY from the stenographers' agen-
cy to see about the position" said
Pitcher.
Maxwell turned half around, with
his hands full of papers and ticker
tape.
what position?' he asked with a
frown.
Position of stenographer," said
Pitcher. you told me yesterday to
call them up and have one sent over
this morning.
"You are losing your mind, Pitcher"
said Maxwell. why should | have
given you any such Instructions? Miss
Leslie has given perfect satisfaction
during the year she has been here. The
place is hers as long as she chooses to
retain it. There's 40 place open here.
madam. Countermand that order with
the agency. Pitcher. and don't bring
any more of 'em in here"
The silver heart left the office. swing
ing and banging itself Independently
against the office furniture as it indig-
nantly departed. Pitcher seized a mo-
ment to remark to the bookkeeper that
the ''old man. seemed to get more abb
sentminded and forgetful every day
of the world.
The rush and pace of business grew
iercer and faster. On the door they
were pounding half a dozen stocks in
which Maxwelrs customers were
heavy investors. Orders to buy and
sell were coming and going as swift
as'the fight of swallows. Some of his
own holdings were imperiled. and the
man was working like some high gear
ed. delicate. strong machine-strung to
full tension. going at full speed, ac-
curate. never hesitating. with the prop
er word and decision and act ready
and prompt as clock work. Stocks and
bonds, loans and mortgages, margins
and securities-here was a world OF
finance, and there was no room in 1t
for the human world or the world of
nature.
When the luncheon hour drew near
there came a slight lull in the uproar.
Maxwell stood by his desk with his
hands full of kilograms and memoran-
da, with a fountain pen over his right
ear and his hair hanging in disorderly
strings over his forehead. His window
was open. for the beloved janitress
Spring had turned on a little warmth
through the waking registers of the
earth.
And through the window came a
neutrality-suspicious. a ~lOst-odor, a .dei+
icate. sweet odor of lilac that fixed
the broker for a moment immovable,
for this odor belonged to Miss Leslie.
1t was her own. and hers only.
The odor brought her wildly, almost
tangibly. before him. The world of
finance dwindled suddenly to a speck.
And she was in the next room-twenty
steps away.
"By George, I'll do it now!' said
Maxwell, half aloud. "I1l ask her
now. l wonder | didn't do it long
ago"
He dashed into the inner Office with
the haste of a short trying to cover.
He charged upon the desk of the
stenographer.
She looked up at him with a smile.
A soft pink crept over her cheek. and
her eyes were kind and frank. Max
well leaned one elbow ON her desk.
He still clutched duttering papers with
both hands, and the pen was above
his ear.
Miss Leslie" he began hurriedly,
q" have but a moment to spare. l
want to say something in that moment.
Will you be my wife? i haven't had
time to make love to you in the ordi-