The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-07-30
MY SECRETARY. 5

NY SECRETARY.
My uncle and had been co-workers
of a weekly journal, Of which he ruled
the roast in town and | more humbly
undertook the country branch and
Obeyed his behests down in Liverpool.
| had only seen him very occasionally,
for, though he was reported to be as
kind as he was eccentric, we did not
pull very well together. Hence my
grief at his decease was deep enough
to be respectable, and, having installed
our chief clerk at Liverpool, | cheer
fully came up to the London office as
my uncle's sole heir. This identical
morning on which | was rolling town
ward in a Fulham bus was the first on
which | was going regularl y to work.
There were eleven OF Us inside, and
when the conductor gave us a hasty
survey and then opened the door, | am
sure there was not one among us who
did not sincerely hope that the new
conner might prove a tolerably slim
man. Instead of a man it was a girl.
She slipped into the vacant place and
then we We're off again. She was
particularly nice Girl. Her hair was yell
low, her lips very red, and her eyes
very blue, and such a vivid little bit of
c0loring was quite a relief after the
stolid monotOny of the bearded faces
around her. Her ulster was thin and
worn, and her gloves were a miracu-
lous proof of how much darning one
pair could stand; but it was neither
her pretty face nor her shabby clothes
that so attracted me- No; it was her
own exceeding happiness. She was
childishly happy; almost idiotically SO,
| thought at last, for there she was,
with her big eyes sparkling with fun,
and the dimples playing at hide-and-
seek round her mouth. What on
earth was she thinking about? She
could not have been more than nine
teen or so, and carried with her roll
Of manuscript in a business-Hke sort of
way as if the document were her own.
When | was put down in Fleet street,
| noticed that she, too, left the omni-
bus, but | was not prepared to see her
precede me into the office and vanish
up the staircase. All my life | had
nourished special detestation for
writing-Women; so it was with q con-
siderable amount of anger that | turn
ed round on old Jones, who had seat
in the lower room, and asked him who
was the lady who had just passed me.
Old Jones was my uncle's foreman
an ancient, highly respectable, MOTTO
be-got-rid-of sort of Il man, who had
come into the office at such remote
date that it was lost in the midst of
the middle ages.
Lady echoed the foreman. 4
Oh, yes, to be sure. / beg pardon, sir,
bit Tor the moment | thought you
mea1t some one with letters or manu-
script. md they always come in here.
If she went straight upstairs it was
Miss Charity Landor..'
"Nhat does sc want, and who IS
she?" / asked; and if old Jones had
thrown a thundcrbolt by way OF an
swer l could not have Heen more as
founded than l was by his repIy.
She is your secretary he said.
My secretary exclaimed. ''Good
heavens! l won't have girl for sec
rctary."
You must" said old Jones, and
then he proceeded to explain.
Mr., Landor, it appeared had been
my uncle's secretary for some three
years, when one morning his daughter
had arrived in his stead saying that her
father was unwell, and might she not
undertake his work for a couple of
days. My uncle agreed. and the girl
did the wsrk. and did it so creditably,
old Jones declared, that his master was
only too glad to retain her when it
proved that, as regards writing, Il par
aiytic stroke had placed Mr.. Landor
on the shelf.
And so," pursued my informant,
Miss Cherry has been here going on
year now, and if you dismiss her
you'll excuse me, sir-but you'll get
yourself into a pretty pickle. She
knows all about everybody, and the
correspondence, and
This is pure rubbish" | interrupt
ed loftily. for it was hardly soothing
suggestion that my future success de-
pended on slip of 4 girl.
l had snug QuarterS-a tolerably
good-sized room, where my uncle used
to sit in state, and an inner one, very
much smaller. where ! found Miss
Charity Landor She looked desper-
ately industrious, 4 perfect model of
secretary, in fact, when 1 first peered
into the room, for she was seated at
the table, with whole pile of papers
before her, and her pen was skimming
rapidly along. while the orthodox little
business frown drew the pretty eye
brows nearer together.
Good morning." and L walked into
the room.
Good morning, Mr.. Blake" said
the girl. She rose and held out her
hand. Il hope you will approve of
me- But perhaps you don't approve
of women secretaries?''
No, | DON'T said, bluntly, ''but
l should be very sorry to cause YOU
any Inconvenience, so suppose we say
that for one month things shall 90 on
as they are?'
The girls face fell.
Business is business; | did not want
girl in my office, and | told her So
Furthermore, l explained my views of
women's duties in general, and limited
pretty plainly that / thought she would
be far better at home nursing her
father.
| went to my room feeling thankful
to her that she had not tried to coax a