The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-11-12

otiihAh5 Aolo N N iohhS '''
though not awkward, was a little toe
abrupt and energetic to be graceful
She replied:
IL am discouraged,."
What, You? ! didn't suppose YOU
ever could be that; and | cont see any
reason why you should be. I'm sure il
l were getting fifteen dollars n week,
in a steady situation, with hours only
from nine till five, | should think the
world very charming"
The last speaker was a slender,
delicate woman, in her early twenties,
and the work on her lap, and lying
about, betrayed her occupation to be
that of adressmaker. She sighed as
she spoke. and did not stop her busy
stitching while she talked.
Il know, dear" said Stella, ruefully.
ut does seem ungrateful in me to find
fault with my position, but then l am
not SO good and patient as you; and
then, too, I am constantly seeing men
advanced while | stand still. NV
salary is the same now that it as two
years ago; yet during that time almost
every clerk in Mr.. Cruikshank's office
has been promoted, and there isn't one
of them who is any more faithful OF
clever than |. They have had chances
20 show their capabilities; l have not.
Mr.. Cruikshauk treats me nicely-tha,
is, he is courteous, and all that-but
he never expects anything of me be.
yond my daily round of taking short
hand notes of his letters and instruc,
tons, and then typewriting them. ]
find. indeed, that he gives me the most
important of this sort of work to do,
because | make SO fen mistakes; but
hat is as far as l get, and it doesn't
satisfy me. My father was a man who
advanced rapidly, and would have be.
come wealthy had he lived longer. |
am like him in energy and will, and /
think, too, in clear business percep-
tons"
While Stella was talking she was
walking about the room putting away
a few things and getting ready to go
out.
Your chance will come, Stella. II
must.-you have grounded yourself so
well, and are always SO ready for every
emergency. think if you were asked
to go to Alaska tonight you could be
off before l could get my mind made
up; and while | should have to take a
trunk, you could go with only a grip
sack"
Stella laughed. Yes, l suppose /
could, for am always well and strong.
and don't need to carry both thick
clothes and thin, to be prepared for all
changes of weather. or to burden my
self with an alcohol lamp, a hot water
bag, and all the rest of the traps that
would be absolutely necessary for a
frail little thing like :rou. Really. Kit
ty, i am ashamed at having been for a
moment discouraged when / look at
you and see how hard you work and
remember what you have to contend
against, and all without a murmur."
So saying, the tall girl ben to kiss her
companions pale cheek and turned
with quick, firm steps to go to the Of
flee, where she was always on time
not a moment too soon or too late.
Arrived at the Office of the great
Anglo-American Polyglot Insurance
Company, Stella was surprised by the
presence of the American head of the
firm, who usually by no means mani
tested the promptness which he re-
quired of his subordinates. He sat for
ward in his chair, his elbows resting
on his desk, the tips of the fingers of
both hands pressed tightly together as
he held them erect and slightly waving
in the air before his face, his whole
bearing that of a man who is brimful
of an impotence which he is striving
to control.
Stella had removed her hat and short
walking jacket, when her arm stopped,
as II petrifed. with hat in hand, half
way toward the hat-rack. Mr.. Cruik-
shank was saying:
81 find that the proxies which I must
have for the directors meeting in Chi
cage, on December seventeenth, are not
likely to get here unless I send some
one expressly to fetch them. In order
to do it the messenger must start in an
hours time, GO to Liverpool, London.
Exeter and Edinburg, and return on
the fast steamer which leaves Liver.
pool on December eighth, and is due
here on the fifteenth. Will you 60,
Tracy?'
~ car ssiblv. siA" said the man