Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-30
Evening Story
Ry Jeanne olive Liozlaux.
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)
JONES GETS A JOLT.

ner John Lawless, and Miss Bessie
Compton, the head stenographer,
were deep in what locked like private
conversation. At least it looked like
1t to Jones. Jones delicately with.
drew, leaving his mere business mat
tiers for season more convenient
Jones was head manager. but he was
not what Bub. the ONCE boy, called a
romantic.
It was half hour before Miss Bessie
with her golden head and her up.
right, slim figure. her reserve, and
her notebook. emerged again into the
common herd Of workers. Jones
looked up from his desk and sighed
for a year he had been signing when
ever she came into sight-or into
mind Thus far his signing had done
him no good-nobody knew, nobody
cared. Jones was modest.
Now. he secretly searched the girls
face for signs of unhappiness-and
thought that he found them in her
pallor. the gaint violet shadows be-
meath her long dashed eyes. From
plying himself he began to pity her.
No, she was not for him. but il she
wanted the Junior partner she should
have him He, Jones. would see to 1t
that Mr.. John Lawless took due note
of her.
So Jones began his interference
manfully. Things began to work for
Bessie, mysteriously. One hot August
morning a fresh red rose lay on her
desk when she came to the ONCE.
She seized it, daintily loved it, won.
dered audibly what perfectly dear"
person had dropped 1t there. and
finally set It up before her in bottle
Of fresh water; Jones brought her the
water. Fe smiled, but he shed no
light on the matter Of the giver.
Later. when he privately talked
plans with Mr.. John, he carelessly
offered that gentleman fresh red
bud for his coat lapel. Mr.. John was
pleased, but busy. He thanked Jones,
thrust the blossom into his button
hole, promptly forgot It, and went on
talking about the advertising cam
paign-but Bessie saw that the mate
to her rose was in his coat. She
flushed. Jones saw her, and she met
his eve and flushed more deeply.
Later she found a box Of chocolates
in her inner drawer, and then a small
but perfect bunch of violets. From
day to day these offerings multiplied.
They cost Jones money, but he was
willing to make the girl happy IL he
could. He noted that now she said
nothing about these mysterious gifts,
but bore them slyly away when she
went home. She was hiding her
romance from office eyes, but he saw
her give an odd look now and then
at Mr.. John Lawless-odd, because
the gaze was perfectly serious,
searching and not particularly pleas.
ant.
His harder task was to find out
where Mr.. Lawless stood. Lawless
was no snob-he would marry any
girl who pleased him He was not
yet very rich. belonged to family
no better than that of Bessie, and
was very decent fellow. Jones
knew this, and went on scheming.
First he complained of the crowding
of the middle office, second he got
better position for Miss Hemingway
on the quiet and since her successor
was green" Miss Bessie had to take
all the junior partners dictation.
Finally he managed to get that gen
tleman to have the girls desk in the
private office. When she moved In,
Bessie did queer thing-she stopped
at Jones's desk, leaned over it. and,
looking straight into his shy but de-
lighted eyes, remarked tersely:
you're an awful big fool, Herbert
JONES'" T.. ..t
Jones curled up like caterpillar
on a hot shovel-but he had seen
the quick tears In her eyes as she
turned away. He was perfectly sure
that she thought the junior partner
infinitely her superior. He would
fix that up-the junior partner
would have to see what was what,
that was all. Any sweet girl re.
flected Jones, is superior to the av.
erage man.
Jones did not suspect that Mr..
Lawless enjoyed him immensely as
a character" for his naive good.
ness, his simplicity and unself1sh.
ness, or that the gentleman often
led him on in conversation to get
the unworldliness of his viewpoint.
Late one hot afternoon when bust
ness was slack. and after Jones had
spent all his weeks pocket money
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