Mr. Jones instantly recognized her and the course of destiny was made
manifest. Regardless of untoward events, his social merit was appreciated
and now one approached seeking counsel or bearing invitations to
social festivities. She should not seek in vain. Percy Jones, private
secretary and social adviser, was at her service. He sprang from his
chair to meet the maid of blood with knightly bow and courtly grace.
Alack and aday, that snare of the devil, his waste basket, was misplaced.
He tripped against it. To avoid the thing, he raised his foot only to
step into the throat-like neck of the monster which instantly clove
to his shoe. Simultaneously, a flood of pain protested against his
violent movements. In his agony, Mr. Jones lost his balance and fell
over his desk. His outstretched hands sought safe anchorage amidst ink
stands and mucilage bottles to rest finally in an ever spreading lake of
ink.
Virginia halted. Mr. Jones's face, rent by emotion and struggle,
convinced her that he must be in parlous case.
Kelly hurried in at the crash. He observed Mr. Jones's predicament
with great calmness. Nodding to Virginia, he held the basket until the
stenographer could extract his foot. Then he turned to the girl and
said very soberly, in spite of the glint of amusement in his eye, "Mr.
Jones is the victim of an accident and requests permission to retire
and cleanse himself."
As the crestfallen private secretary departed, Kelly and Virginia moved
over to a window. The summer day in all of its beauty fought back the
ugliness of the tin roofs and chimneys. The bookkeeper viewed the
prospect. "By gum," he asked, "how'd you like to go snowshoeing?"
This marvelous witticism was greeted by a burst of laughing applause
from its author and the girl, far in excess of its merit.
"Jones doesn't feel very well today," Kelly explained to her. "He is
the victim of unusual exercise."
"He doesn't look like a man who would over-exercise. He does not strike
me as a man who is in the best of health," she responded.
"He isn't. That's why he's so stiff and sore after a few little
stunts. He doesn't get enough fresh air." Kelly cast a longing
glance out of the window and turned to inspect the room. "There isn't
enough fresh air in this place, anyway. Jones has sat in here day after
day, sucking on cigarettes and beating on that typewriter, until good
health no longer knows him. But," announced the bookkeeper with great
confidence, "I am old Doctor Fix'em. I'm giving him a course in
physical training which will fix him. I'm going to make that lad forget
his present pains by giving him worse ones."
"I think it is perfectly fine of you, Mr. Kelly, to help Mr. Jones,"
exclaimed Virginia, highly interested in the bookkeeper's plans for the
benefit of the stenographer. "It must make you very happy to be able
to do it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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