Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-07-17
DAILY NOVELETTE,
THE LITTLEST
BOOKKEEPER
BY Maxine G. Henshaw

THE Littlest Bookkeeper sighed
i YEARLY and anxiously scanned a
ledger card. Then she laid the card
on her desk and peered wearily over her
shoulder at Mr.. Holcombe, head book
keeper of the firm of Matson & Doyle,
confectoners. But Mr.. Holcombe was
busily engaged in going over the figures
in an immense ledger and quite unaware
of the fact that all action had ceased
on the part of his Littlest Bookkeeper.
1t was beautiful June day. Through
the one window in the little bookkeeping
office one could see a two by four patch
of bright, blue sky. That and the
building Of the Fitrite Company com
posed the entire view.
1t was at this patch Of blue sky that
the Littlest Bookkeeper gazed, and
sighed again. She was very young
scarcely nineteen, and Offices are very
tircsome on beautiful June days. If only
she thought, one might be out in a
bright, green meadow on such a day.
far away from posting machines and
watchful head bookkeepers
An eraser landing unceremoniously
on the desk reused her from her revcrie.
Amy. the girl sitting directly opposite
Der, began to wink and motion fran
tically in the direction of Mr.. Holcombc.
The Littlest Bookkeeper glanced in back
of her out of the corner of one large
blue eve. then she turned quickly and
was suddenly the busiest one in all that
little room.
Slowly. wearily. the hours dragged
by. Twelve o'clock at last! The Lit
tlest Bookkceper clicked off her machine
and went out for lunch, only to return
at | and continue her work.
So it went, day after. day, and June
turned into July. The other two girls
in the office were planning their immp-
Giate vacations, but the Littlest Book
keeper had none to look forward to-
She had only been an occupant of the
Office four months, and one was re
Quired to work a year before a vacation
was considered necessary.
Nevertheless. one day change took
place in the Littlest Bookkcepor's life.
1t was on a scorching day about the
middle Of July that Amy first noticed
it. Even Mr.. Holcombe woke up to the
fact that something had happened.
Every one was complaining of the heat.
but the Littlest Bookkeeper seemed not
to mind. She worked almost joyfuIly.
and now and then she glanced at the
clock in the corner. At such times her
eyes would glow with a strange. new
look that made Amy impatient, mas
much as she could not fathom its mean
ing.
Promptly at : the Littlcst Bookkecper
covered her posting machine, snatched
her little gray handbag and rushed out,
followed by three pairs of wondering
eyes.
Mr.. Holcombe began to put his desk
in order. gazing absent mindedly out
of the window the while, but sudden
ly his gaze became concentrated.
Here's an explanation. I guess, Miss
Norris" he said turning to Amy, It's
motorcycle man." Both Amy and
Marjorie. the other girl hurried to the
window A shiny, brown motorcycle
with sidecar was just leaving the curb
in the street below. 1t was operated
by a laughing man in n brown khaki
riding suit. He wore no cap and his
dark brown hair was brushed straight
back from his handsome boyish face.
In the sidecar. and also laughing, sat
the Littlest Bookkceeper.
. As the vehicle vanished from view
and it's sharp pop popping was lost in
the mingled sounds of the city's traffic,
the three at the window turned. and
Amy remarked with n smile, 1.-THE Lit
tlest Bookkeeper is happy now, | guess. y
The next morning there were Wild
flowers on the Littlest Bookkeeper's
desk and often during the day when she
thought no one was watching she paused
in her work to bury her little flushed
face in their fresh loveliness.
Amy left for two weeks at the sea-
shore and a share of her work fell to
the Littlest Bookkeeper, but she seemed
hardly to notice. She did her work
and yet appeared oblivious to it. Oc-
casionally, she made errors, giving
Mr.. Wright credit for an amount which
he Gid not pay, or charging the Ideal
Company" for cream drops which they
did not order. At such times, Mr..
Holcombe became irritable. He pointed
out the mistakes and told the Littlest
Bookkeeper she must be more careful.
Whereupon she would turn very pink,
the dimples would appear in her cheeks
and she would look very seriously into
Mr.. Holcombe's gray eyes and murmur,
Eyes, sir"
Almost every night now, the Motor
cycle Man would be waiting for her
on the shiny brown motorcycle, and
on Saturdays, when the Office closed
at noon, he sometimes appeared quite
early and waited patiently until 10.
There came day when the Littest
Bookkeeper was not at her desk at
3 o'clock. Word was sent to Mr.. Hol-
combe from her home-she was ill-the
heat of the past week had been quite too
much for her. The Office was lonely in
her absence. Mr.. Holcombe became
cross and exacting.
Say" Amy began one noon when