The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-12-18
In Shorthand
BY FREDERICK HART

&c. 1920. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)
Stephen Garrick pressed the little
pearl-button on his desk-tOp long and
hard. In the outer Office the sharp,
insistent note Of the buzZer reverberat-
ed, and Garrick's private secretary
sprang from her little desk, where she
had been copying letters, to answer the
summons. Garrick greeted her with a
curt Good morning, Miss Carter" to
which she returned a discreet GOOD
morning, Mr.. Garrick," as she sat by
his side and prepared to take his die
tation.
"Ahem!" Garrick cleared his throat
noisily. sd. II. Green and Son, Utica,
N. Y.-Gentlemen, yours of the twenty
fifth to hand" Stephen Garrick
was off On his days routine.
AS she automatically recorded the
lines and angles that would later be
Transcribed into the utterances of the
great Garrick, railroad magnate and
captain Of industry, Miss Carter let
her gaze wander through the broad
window of the Office over the outline
of roofs and towers that presented it.
self to her gaze.
It was a brilliant spring morning
the sky was deep blue in the sun
shine, and the white buildings, each
capped with its gay little plume OF
steam, like the white feather in the
helmet Of some knight, stood out
sharp and clear against the heavens
The air blew soft with the promise
of the coming summer; through the
half-opened window came the myriad
sounds of the street, muffled and con,
fused by the height into one organ
tone of sound. Miss Carter let her
eyes rove out over the blue waters
of the bay, speckled here and there
with the black hulls Of ferries and
lighters.
81 beg your pardon" She aroused
herself with a start, aware that the
steady monotone of Garrick's dicta.
ton had changed to a sharp note OF
inquiry; Miss Carter was uncomfort
ably aware that she had been day
dreaming. 81 beg your pardon" she
repeated. "Erm afraid / didn't gel
that last sentence"
Usually an admission like this from
the invariably accurate Miss Garter
would have caused Stephen Carries
to make some sarcastic remark; but
today he merely looked at her sharp
ly. His face relaxed into smile.
Dreaming dreams, Miss Carter?
he inquired. "Well, l can't say thai
l blame you. I've been doing little
dreaming myself of late. It's really
first-class morning for dream OF
so, but unfortunately this sudden de
preston in Great Western won't allow
us to stray too far from the unpleas
ant realities of life. Let's see-wher'
was II"
Miss Carter suddenly transformed
from a girl with her thoughts into al
exceedingly practical business woman
consulted her notes..
"regarding the proposed mer
ger of your lines" she read.
"Oh, yes Regarding the pro
posed merger of your lines, would sa.
that at present it seems inadvisable
Yours truly That's all for the pres
ent. Get those copied and bring then
In to me to sign as soon as you can.
Miss Carter left the Office. Sh,
| walked out without turning her head
| so that she did not see the look tina
| Garrfck sent after her.
Perhaps it was the spring breezes
| perhaps It was the consciousness tina
he, the youngest man in the c0unt4
/ to hold such a position as he held
was a bit lonely sometimes; perhap
It was the fact that Miss Carter EN-
bodied all that vas sweet and win
some, despite her business connection
| with him; but the fact remains tina
/ Stephen Garrick sent after her loo
that could by no possibility be cor
strued as one Of business.
And the little vagrant breezes cor
tinued to flit into the room and sti
the papers on his desk as they whis
pered to him, you're in love, Stephe
Garrick-you're In love-and 20
daren't ask her! Aren't you ashame
OF yourself. you great big man, you
You-one Of the biggest railroad me
in the country, even II you are onl
thirty -one-you're afraid to ask her
| by George, I will ask her!" sal
Stephen Garrick aloud. And then
looked guilty around the room q
though ashamed Of his statement.
| But there was no one there to hea
him unless you counted the frame
picture Of the directors Of his prime
pal road. which hung over his desl
| and they looked straight ahead {
them as they always did, withor
/ seeming to be in the least affected b
his unbusinesslike outburst.
/ But the little spring breezes WEI
right. stephen Garrick had been
love with Rosalie Carter for q Ion
4 - a.