Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1911 — A Back Number [ARTICLE]

A Back Number

By JEANNE O. LOIZEAUX

Stanley Pieros, at hla desk in the middle office, bent his head over Ida bookkeeping, and wished to goodness that when he stayed to work overtime the girls in the outer office would go home and atop their chatter.. He "was at the head of his department, and was anxious that there should be »o errors—he was always coming to the office early and leaving late. His fine shoulders were stooped a little, and hla dark hair waa thinning on top. He waa probably thirty—he looked forty. Hla face was weary and passive. Then, hearing hla name spoken tn Queenie Dawson’s clear young voice _he looked up quickly, showing a pair of dark eyes, alert and keen. “Why Stanley Pierce?" she asked, and Rnthle Garter replied. % “Let’s asty him anyhow. He belongs to the force as much as we ” ‘‘More/’ snapped Queenie; “he’s a thousand years old ” Ruth interrupted her. “And U's the first free Saturday afternoon of the summer tomorrow, and we need another man for the picnic anyway. He may not go, but let’s ask him. He’s nice, and he'd enjoy It He lives *way oat somewhere with an old maid sister. It’s no wonder he’s drying up!" “I’m not a missionary!” retorted Queenie. “He’ll think it hla duty to go and will be a wet blanket on the fun. Imagine him trying to flirt! Do leave him in peace, girls, and ask a real, live man—he's a back number, a mere column of figures!” "No,” declared Ruth, and Cassie seconded her. 'x “He’s saved us from the chiefs Ire many’s the time—always doing somebody else’s work. “Oh, If you’re so smitten on him, Ruth, very, well! Only you’ll have the dullest day of-your life, for you’ll have to annex him—l won’t!” Then, some one seemed suddenly to be aware that the door was ajar; a frightened little silence followed. Pierce heard a suppressed giggle, and then he remembered ltwas shameful to listen, and stepped softly through the open door back Into the private office, now deserted. He was safely Inside when one of the girls looked Into the middle room, and marked relief that probably he had been out of hearing distance. Five minutes later, seemingly quite unconscious of the. others, W came out and prepared to leave. The girls gathered penitently about him -save Queenie, who held her head high and watched him from a corner as she adjusted-her hat .. "Come to a park picnlo with ua tomorrow, Mr. Pierce, do!” begged Ruthle, in her sweet fashion. “Let your garden go to weeds, and have a little fun! We’re a man short—and you need s change anyhow.” He considered the girl with amused eyes, then looked up to encounter the gaxe of Queenie. Her fair, aaucy face flamed, and her clear, blue eyes fell In confusion. It was a disturbing gaze for them both, but the man was cool enough. “1 shall be glad to come,” be said conventionally. “I had almost forgotten there were such things as picnics! |Btij|pre start fromitere?” 9 After discussing details for a moment, they separated. And Stanley Pierce went home to think. Had the girl been right? Was he a y£»t blanket to innocent fun? Queenie’s petulant, young voice, her -bright face, haunted his memory. The next afternoon, at Pierce’s suggestion, the little basket-laden party In the lnterurban car passed the pack and he got off at a strip of open wlldwood. All June blossomed and aung about them, and there was much merry finding of flowers, wandering «bout the grassy hillsides, much story telling and laughter. Clark Miller stayed near Ruth, and each of the other girls had her satellite. But, with determined but unostentatious steadiness, Stanley Piercefastened himself to Queenie Dawßon, pretending not to mark the malicious Joy of the rest Annoyed at first the girl was soon' interested, finally pleased. The “back' number” was so entertaining that at length the whole group came under his spell. . Why had they not seen before that he was an out-of-doors man? Why had he hidden hla knowledge of flowers and plants, of wlldwood creatures, his quick, humorous observations on life In general? v :

Toward evening they began to think of a place to spread the supper, but he said be knew the loveliest spot Imaginable, and not so far away, if they would come with him. Immediately the band was on the march. Pieros, still with Queenle beside him, led the way, plucking a flower for her here, helping her under a fence there, once cutting a willow twig and making her a whistle that would have delighted the heart of a small boy. And he lifted her like a child over a little brook. Looking up at him she caught the Arm, clean line of tiS Jaw, the width of his shoulder. His soft hat was rakishly on one side. Out here he seemed no longer to stoop; the heavy look left his sac was ten years younger the office. And soon, making a sudden turn in a winding path, they came to a quaint veranda-surrounded cottage set in the side of a green hill. An old-fashioned picket fence shot in a garden fairly hunting with eld-fashioned bloom.

