The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-06-14
SILVER CROSS GIRL
Why Farnsworth Justin Sent the
ebliging Office Boy Ten
Dollars.
BY lzoLA FORESTER.

attention from the stack Of papers on
the desk. Vaguely. 1t annoyed him.
He had stayed late at the office on
purpose to be undisturbed. But the
pounding was insistent and 1t came
from across the wide air we'll
He looked from his windows and
saw a girl trying to raise the enc
across the way. She did not seem
excited. but why did she pound so?
Just then she caught sight Of Mr..
Justin and waved to him frantically.
Mr.. Justin waved back mechanically
a. he would have answered the hail
Of q shipwrecked mariner. He raised
his own window. and called across
the twenty-foot space.
What's up?"
I'm locked In she called to him.
7 was working in here, and the boy
didn't know had stayed late.
don't know what to do
who has the keys?"
Jimmie. the boy. He comes early
and opens up"
Where does he liver"
SAy O00I, ! UOu allow
Don't be alarmed" protested MP.
Justin. kindly. II am right here and
I'll get you out"
Il knew you would. That's why
pounded on, the window. I can al.
ways see you at your desk over
there"
II think can rouse the janitor or
engineer Of your building" he called
over to her. We'll be right up"
But he had forgotten to ascertain
her number, and when he reached
the opposite street, the great sombre
fronts Of rock defled detection. There
seemed to be six in the block. He
tried pacing from the corner to flg-
ure how far his own office was from
the street line, but lost his bearings.
Finally he stopped messenger boy
and asked how to reach the engineer
Of the buildings.
Basement wheSe de cleaners &C
in," said the boy.
Gould you go in for me, and ask
about lady who ID locked in on the
tenth foor?" r.
The situations possibilities ap-
pealed to the son Of Mercury. He
would, for quarter. Justin waited
anxiously outside for him while he
tried one building after another.
Finally the boy came out and beck
oned him to follow. He had never
been down In the basement of large
building before, but he tramped care
fully before the boy to the engineers
quarters.
''The superintendent gone home"
said !. the big-coal-grimed party
smoking over an evening paper under
an electric light. "And the janitor's
on the top floor in his own place, eat
ing dinner. The elevator amt run.
ming. either. And amt got any keys.
but the scrub women have. You can
80 up the basement stairs and ask
them"
It was totally new experience to
Farnsworth Justin feeling his way up
the grimy stairs into the bare, silent
rotunda. The messenger boy kept
him company for another quarter,
and made the rounds Of each floor as
they assembled, seeking the scrubwo-
men. The building seemed strange
and unfamiliar with this spell of utter
silence over it, and only light here
and there In the corridors
On the eighth floor they came on a
brigade of scrubbers down on their
knees on mats, washing up the mar.
BILE halls. Justin removed his hat as
he addressed the leader. Yes, she
had pass key to the Offices. Wp-
ing her dripping, swollen hands she
took him up to the tenth floor.
(Which room is it," she asked, and
he could not tell her. Moreover 1t
was horribly silent on the tenth floor.
No sound Of knocking at all.
Call her by name," advised the
woman.
II don't know her name," said Mr..
Justin obviously. The messenger boy
eyed him. 1T must be about in the
middle Of the west side of the hall.
The far hall, I mean, and it faces on
the air we'll. My Office Is opposite. %
The woman had started OF on her
own responsibility and was knocking
on door after door, but there was no
answer.
"1'll bet a nickel she's tumbled
over" said the boy. They all faint. /"
Justin felt utterly wretched and
out of place. Here he was hunting
for a woman and a total stranger
at half past eight In the evening in
q deserted building
II shall shout for her." he declared,
desperately. "she is certainly here. !"
''Wait minute said the scrub
woman, bending down to one key.
hole. II hear something"
Justin's fists were tightly shut. AS
the door was flung open. he pushed
past the boy into the inner ONCE. On
the floor by the open window lay the
girl, her face like gardenia in color.
Justin lifted her In his arms, and
told the boy to hurry for a taxi. He
smother back the heavy wavy hair