Edith and John: A Story of PittsburghFarquhar, Franklin Smith
General
Edith and John: A Story of Pittsburgh
Farquhar, Franklin Smith
Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Fiction
In the meantime, while the confidential conversation was going on
between master and secretary, Miram Monroe sat in his office scheming
against his employer, against the secretary, and against the sick young
woman, whose knowledge of things worldly was now a blank. It is always
true of men of limited ability that they aim far above the possible.
Monroe, with his microscopic smile this day stretched almost into a
cynical grin, so satisfied was he with his genius, was perusing page
after page of complicated figures. He was doing this mechanically,
though, or otherwise he could not have O K'd them, being as he was in
such a ruminating turn, with his mind set on other things so much dearer
to his undefiling heart. Who was possessed with his special inborn
faculty, qualifying him for his employment? Who had such a special
disposition to accomplish what he purposed? Who had such a presiding
genius for good or evil over the destiny of other men? Why, Miram
Monroe--Mr. Monroe, if you please. He rang a bell. Welty Morne stepped
within, and closed the door behind him, meeting his superior with a
superior smile to that of the rigid face.
"Welty," said Monroe, with the solemnity of a gray goose, "I have seen
the boss of the Board of Directors."
"Well?"
"They have decided, he tells me, to create the office of assistant
treasurer in the New York branch."
"No!"
"Yes," without a crow's foot.
"Good, old boy; we must celebrate it tonight," said Welty, in a whisper.
"And the young chap goes."
"No!"
"Yes," without a wrinkle.
"We must celebrate that tomorrow night--When?"
"At once," without a crack.
"Bully! We must celebrate that the next night--Who?"
"You," without a wink.
"No!"
"Yes," without a twinkle.
"Whee! We'll celebrate that the next night--Where?"
"At the Bottomless Pit," with a microscopic smile. "Be at my room at
nine p. m."
"With joy, old boy; I'll be with you! Hah, you're no two-spot!" With
this Welty expired, almost, over his good feelings that his promotion
brought over him.
The bell rang again. In came Bate Yenger, with a crimped smile on his
stale face.
"Bate, do you want Welty's place?" asked the marble idol.
"Want it?" exclaimed the idolizing Bate. "Can I get it? or are you
buffooning?"
"You have it, Bate," without a twitch.
"When?" asked the anxious Bate.
"Soon," without a quiver.
"Shall we celebrate?" asked Bate.
"We will," with a smack.
"Where?"
"At the Bottomless Pit," with a feathered smile. "Be at my room at nine
p. m."
"Bully!" With this Bate also expired--with joy over his air castles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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