Green young vines half covered the cottage. X,_ "Oh, what a dream of a place!” said Queenie. “Thank yon for showing ft to us! Do fairies live here, I wonder? No; I suppose It’s only some cross old lady with a,dog who would bite us If we so much aa smelled a rose.” Pierce Jaugfaed and handed the girl a key, as he opened the gate for her and the others. "Do I look like a cross old ladyr he asked. “Come in. Didn’t you know I was a farmer? Pm going to send you men back for the baskets while the girls go In and make coffee on my gas range.” Now, the man was captain, indeed. The little artistic gem of a house was a delight, and he explained that his sister had gone east to care for a sick aunt, but he was quite old enough to be chaperon. And they ate on the little green lawn among the flowers,-and were very happy and content. ThijLwas the beginning of things. Every few Saturdays, sometimes on a Sunday and with somebody’s mother along, the little group, with slight changes in the personaeLJrat always Including Queenie and Ruth, came to make merry in the flower-filled garden. Stanley Pieros changed wonderfully, taking on new life. His shoulders straightened; his eyes brightened. He was prompt at work, but ceased staying overtime, and stopped bearing the office sins of others. He was freer, ‘more Independent, and showed a force which the firm noted. They had a fear that they might lose him, that he had awakened to his own value. So they promoted him, with an Increase of salary—and responsibility. But Queenie sobered as summer advanced. Her two weeks’ vacation brought her back pale and listless. She seemed quiet, older by years. In that two weeks, she had not seen Pierce, and she -had dismissed John Harter. The girls thought she might be regretting her j latter move, and Pierce overheard them discussing It Suddenly his undertanding opened to the hope that had been all summer ly•ing warm at his heart. —— ' The next Saturday he asked them all to his house, and while the others were eager, Queenie seenied indifferent. But the rest rallied her and she finally went. This time Miss Nancy waa at home, and met them' In her pleasant, Incisive way, explaining that she had just come back for her things —she was needed indefinitely back east. “Stan" was a good housekeeper, she averred, and when he grew tired of his own company he could fool some girl Into marrying him —men worse than he did it every day! She was very entertaining and, to Queenie, embarrassing, though: the girl could not have said why. She was self-con-scious. After supper, they wandered out In the twilight, first one couple and then another ingeniously losing itself abput the grounds. Pierce and Queenie ant for a while on the veranda, then he led her down the winding path to the ruetic seat beneath the big oak, and tn silence they watched the fireflies blase out In the dewy grass, and the stars prick out from the background of dark velvet sky. Then the moon rose. Pierce made some careless remark to the girl, but she did not answer, so he stooped to look closely at her. Tears shone in her eyes, and then she covered her face with both hands. He put his arm about her and drew the little head to hla shoulder. She turned her face against his coat and began to cry softly. "Queenie, Queenie!” be said, "do you—care? Will you marry me? Surely'you have long known that I love you, dear!” She drew nervously away from him and sat up, laughing a little. “What Is the trouble, Queenie? You’ve not been yourself this long time. Don’t you care? Tell me!” “Well,” she faltered, “you will think me an —awful little—goose, but l couldn’t help it.” She paused. “Help what?” he said, drawing her back, quite willing, to hla arms. i‘l thought you might not —really care. I thought you heard me call yon a —back number, aud hprrid things, once In the office, and were simply—getting even! I war worried to death!” It was hla time to laugh. “Do you suppose my man's ears are-pricked up to hear all the girl chatter in that 6tflce? And would It make any difference If a girl did call me a back number, so-4ong aa ahe atoned for It by mnrrylng me?” Then they .heard the others coming and realized that even for lover's the lnterurban oar system has a heartless, fixed, time schedule. Misinterpreted Question. “That was an intentional misunderstanding.” said Senator Bankhead, in a political argument In Fayette. “It was as Intentional as the young Canadian’s. “A young Canadian, you know, came to Washington last month to spend the holidays with a pretty cousin and her family. xil; 1 “As he tras motoring with hla pretty cousin one afternoon, ahe said to him:! * -* ” ’Do you have reindeer in Canada?* ** ‘No, darling.’ he answered quick]?) ’at this season it always snows. 1 *