Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the city room.djvu/51

 Neville's engagement to Davidson, of the city staff, had circulated freely in the city room several weeks before it reached the boy's ears. When it did, he sternly refused to believe that any such tragedy could come into his life. True, he had seen Davidson bending over Miss Neville's easel with more of interest than even her masterly art could seem to justify: but all the men on the paper did that more or less, and Chesterfield had rather gloried in such indirect tribute to his own most excellent taste. In the light of the uncanny suggestions, however, he watched the couple with a sharply appraising eye, and several glances that he saw pass between them wrung his very soul with suffering. For a day or two his amiability gave way under the shock, and visitors were startled by the transformation of Chesterfield into a grumpy youth who talked out of one side of his mouth in humble imitation of the city editor.

He was finally forced to acknowledge even to himself the truth of the report. Davidson's devotion to Miss Neville was unmistakable, and, moreover, that lady now