Show = The Major BY CHARLES EDMUND DARKER I lie 1Tts one ot the kind I I who came of people The major naturally by a nickname I Was ono of the odlcal of teen most meth clock he lrolllDtly at nIne came down from bleaktast fresh and pink comfortable read his mail In the seclllsion of the writing room dIctated ters the answers to his lot to the hotel rosh stenographer lit n cigar Ilt the clgur stand and then dull bnsinns < < cures Were brushed to tithe bard where with he sprightly seated himself aside toN in a favorite moue corner ana began the se OCcupation of the day by order tug a Gentlemans drink of whisky Other drinks followed at Intervals during the I ng morning varyed In strength and liequrncy by the character and numbers of the other visitors By the hour of noon he had reached It stage of mellowness that developed i rare play of rich and spicy wit It was beneath i the manhood of the major to approach the diningroom while in his cups When six oclock came his dinner was served to him H his particular table In the corner of ho bar and the sitting more often than not was continued until mid night With all his roystering habits It should not be hastily concluded that the major led an entirely useless or purposeless existence Many ware the tales cf his generosity When Dab the old head porter was laid up with rheumatism It was the major who vis ited him In his little hovel of a home on The West Side provided for his family and paid his doctors bill Then every one knew I new of his kindly and sympathetic sym-pathetic Interest when Miss McFee the oldmaid stenographer took pneumonia pneu-monia and died And then the new stenographer came She was a lump of a girl as round as a pigeon with frank brown eyes that teemed to challenge respect and chivalry by their very Innocence Her voice was soft and respectful and It was an Inspiration to act her peisonal and complete Interest In her patrons Miss Mitchell was her name and It was hard to keep from becoming confidential con-fidential with her at the very first In tervlow J Almost from the first the sharp observers ob-servers among the frequenters of the Windsor noticed that It took the major ma-jor somewhat longer to dictate his mall to Miss Mitchell than It had to Miss McFee and moreover ho did not hurry away to the bar quite so precipitately precipi-tately One day In the midst of the letters Miss Mitchell looked up for an instant In-stant at a lady who was passing through the lobby What an exquisite bunch of violets vio-lets the said Very pretty replied the major following fol-lowing her glance and then they went on with their work The next morning a neighboring or lets toy placed a fine bunch of English Eng-lish beauties In the little bud ase that had been Miss McFees on Miss Mitchells desk and morning after morning this was repeated After the morning dictation during one of the little chats which the major ma-jor haci come to allow himself Miss Mitchell one day expressed a very adverse ad-verse opinion about the men who dramt and were fast This speech had a marked effect upon the major The very next day after his business routine the major left a forwarding address with the clerk on duty and registered out His absence was noticed no-ticed immediately in the bar and inquiries in-quiries were made of the clerk A monthtwo months pawed and btlll tho major had not returned to his old corner in the Windsor bar The only mark of his long residence at the hotel was tho little bunch of fresh violets vio-lets which dally adorned Miss Mitch oils desk One day is unheralded as had beet his departure the major returned to the Windsor Ills complexion was whiter and his eyes were clearer otherwise oth-erwise he was the same old major careless lively and Jovial He dictated his letters to Miss Mitchell as usual the next morning but it was observed and marked with notice that he did not much special turning toward follow his old habit of the tar immediately thereafter Instead into a big this he stopped stead of automobile that stood at the door and was away In a trice He became a devotee or this big machine A large to portion of the day he gave himself he car Sometimes runs and tours rti n Mend or two with him on theta excursions but they Were rarely any of u o his old friends of the bar At liast once ho asked Miss Mitch ell to ride with him but she met the proposal with a cheerful no thank you that left no room for doubt about her decision A morning came on which ho at tended to his correspondence with more than usual cure in addition to the legular grind of business he wrote some long delayed missives to old air lego friendsdashing brilliant uncon ventional letters they were full of the boyish spirit which the major still held notwithstanding his acknowl edged 38 years When ho had quite finished ho drew from his pocket at Important looking paper Miss Mitchell I have a very par ticular matter I wish to speak about No you neednt take my words down on paper Im not dictating The fact ls1 am thinking ofwell giving you the chance of dictating some to mo if you think proper Why what do you mean Mr Ebs bourne she asked her large heavy lashed eyes looking tho utmost won der Its a very simple matter Miss Mitchell at least I used to think It was when I observed the symptoms In other folks But dont look at im like that you might pretend you arc taking notes some one will see and wonder what we are talking about Oh If Its anything Improper you mustnt say It Mr Ebsbourne She was plainly agitated Not the very least Improper little one but the most natural thing that over occurred to mo In all my wild harumscarum life No listen calmly if what I say Is not pleasing you I will mop and we will not talk about It any more I love you Dont start so Miss Mitchell I have loved you ever since the first time you looked at me with those clear liquid honest pure eyes of yours I have read In their depths more tha I ever discovered discov-ered In my wanderings over two continents conti-nents I will not bewilder you by trying try-Ing to tell you all I fool for In so doing I would only bewilder myself 1 want to give you Just the Idea and leave you to think it over and get used to It I cant help loving you anj more than I could help breathing ot living if I didnt breathe WhyMr Ebsbourne she replied I dont think I care for you in anyway any-way like that I didnt expect you to little one But your can give me a little hope cant you You dont dislike me do youI I think you are very kind Thats enough thats enough Dont need to say another word Ill go now and let you get used to the Idea of having a lover Thank you was all Miss Mitchell could think of to say True to his word the major did not urge his attentions upon the llttlo stenographer The sequel was none of the majors planning He only knew that he was speeding down the river road one I afternoon when a young horse driven by a market gardener took fright and plunged about backing the heavy wagon wag-on directly across his way at the moment mo-ment when he supposed the driver was going to be able to manage his team without further difficulty Thero was a crash and tho major felt a sharp twinge of pain When he again opened his eyes they were carrying car-rying him In at the ladles entrance of the Windsor A clrllsh form and white face pushod through the tangled crowd of people about him and a pair of soft pink arms slipped about his neck The reactionary pains were settling in but tho presence of those arms seemed to lift the tension from his quivering quiver-ing cerves and he felt as comfortable as a tnby on its mothers breast And there came flowers every day and many little home comforts that till major had not seen or thought much about tincc he was a chunk of a boy At last there came a day when tho doctor told the major ho might see his friends The major said something in the strictest confidence to his nurse and after a very long time Miss Mitchell Mitch-ell came up accompanied by a sweet faceJ motherly little woman in black whom the major knew by Instinct must be Miss Mitchells mother Mr Ebsbourne said Miss Mitchell timidly I didnt know I cared in that way but I do Copyright lt06 by Dally btory Pub Co |