Love Sonnets of an Office Boy Part 2

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XVII.

When I was dustin' off her desk one day, And she was standin' there, I took the pad She writes on when she gets dictates and had A notion to tear off a leaf and lay It up against my heart at night, when they Was something made her come to where I stood And say, "Poor boy," as softly as she could-- It almost seemed to take my breath away.

That night I couldn't sleep at all becuz The thoughts about them words that she had said Kep' all the time a-goin' through my head With thoughts about how beautiful she wuz, And then I knowed she loved me, too, or she Would not of cared how hard I worked, you see.

XVIII.

I'd like to have a lock of her brown hair, For that would be a part of her, you know; And if she'd tie it with a little bow Of ribbon, then I'd fasten it somewhere Clear down inside, next to my heart, to wear, And fix it over every week or so, When I changed unders.h.i.+rts, or maw she'd go And raise a fuss because she found it there.

One day when bizness wasn't on the boom She trimmed her finger-nails, and one piece flew To where I was, almost acrost the room; I watched the spot where it went tumblin' to, And now a piece of her is mine; it come Right from the end of her dear little thumb.

XIX.

I wish, some day, when she's typewritin' and I've took a note out for the boss somewhere, They'd be some outlaws sneak in here and scare That long-legged clerk to death and then the band Would steal her, and n.o.body else would dare To try to save her, and they'd run away To where they had their cave, and keep her there, And ast more for her than her folks could pay.

Then I would get a gun and bowie-knife And take the name of Buckskin Bob or Joe, And track them to their den, and then I'd go A-galley whoopin' in, and save her life, And she would say: "My hero's came at last!"

And we'd stand there and hold each other fast.

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XX.

Last night, when she'd got on her coat and hat And felt her dress behind and then her hair, To see if everything was all right there, She stopped and said: "Well, now just look at that!"

And then put out one foot a little bit, And says: "Ain't that provokin'? I declare, The string's untied!" She put it on a chair, A-motionin' for me to fasten it.

So then that long-legged clerk he pushed me back And grabbed the shoe-strings that were hangin' down-- I wish I was the strongest man in town-- Oh, wouldn't I of let him have a whack!

And I'd of kicked him so blamed hard I'll bet He'd wonder what he might come down on yet.

XXI.

My darling, often when you set and think Of things that seem to kind of bother you, You put your pencil in your mouth and chew Around the wood, and let your sweet teeth sink Down in it till it's all marked up and split, And yesterday I seen you when you threw A stub away that you'd bit up; it flew Behind the bookcase, where I gobbled it.

I put it in my mouth, the way you'd done, And I could feel the little holes you made-- The places where your teeth sunk in--I laid My tongue tight up against them, every one, And shut my eyes, and then you seemed to be There with your lips on mine and kissin' me.

XXII.

When I was tellin' ma, two days ago, About our beautiful typewriter girl She dropped the dough and give a sudden whirl And said: "She's twic't as old as you, you know-- She must be twenty-five or six or so.

Don't think about her any more, my dear, And you and me'll be always happy here-- Besides, she's nothing but an old scarecrow."

It made me sad to hear her talk that way; My darling's just a little girl almost-- I can't see why ma give her such a roast, And I could hardly eat my lunch next day, For every time I took a bite of bread I almost hated ma for what she said.

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XXIII.

The other day a rusty pen got stuck Away deep in her finger, and she held Her poor, dear little hand up then and yelled For me to hurry over there and suck The poison out, and when I went I struck My toe against the old man's cuspidor And rolled about eight feet along the floor Before I knew what happened, blame the luck!

When I set up and looked around, at last That long-legged, homely clerk was there, and so He had her finger in his mouth, and, oh, I'll bet you I'd 'a' kicked him if I dast!

I never seen the beat the way things go When there's a chance for me to stand a show.

XXIV.

That homely clerk took her out for a ride Last Sunday in a buggy, and they rode Around all through the parks; I wisht I'd knowed About it, and the horse would kind of s.h.i.+ed, And then got scared and run and kicked, and I'd Of been a piece ahead and saw him jump And leave her hangin' on alone, the chump, And she'd of been so 'fraid she'd nearly died.

Then I'd of give a spring and caught the bit, And landed on the horse's back, where all The people there could see me doin' it, And when I got her saved the crowd would call Three cheers for me, and then she'd come and fall Against my buzzum, and he'd have a fit.