Show LA A 4 ROMANCE OF THE COL BALL with Profound Apologies to Those Who Were There Upon the back of a dance all that he had to show for a weeks salary which had gone to swell the financial success of that illustrious function The i Columbian Ball Mr John Dash penciled the ithe above his first poetic effusion The old City Hall clock had just l. l Struck i-Struck truck Struck three and Mr John Dash having footed it from the Theatre turned his latch key in the door of his lodging apartment apartment apart apart- ment and with a look of scorn foreign to lito his noble features at the sign depicted thereon Boarding and Lodging wearily dragged himself up to his bachelor his apart apart- ments Three o'clock N Not ot much use trying to sleep to-night to that blessed alarm will go off in three hours Ill set up he had remarked to himself and so regardless of the damage suffered by the tails of his hired dress suit he sprawled nto into the wooden rocker before a cold dead stove upon which he placed his feet and nd he was dancing with his enchantment Reader need it be said in so many words that Mr John Dash was in love I trust not Such an angel he mused as he sat there decide decidedly she's a high- high roller Oller I wonder if shell she'll ever eve find out that I lam am only a common dry goods clerk Sub-deputy Sub manager of Blanks Department Williams William's wont won't tell her I wonder if she asked him to introduce lc me I know Im I'm a good dancer and andas as asto asto asto to looks he glanced at a mirror above the bureau well there were worse looking looking looking look look- ing fellows than I there and thank heavens heavens heavens hea hea- vens we all look equally well in dress suits Counts and no-accounts no and that is all I am in the eyes of society only a jumper counter-jumper on a His head nodded only for five minutes it seemed to him in reality he had slept three hours when the whir-r-r whir of the alarm clock dock started him into life again J Je le six o'clock and Ive to pack this blessed dress suit up and and and- He tore his coat off as he spoke and half an hour later as the bell for breakfast breakfast breakfast break break- fast rang took his solitary seat at the dining dining- room table The well meant questions of the Landlady Landlady Landlady Land Land- lady as as to how had he enjoyed the ball then Mr Dash met with such gruff responses res responses res- res as to draw from that worthy women the expressed hope that he taken anything that disagreed with him Little does she know the thought ache che of unrequited love though 1 Mr John Dash as with his lunch under one arm and his suit to be returned under the other trudged ed down to that institution which by grinding one-hundred one clerks clerks' down to averaging two dollars a week less than they earn nets the sum of per week is therefore justly patronized by laboring classes and for the purposes of this story shall be known as Blanks Blanks store the Department never looked so and Johns John's duties never appeared so degrading degrading degrading de de- grading as this morning II How I could he sweep and dust with the touch of a lavender-gloved lavender hand still warm upon h arm with th the memory of a loving smile yet from his vision and a whispering good-bye good still ringing in his ea ear Why was not he the equal of these of-these these S i 1 I ot other h er men I happy lappy WIg ht s w who h 0 might ht f. f meet mett his yes his yes his darling on an equal 1 not he he- he f l footing was Q 3 Now John broke in a harsh voice VOice 0 which with a start stait he recognized as beg belonging ber be be- r Jr longing g to the manager of the department department department depart depart- ment when you have quite finished out of the window can staring you go godown godown down stairs to the Cellar Clerk and get a aJ J f dozen pairs of black hose lot No now its nine and I want l Ii 11 2 i Hurry Huny up now ow past you to clean under the counter John with a all aU right sir hastened down stairs t to obey hi his behest I may not tell you gentle i reader eader the name of the establishment which the romantic John embellishes with his services it would be derogatory even like to give a free advertisement in our Chronicle Chronic and I doubt not upon pressing John that he will give more for keeping silent than the proprietor will give for mentioning the name so that it must be sufficient to state that it is so large that O r John had some difficulty in finding the aforesaid clerk At last having received divers instructions instructions instructions of next counter but one to the J right light and from one newly engaged salesman I think you'll find them upstairs upstairs upstairs up up- stairs in the whole wholesale ale He arrived at athis athis athis his destination and as he subsided upon a stool that stood beside the counter addressed the saleslady who's back was turned to him thus Will you please fill me this order for forthe forthe forthe the Department The damsel damsel- turned their eyes met Alas for John Alas for for the damsel It was the angel of the Columbian Ball Y PEA GREEN |