Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the city room.djvu/55

 her work. This was to be her last week at the office.

Chesterfield regarded her with gloom on his young brow. Of course if Davidson lost his position now they could not be married. Even if he secured another place immediately he would wish to assure himself of permanence there before taking a wife to support. Chesterfield pitied them both profoundly, for he could not see that the crime deserved that so heavy a punishment should be meted out to it. Everybody had laughed over "The Funmaker's" jokes about "The Searchlight"—even the office boys. Chesterfield had thought them very bright and had speculated with awe over the cleverness of the unknown writer. The boy had been inspired to write a few jokes himself and submit them to the good-natured editor of "The Searchlight's" humorous supplement. He recalled once more, with burning cheeks, the shouts of laughter with which that gentleman had read his efforts,—laughter, Chesterfield fully realized, not called forth by the point or caustic style of the jokes. The boy had borne no malice, but he had thenceforward