Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-12-08
MIR. NIPPLES LETTER.


''Fosdick''
Thanks. very much! Now Miss Fos-
dick, in commencing your Work as
Stenographer for the firm OF Pophn Il
Son if is necessary for me to instruct
YOU as to your duties l have charge
of the houses correspondence entire
charge. My name, Miss Fosdick, is
Nipple"
yes Mr.. Nipple" he girl replied
meakly.
'In the first place." Mr.. Nipple went
on. leaning back IL his chair so as to
expand his chest to its utmost capacity,
and twisting the ends Of his mustache
with both hands as he spoke, lin the
first place, [ always insist on my steno-
grapher taking me down verbatim ct
literatim. I suppose you know what
that means It's Latin he added con-
descendingly.
Eyes, sir"
''Well Miss FOsdiCk, I have had the
houses correspondence in my hands
for several years, and both Mr.. Pop
Inns have come TO reply implicitly upon
me- Indeed, I do not really see how
this department could move along with
out me-"
The girls eyes looked at the indis-
twinkle.
II think l can say Miss FOsdick," the
young man proceeded as he settled him
self more comfortably in his chair,
"and I think I can say it without the
slightest cgOtism or desire to boast,
that | have made the letters Of Poplin
& Son famous through the business
world as models of English compost
ton and ornate diction."
The clerk watched the countenance
of his new assistant closely to note the
impression of his words.
Miss Fosdick nodded understanding
ly and smiled. It was n sweet smile,
for she could not smile any other sort
had she tried.
CHOSE are the reasons why / always
Insist on absolute accuracy on the part
of my stenographer. I do not permit
even the alteration of q single word
or any other change whatever. ] trust
you apprahend me clearly?"
"Quite so, Mr.. Nipple"
"Then we will begin"
Mabel FOsdicll'S first days work was
perfectly satisfactory to the hypercriti-
cal CORRESPONDENCE clerk. He found
himself taken down with unvarying ac-
curacy. In the transcribed letters, too,
the words were spelled all correctly.
She never struck the wrong character
among typewriters, and one which
sometimes makes typewriter commune
cations resemble Egyptian hieroglyph-
les
Thanks to Miss FOsdick's skill, Mr..
Nipples specimens of ornate English
composition went forth into the busl-
ness world more faultlCssly than ever,
and aided in making smooth the rough
places of commercial epistolary com
munication.
The firm of Popl1n & Son had been
served by q masculine typewriter, but
the style of tho correspondence clerk
had become too oppressive for him and
ne had resigned This was exactly
what Mr. Nipple wished, for he longed
for n typewriter with laughing eyes
and golden hair, upon whom to lavish
flowers of Ianguage-such Il being as
he had read about in the funny papers.
At last he had found one to suit, after
much examination of applicants, in the
person of Miss FOsdick
Everything went on with apparent
emoothncss for q month. The mem
bcrs of the firm noted with approval
the modest demean0r of their new
typewriter and the other male clerks
in the establishment enviad Nipple his
pleasant duties.
One day the elder Mr.. Poplm sem
for Miss Fosdicll to come into his priv
ate Office.
"Sit down, please" he said wheI
she arrived. ri have here a letter from
my friend Mr.. Shaw, of Shaw & King
who says that a recent communication
from this firm contains much irrelevant
matter"
Poplin looked over his glasses at Mis-:
Fosdick and found her blushirg, will
her eyes cast down. He asked, not TN
kindly:
Did you write a letter to that firm
iatcly?"
eyes, sir"
"Then you know its character?"
yes sir
"What have you to say about it,"
q wrote it down just as Mr.. Hipplt
dictated it, sir
80 l supposed, after reading it; bu
is it not rather unusual to insert il
letters extraneous remarks made dun
ing dictation?'
HE has always insisted on b9in
taken down verbatim ct literatim, sir,
the pretty typewriter went on, wit
some confusion; land really, sir, Nj
Nipple has c.nuOyed me so much wit
his attentions, and has refused to dc
sist, that [ felt must do somethin
80 crush him. I'm sorry I took tn
method / did oughtn't to-Oh, deal
what shall l do?'
And Miss FOsdic1Z put F"r dainty can
brio handkerchief % her eyes, and he
speech dissolved in tears.
''There! there! my girl, don't cry,
.saiG Mr.. Poplin, soothingly.
He took her hand to assist in til
comforting operation, and placed he
head on his fatherly shoulder. II
was not too old to make mental not
of how long her lashes lay on her ros
cheeks, and how dewdrops of teal
oozed through them.
"What am I dOingw Mabel exclain