Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 157, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1920 — PINK [ARTICLE]

PINK

By AGNES G. BROGAN.

(Copyright, 1920, Western Newspaper Union.) When the breath of spring came through the office window it seemed to Gloria that her imprisonment was doubly hard to Year. Heretofore Gloria had greeted springtime where breezes swept free and fragrant over wide-stretching hills, where daffodils peeped early through the snow of the cottage dooryard. The cottage had been closed and desolate a long time now, while Glory —as her father used to call her —bent patiently over her desk in the big city. Miss Linden, one stenographer, was sister to -the new manager, and Miss Claire, her assistant. Miss Linden’s chosen friend. Glory sighed as a scent of lilacs was borne in upon the air and she wondered wistfully If the bush beside the cottage door was yet in bloom.

It was when the other girls had gone out to lunch, and Gloria had opened her modest packet of sandwiches to enjoy them near the window that a fresh-faced, red-haired young man opened the office door and tentatively peeped in. “Thought the room was empty,” he apologized; “I’m the new help.” “Help?” questioned Glory. The young man looked as lonely and eager for companionship as herself, “Come in if you like,” she invited. The young man did like. He was very boyish and very respectful. “The boss just engaged me,” he ingeniously confided. “Make myself useful around in any way that I can.” He paused. “Your manager seems rather an all-competent chap; can’t see that I am needed at all, but will have to abide by the order of the boss.” “Of course,” said Gloria; “and really, there will be lots for you to do, if you’re willing. Not that we haven’t plenty of help,” she added meditatively; “but the work seems to pile up some way—l don’t know how. I stay overtime almost every evening to help straighten things out.” “Don’t the others stay, too?” the young man asked. He had seated himself upon the desk, and accepted enjoyably one of Gloria’s sandwiches. “Oh, I don’t inlnd staying,” she said, trying to eradicate her suggestion of complaint. “It doesn’t matter to me where I am, anyway. My boarding room isn’t very pleasant. You know/’ she explained, “how it is, with everything so high?” The young man nodded understandingly. .. “I guess you’d better go now,” Gloria said as she removed evidences of her feast; “noon hour is over,” “Which one are you?” he asked; “Miss —” “Dale,” she answered; “Gloria Dale. And you?” He laughed at her. “I never get my own name,” he said. “Sounds too dignified for a curly red-head. Folks usually call me ‘Pink,’ Everybody’ll be doing it here before a week.” Gloria smiled at the pink face, beneath the bright hair. It was a nice, good face, she thought. “Good-.by, Pink,” she said mischievously, and bent, cheered to her work. Miss Linden and Miss Claire smiled contemptuously as days passed, and ‘Pink’ was often to be found beside Glory’s chair. It was evident that the old-young office boy had installed himself as her champion. The work heaped up for Glory to do after hours diminished rapidly with his assistance.

“Why, you are - wonderful, Pink,’’ she told him. “You have such clever ways of working.” “The manager doesn’t appear to see it,” he told her airily; “he’d fire me any day if it wasn’t for the boss. When these young men, in company with Miss Linden and Miss Claire, started for the theater or drive, Pink would come, with the diffidence he always evinced in Glory’s presence. “I wish.” he’d say, “that you would walk with me down to the park. It’s great to watch the moon shining on the water. I suppose I ought to ask you to go to the theater Instead, Glory, but —” “I wouldn’t let you take me, Pink,” she would firmly reply; “theater tickets are too great a luxury for you or me.” For Gloria knew that the new employee’s salary was less than her meager own. But there’s a charm in moonlit waters, not to be found in crowded places, and Pink and his little friend —lonely no longer —grew close to each other, on these enchanted evenings. Then one day when Gloria bent confused beneath the impatient hurried dictation of* the manager, the great boss himself walked Into the office with Pink at his side. “One moment. Linden,” the head of the Meredith firm commanded. “My son wishes to talk ivith you concerning a new order of things. We must be practically reorganized here, and he will take complete charge. < <- “My son has been qualified as an efficiency expert, and has in his own way selected to look our place over.” The manager arose. . “Pink! —your son?” he gasped. The great boss bowed. “Otherwise, Paul John Meredith,” he said. . “Come here. Glory,” Pink cried; and when she had come, wide-eyed and prettily flushing, Paul John Meredith turned to his father. “This is the girl Fm going to marry, lad,” he said.