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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1896)
THE COUEIEK. vu always welcomed back by tbe aaan agemesta the repeataat prodigal is welcomed by hie doting sire. It must be Hid to ttk credit, bow ever, that since tbe advent of "The Little Gray Girl" far had been tu regulars clockwork in hie attention to hk duties. Al hare said, tbe gift of the dog teemed to win a good deal for the office Hercules; aa for myself, I marked cer tain thing, hitherto doubtful io mind, aa certainties, when I came in at dusk one evening acd found "The Little Gray Girl" trimming Mr. Billy Bradshaw's fingernail. Tbe two were alone, and tbe tall youth, quite irreproachably dressed now, waa leaning languidly back in bia awivel chair, with bia handsome feet on bia desk, bis left hand lying in tnat of tbe you ok woman, who waa opeiatingon it buaily with a file. He did not alter bia posture at my entrance nobody cared what tbe spectacled old exchange editor might think on aoy subject and there waa a complacent, exasperating grin on bia face that made me yearn to kick htm. She, for ber part, kept on at ber taak until it waa finished, though I noticed that abe kept ber little gray oack turned to me, and that there waa a charming pink flush in ber usually pale cheeks when she finally nee and returned to her own desk. No one in tbe office, so far aa I am aware, knew anything whatever of little Miaa Croisac'e affairs. She came and went regularly from her work, and abe might have lit ed in a bouae full of people or alone in a hovel in Jersey for aught that anybody knew to the contrary. It waa shortly after Bradsbaw bad fallen into tbe way of knocking off work at about the same time she did, and leav ing the office wi'h ber a practice that reawakened the atorms of envy that bad swept over the others at the first evi dences of the mutual attachment that she astonished every one by remaining away for a full week. On tbe fourth or fifth day tbere.came a black bordeied note addressed to the managing editor. Every one knew tbe handwriting was hers, but no questions were asked, and tbe Old Man himself (who I can confi dently assert was quite as sorely smitten as little Perry, tbe police reporter, tbe youngest cub on tbe staff) of course vol unteered no explanation. On tbe fol lowing Monday morning "The Little Gray Girl" came into tbe office, but a little gray girl no longer. She was clad in deepest black, and about the big soft eyes there were linen and discolorations of tbe sort created by incessant weep ing. We soon learned that she had lost her mother in the interval. Of course we were more attentive ana considerate than ever after that. There was no more loud talking, no laughter, no chaff. The atmosphere became one of gloom and solemnity, and one hardly knew whether to cry, to sing songs .of praise at the sight of the heroic manner in which she stuck to her work. I used to watch ber as she sat there somet tnes late at night, her white, nervous fingers flying oier the paper, and my old heart ached at tbe sight How much longer, I wondered, would it be till the strain should become too great and the plucky little creature collapse utterly? At about this time Bradshuw began to drink heavily. He was never really dm nk in tbe daytime, but managed to keep "on edge." as Jorkins expressed it, until nightfall, when his potations be gau in earnest. He never failed, bow ever, no matter what bis condition, to make his appearance toward 11 o'clock, prepared to escort his patient and hard working divinity home. The miracle by which he retained his hold on the paper reinaineu unsolved As for Miss Croisac, she never appeared to notice anything unusual in ber escort's conduct Her evident admiration for the giant was pitiful and, oh. Lord! how we hated him for it. One night while waiting for ber be fell fast asleep, with his long limbs stretched out and his great head thrown back, and snored like a thunder storm. When she was quite ready to go she touched him on the shoulder, saying softly, "Come along, Brownie," and they went out together. "Good Lordr snorted Jorkins, before tbe door had fairly closcu behind him, "she calls him 'Brownie.' " "That's because of tbe tas'e he has in Jiis mouth every morning." chirped Ed wards, as be deftly rolled a cigarette.. "Shut up, you young idiots." I snarled, for to tell the truth the use of this pet name had exasperated me somewhat. "Haven't you anv more decency than to laugh at a tragedy like that?'' Within a very few weeks a certain change began to creep over little Miss Croisac Her attire, which had always been the picture of neatness, grew grad ually careless and shabby. The seams of her dresses looked woro,and tbe qual ity of ber gloves asd boots could have been improved upon. Her dear little face waa as pretty aa ever, but there was alwats a tired look in tbe patten eytrs bow. I sighed aa I noted it all. though, truth to tell, it waa cone of my business. Then there came one night it was bitterly cold, and scowine, I remember when tbe news reached the office that Bradsbaw bad performed bis tinst grace ful act in year?, and got himself run over and nearly killed by a cable cr. We hoped, of course, that the injuries woulu be fatal, but none of us was to deeply