Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-01-18
curtains. So I "a glad to fetch q tall

80 l was gad 10 1etcn q All
green jar for the lnimosa and some
glass vases for the other things; and
Mr.. Lewis watched me as I began to
put them in.
DO sit down, Mr.. Lewis, won't
YOU" I said, beginning to feel wretch
eddy nervous again as / cut the strings
that tied up the branches Of fluffy yell
low mimosa- Ceramic will be down
in a moment" Il had made her
promise this, by the way. just before
l came in.)
MI. Lewis sat down, in the corner
OF the couch drawn up by the fire.
He said, very pleasantly. well, real
ly. I hope Mrs. Parry won't hurry for
a minute or two It "a you I wanted
t. have a word with, Miss Julia, as
perhaps you know"
Yes" I said, feeling glad I'd some
thing to do with my hands while l had
this horrible job before me, of refus-
"Mrs. Parry told you. then. what
was in my letter."
Yes" I said again: wishinE to
minute, the actual wording of my re-
ply. I thought 1t would come Of itself
when I was speaking to him. But
nothing seemed going to occur to mel!
WELL" said Mr.. Lewis smiling a lit
tie, what did you think OF it, Miss
Julia? That it had taken the old
bachelor a long time to make up his
mind to take the plunge, Ell? And
that it was cheek enough on his part
to dare to think Of asking such a
young little lady? Might have looked
more suitable for q mar Of his yearBe
ThoA Uoc about q e,h 91s u -
I gave the sort of ''oh" that means
nothing at all, and wished that he
were not looking at me with a sudden
CLEAN Of fun in his steady grey friend
~ eyes and that he didn't speak in
that pleasant voice with that trace of
the good old ,Carnarvonahire accent
that took me right back to the days
St. home, centuries ago, when I vas
perfectly happy cutting out dolls
clothes for the waxen Wdnifred-yes.
at that distressing moment all I could
name had been! And how much I
wished Mr.. Lewis were not an old
friend of the famfly's: that would
have made things SO much easier!
He said nothing more for a moment
while I finished putting in the carna-
tons. Then he began again, well,
about this great question. To begin
with. there was all this At the Of
flee"
:"The Office. Mr.. Lewis7" I said,
wondering what that had got to do
with it at all.
The office" he said. noddins. "As
everything! The office will be shutting
down by degrees you know, like SO
many others OF these places. Already
the staf is being reduced. And a short
time ago I said to myself that little
Miss Julia would have to be among
the first lot of the young ladies whose
services were to be dispensed with"
1 looked up surprised and rather in
dignant.
Haven't I been working weIl?"
you have indeed, you certainly
have. A splendid little neat worker
you've been" Mr.. Lewis assured me.
"It isn't that at all. It's only that I
have to consider which Of my work.
ers are Independent, from the finan-
cial point of view, of their work. And
I knew that here were you, ve:y COM
Portable here with your Grannie;
thirty-flve shillings a week doesn't
mean to you what 1t does to some Of
the young ladies. 1t does not. indeed.
And so, sorry as everybody there
WOul0 UG 10 part "AtH yOu--1L "Uulu
be only fair that in a couple Of weeks
you would have to go"
II see," I said. rather fatty.
Sorry I should be-" said Mr.. Lewis.
smiling at me again. ITO part with
you myself, i realized that, too. For
quite a long time now Il shouldn't be-
surprised) I've realized it. And IL I
am to 60 away again, and back to
Wales, Is, in adj probability, I may
do. I should be missine one YOU'VE
little lady tina I shouid have to leave
behind me in London Town."
"Oh dear" l began. feeling uncom-
any more Mr.. Lewis leant forward
in the couch, and took hold of me
very gently by my hand, drawing me
nearer to him.
Come he, said. exactly as if I
were a child very shy before visitors.
What Isl Is there, after all. that
I shouldn't bring this little girl away
with me when l go?"
"oh, ! am afraid mott" said :
"Now, why not?" ASKED MI. Lewis,
until I found mysel. half-hitting on
the arm Of his seat, as / had Last done
about ten years ago: why Not eh !?
She doesn't think I'd be very kind to
herr"
"oh yes. I know you wouid.- said
I SINCERELY.
"yvar t.-n, Alwavs .ocn ere,.
n, as h~.sen't Wy ~, a" h.
~a'1 stu as Il n wnr. ais a- n !,
child "zhat o liked .ne a little too
dear"
"oh. yes, I do." I>assured him-and
Il felt at that moment that I liked him
better than ever ia done before. ana
that nothing in the world, had ever
made ms sorrier than having to hurt
him now. this kindly, gentle man with
the pleasant FACET was 4 pleaant
facs!-And the honey sounding voice
and the honest trey eyes thak wcre