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Show " - m The Danger S Point 1 I & 1 '$ '. I By GEORGE MUNSON jf ft ft! W V (Copyright., 1915, br W. O. Chapman.) AVhen Elleon Roberts reached tho ago of thlrty-flvo sho resigned herself gracofully to tho prospects of spinster-hood. spinster-hood. Sho ceased to struggle against a tendency to adiposity, and settled down to tho expectations of a permanent perma-nent position In the Arm of Wakefield and Gray, oxportera. In an ofllco filled with smart youths and giggling girls, Miss Roberts ought to havo hold a higher position than that of a clerk. But sho had never had tho money to study stenography when sho was a girl, and afterward she had her sick mother to care for, a task which absorbed the whole of her ten dollars a week. SImplo-mlnd-ed, sho was tho butt of the younger and moro thoughtless element. When a young clerk passes a woman wom-an with tho flippant remark, "Say, Eileen, I'll get you a beau beforo long trust mo," he needs a man of ma-turo ma-turo ago to tako him across his knee and thrash the vlclousncss out of him. At least, that's my opinion. Poor Eileen Roberts looked woefully out of placo, and neither Wakefield nor Gray had over considered her seriously for anything better. With her placid, good-natured face, her tireless industry, her patience, It seemed Incredible that anyone could make sport of her. Sho was just tho woman, too, whom somo rogue might have taken advantage of. Perhaps It was better that she had not married, to slave for tho sort of man who would havo deluded hor Into wifehood. At least, many thought so. But most of us thought nothing nt all. And It was always good fun to "get a rlso out of Eileen." Now girls wcro always coming nnd girls less now going. There was lit-tlo lit-tlo Bcsslo AVaters; sho hadn't boon In tho ofllco a week before sho began to tenso Miss Roberts. It was a strango thing, too, but tho elder woman wom-an seemed to tako an amazing liking to her. Sho never noticed Bessie's I I r Knew Mist Roberts Had Spoken the Truth. pertness, and sho tried to mako up to her In various ways, which amused Besslo. Pert littlo thing that sho was, Bcsslo Bcs-slo was qulto frank about her history, shamolessly so. Sho camo from tho orphanage out on Grant street. Wakefield', Wake-field', who had somehow boon In touch with hor parents beforo their death, had Interested hlniBelt In her and given giv-en her tho position. Miss Robort's adoration of her was qulto tho most amusing thing In Bessie's oxperlcnco. "Say, Miss Roberts, I'm going to got a beau for you tomorrow," Bessie would Bay. "And when you'ro mar-rlod, mar-rlod, maybo. you'll let mo como and llvo with you, Instead of at tho Girls' homo. We'll nil be happy together Mr. Roborts and you, and mo." She told us all how Miss Roberts had taken her out to lunch and piled her with affectlonato Inquiries. Did sho wear warm underwear? Hero Bessie's Imitation of MIbs Roberts was Inimitable Besslo was going to be an actress somo day, evoryono know. Sho had told Miss Roberts so, and Miss Roberts, always serious, had pointed out tho dangers of a stage career. There was not much ovll that Besslo did not know by hearsay, and It anyone was capable of protecting herself, her-self, Besslo was. Onre, after Besslo had boon taunting taunt-ing her, I saw tears on Elloen Roberts' Rob-erts' faco. That hurt me, for I had taken my part In tho teasing. I wanted want-ed to warn Besslo; but thon I did not think sho had a heart. All things como to an end, and the end was In tho letter that was sent to Mr. AVakoflold on Christmas ovo. Somo of tho boys had talked over It for a Joko, but nobody hnd meant It seriously. It was only when Besslo said sho would wrlto It, and Joo Dona-huo Dona-huo dared her to, and Besslo said sho would, becnuso sho was tired of tho old Job anyway, that tho proposal was regarded seriously. Of courso It would bo a Urst-rate Joko on Elleon Roberts; but then I thought of the hungry mother-look on Miss Roberto' Rob-erto' face when she saw Bessie, and ""OH , well, I would have stopped it If I could. Tho letter was drawn up without th Intention of sending it, nnd It ran as follows: "Dear Mr. AVakofleld, "I havo workod many years for you, and I feel thnt It Is my right to bo frank. You aro an old bachelor and I am an 'old maid. I lovo you. AVhy shouldn't wo marry? Regard this as serious nnd confidential." Bos3la dnshed off Eileen Robert's slgna,turo In a hand that was marvel-ously marvel-ously Hko hers. Nobody was much afraid of Wako-Hold. Wako-Hold. Ho was n mild, easy-going old gentleman, and only once had any of us seen him moved to anger. That was when a man who had Insulted ono of our woman buyers camo Into the ofllce. I thought Micro was going to bo a fight but tho boys got him out somehow and hold Mr. AVakofleld back. Still, It .was a pretty serious thing. "If you'll all swear not to tell, I'll mall It," said Bcsslo, feeling Hko a heroine. AVo looked across at tho unconscious Miss Roberts. "Don't do It," I said. Bessie stamped tho lotter, held It suspended over the' matl-chuto, looked at us, and dropped It down. AVo sat back aghast. Tho next morning overyono was very qulot. AVo were wondering when tho storm would burst. AVo saw Mr. Wakefield go into his ofllco. Somebody tiptoed near and reported that he was opening his mall. But nothing happened till noon, and then Miss Roberts was sent for. She came back ten minutes later, In tears, and tho boys looked sheepish, for tt was a pretty strong Joke to have played. Only Besslo, with the UBUal pert look on hor pretty faco, went on with her work. Miss Roberts sat down in her chair and wept without any pretense at restraint. res-traint. And then wo saw Wakefield como striding Into our room. In his hand was tho lotter. On his face was tho look I had scon once only onco beforo. Ho held tho letter out. "Unless the person who wroto this thing confesses instantly," he said, "I shall dismiss tho cntlro clerical force. Tho entire forco," ho thundered. Ho must havo scon tho Involuntary movement of our oyes toward Bessie. But ho said nothing till Besslo sprang to her feet, whlto and trembling. "I wroto it, nnd I'm sorry," sho cried. "I'll go. I did it, nobody else." Mr. Wakefield looked nt tho girl In something Hko horror. Ho turned toward to-ward Miss Roberts. "Sho doesn't know, then?" I heard him whisper. Eileen Roberts looked up, nnd I nov-cr nov-cr saw a faco so transformed. Sho looked haloed in a madonnallko bo-nlgnancy. bo-nlgnancy. Sho stood up proudly beforo us all. "I'll tell her now,' sho said In ringing ring-ing tones. "No, I'll tell her before everybody. ev-erybody. Everybody know, everybody every-body has always taunted mo with bo-lng bo-lng an old maid. It Is truo I have never been married, but Bcsslo is my child." Tho port look that had been on Bessie's Bes-sie's faco was nevor seen thero again. Wo looked at tho exporter's faco, and know Miss Roberts had spoken tho truth. "Is this truo?" cried Bosslo, clutching clutch-ing at his arms convulsively. Mr. Wakoflold bowed his head. "My nephew is dead now," ho said, "and thero Is no reason why tho secret should bo kopt any longer. His wlfo knows. But for that," ho continued, turning to Miss Roberts, "I should havo deno moro for you moro for you both. I always meant to I am going to now." Tho last thing that wo saw as we filed out was Besslo weeping In Miss Roberts' arms. |