Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1907 — His Delayed Proposal. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

His Delayed Proposal.

By H. M. KERNER.

For a moment Nell’s hand faltered. The pounding of the machines and the endless click of the shifting stencils seemed to pierce her very brain. She cast a quick glance down the long workroom of the Rotary Addressing company. Out through the windows at the other end could be seen a patch of blue sky, blurred now and then by a puff of steam from the pipes of the adjoining building; a modest seven story structure. Here and there some building larger than their own reared Its head to cut the skyline, and through tne open window there came occasionally sounds from the street below, sharp notes In the monotone of the machines. Within, long rows of girls leaned over their work, their deft fingers forcing envelopes into the hungry inaws of the machines with only a pause now and then when a fresh stack of stencils were needed. Between the aisles paced the sharp eyed forewoman. A man had been In charge of the room once, but the firm had found that he was too easy, too commiserate of the women under his supervision, and they had moved him Into the office, sending In his stead the angular Miss Pettit, who forced the girls lu her charge to the limit of their endeavors. Her sharp eye detected Nell’s pause. "Bimowes,” she called acidly. She neve#wasted time on “Miss.” “If you have one of your silly headaches, put in your time at the office and go home. This Is no hospital.” Nell’s nervous fingers clutched a fresh package of envelopes, and the pounding of her machine added its noise to that of the others. She could not afford to go home. The pittance that

“IT’S ONLT MISS PHTn," HK GBOWLED. came to her each, Saturday was little enough without indulging the luxury of an afternoon off. r. Jimmy Nelson, coming Into the room to consult with Miss Pettit about an order, looked with kindly sympathy at the tired girl. When he had had charge of the room, he had been more gentle. She had told him something of her story in the noon Intervals, when he had insisted upon standing treat to hot coffee to augment the scanty sandwich that usually constituted her lunch. Coffee costs 6 cents a day, and the errand girl who made the trips to the lunch room must be tipped in addition. Th-> Rotary Addressing company paid only from $3 to $5 a week, and coffee was a luxury to those who did not live at home. There had been a time when Jimmy had dreamed of a little fiat wherein Nell should be mistress. That was just after he had been promoted to the office and had had his salary raised to sls a wee£. He had lacked the cour age to make his proposal in person and had written her a note. “I shall consider silence a polite negative,” he had added. Once Jimmy bad aspired to the stage, and he had obtained the phrase from the advertisements In the dramatic papers that he studied with religious care. It had struck him as being a phrase of singular elegance. She need not refuse him. She could Jnst Ignore the note. He was sorry afterward that he had not asked for an answer. It would have been something to keep. As it was, she was as pleasant as ever to him, treating him with the same old friendliness and giving no hint of her reason for the refusal of his offer. ~ He longed to repeat It. He wanted to be able to take her out of the place, from under the very nose of Miss Pettit, yet he lacked the courage to speak and he contented himself with coming Into the room as often as his business with the forewoman gave him an excuse. Of course It would never do fo* the office force to chum with the girl* from the operating room during the noon hour, and In the evening it was Jimmy’s duty to see that all were out before he locked up. 80 Nell struggled on. Just so many thousand envelopes must be completed to Constitute a minimum day’s work. A record was made each evening and ths advancement or redaction of salary depended upon that. She had barely managed to complete the task when the gong struck and the gM»

began to cover their machines and pnt their tables In order. Nell staggered slightly as she took the last of her work to the timekeeper, who entered her record in the book. Miss Pettit eyed her sharply as she went back to her machine. “Unless you are feeling better you had better not come tomorrow,” she said crossly. ,“I can put on another girl who will make faster use of the machine.” “I will be all right In the morning,” Nell answered. Miss Pettit could not know that the girl had had no breakfast. There had been medicine to buy, and until pay day came again she would have to walk to her home and make dry bread serve for food. She was slow in preparing for the street and even Miss Pettit had gone when she stepped Into the elevator. The street was dark and lonesome. Most of the places closed at 6, and there were few persons moving along the narrow strip of sidewalk as she stepped out. On the comer a little knot of people had gathered about some object of Interest, and she peered curiously over the shoulder of the office boy In front of her. The next moment she was pushing the men aside. Miss Pettit had slipped upon the greasy sidewalk and lay moaning and half unconscious with pain. The girls had all gone on and a bootblack was trying to make her comfortable until the attention of a policeman could be attracted. Nell pushed him away and took the woman’s head Into her lap, disposing her so that the wretched ankle was more comfortable. Then she turned to the lad who had stuck to her side, determined to at least share the interest with the newcomer. “It ia my forewoman,” she said. “Run up to the Rotary Addressing company and ask Mr. Nelson to come quick.” The lad’s statement that a lady was almost killed and was asking for him brought Jimmy on the run. White faced he tore his way through the Increasing crowd of curious people to come to a dead stop, when he perceived the situation. “It’s only Miss Pettit," he growled in mingled relief and disappointment. “I thought It was you.” “We must get her home, Jimmy,” pleaded Nell. “She says she won’t go In an ambulance. Please call a cab.” “The ambulance Is plenty good for her,” he growled, though to them the ambulance was but a shade less disgraceful than the patrol wagon. “Did not she talk to you like you were a dog this afternoon?” "Get a cab for me,” pleaded Nell, and Jimmy turned away. It was not far to Miss Pettit’s boarding place, and Nell hustled about making the tiny hall room more comfortable. Jimmy stuck doggedly, too, waiting to take Nell home. Miss Pettit sank back on the bed with a sigh. “That will do very well,” she said faintly. “The doctor will bandage my ankle, and then the girl will put me to bed. You were very good to me, my dear.” “It’s all right,” said Nell coldly as she turned to go, but Miss Pettit caught her hand. “Wait a minute,” she said. “I want to tell you something. Jimmy here gave me a letter to hand you some weeks ago. I wasn't going to have any flirting in my room, so I didn’t give it to you. Jimmy Is a good boy. toy dear, and here it is.” She sank back upon the pillow as Jimmy sprang forward. In his excitement he had forgotten Miss Pettit and his wrath against her. Now he only realized that Nell had not received his letter. “And silence ain’t a polite negative?” he asked. Nell smiled. Jimmy had loaned her some of his paper, and she recognized the phtase. “If yon want proverbs, Mr. Nelson," she said primly, “I can give you a bet ter quotation—’Faint heart never won fair lady.’ Ask me to my face like a man, an' mebbe I’ll say ‘Yes.’ ”