moved by tbe news aa tbe Old Man I mean the managing editor. He was a really handsome old chap, by the way, with crisp, curly, iron-gray locks, and eyes whose kindliness was not con cealed by the heavy gold eyeglasses that be perpetually wore. He a6ked me as a special favor to follow the injured man to the hospital whither he had been taken and see that proper provision waa made for his comfort. I found him badly hurt, but conscious and quite talkative. "1 say, Saunders,7 be beaan, "this is fretty damned tough, don't you think? hope I shan't lose a leg or two. It would spoil my good looks, eh? And Saunders" "Well," I said, as sympathetically as I could. "It's about that kid-that girl, I mean," he went on uneasily; youve probably observed that ebe'j stuck ou me." I resisted an inclination to choke him and nodded. "Well, don't let her come up here bothering. I don't want ber. ana well, if you must know, I owe her some money, which makes it awkward, and" "Do j ou mean to say, 1 demanded, wholly without sympathy, "that you've been robbing that girl of her earnings?" "O, it's not as bad as that," be an swered, squirming slightly in his bed. "I've occasionally borrowed a little.that'e all poker, and all that, you know. But I bay, Saunders, don't imagine that there's anything wrong" "If you were to insinuate that there were," I answered, ascalml as I cou.'d, "I'd wring your arm out by the roots and smite you ovei the jaw with it" The speech was not elegant, but as I left tbe building I was glad 1 bad made it. You see, although an old bachelor. I can feel very strongly on some subjects In spite of all that this moimed Her cules had said to me, he permitted Miss Croirac to visit him in her spare hours. I myself fancy that she spent half her nights nursing him. Of course I hoped h. would die, as did, no doubt, more than one other man in the office. As for the girl herself, bhe went about her duties in a dull, mechanical sort of way, and I soon regarded it as a certainty that if Bradshaw should ever show him self in our midst again he would stand a good chance of being mobbed. All this time, I may add. the comfortable bachelor's quarters that I had occ pied so contentedly all these jears looked particularly empty an' forbidding to me. It was on Friday morning that a great surprise was sprung. There vas an article in one of the papers that told us about Bradshaw. It was a tale of a cracky and millionaire westerr father becoming reconciled with a wayward son. The same article told of our former associate's recovery and of his departure for Europe with his doting parent, who, aB we afterward learned, had had an ar rangement with the publisher of the paper to pay him a certain amount of money each week so long as her.frained from going quite to the devil. This ac counted for the young man's pull. I entered tbe office at about 5 that afternoon. Miss Croisac was usually alone, or nearly so, at that hour. For once, however, it was otherwise. The young lady war sitting by the Old Man's desk, apparently taking something from dictation, but at tbe very moment that I entered she leaned forward slightly and began to sob. rle I don't think either one of them saw or heard me placed one hand ently on the box'ed bronzed head, saying, with great com passion, "don't cry, my child; tie's really not worth it" I stole away guiltily, but with a cer tain celSsh joy at my heart Time is a great healer. I was glad Bradshaw had gone. "The Little Gray Girl," as we called her, did not appear at the office on the following day. At G o'clock in the even irg, as its cus om was, the staff held its usual weekly conclave in a neighboring resort kept by the mo9t hor est of honest Dutchmen, and tbe conversation, of course, confined itpelf :o one subject. "It's a d d shame, said Jorkins. fin ally. "He's broken her heart," said Ed wards. "Jum lhinV of it the beast! to win he r Hre like f bat acd then run away from ei tbe minute begot money. What do you thick of it, Saunders?" I smiled and said nothiog. Outride tbe weather was black acd forbidding, but my heart had a private sun of its own snimng within it At that moment Perry, the police re porter, entered. His step was elastic and hie eye bright. He was obviously charged with a sense of his own import ance. "You haven't bearc I can see you haven't" be remarked, triumphantly, as be sat down, after a lightnicg-iike glance at our faces; "well, Tbe Little Gray Girl' has turned up a winner after all."" -Hon Why?" hallooed the rest in chorus. I alone remained silent "She was married Ibis afternoon," re plied Perry placidly, as he buried his nose in his stein "to The Old Man." Was it any wonder that I choked over my beer? The Scribbler in Town Topics. HALT FARE EXCURSION TO HOT SPRINGS, S. n. If yon wast to travel cheap, note the following round trip excursions ax half rates this summer via. the North Western line: June 12 asd July 3 to Hot Springs. S. D. June 14 asd 15 and July 5 asd S to Denver. Colo. June 15. It. 23 asd 24 to Sas Fras dsco. July 4. 5, C to Chicago. July 4 asd 5 to Buffalo. N. E. A. July 2. 3, 4. 5. to Washington. D. C July 14. 15. 16. to Milwaukee, Wis. Get information asd tickets at city ticket office. 117 South Tenth street Lincoln, Neb. 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