The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-02-17
TAKING HIM DOWN.
"Now. Miss-er-er-Miss-"

Fosdick, in commencing your work as
stenographer for the firm Of Poplin
Il Son, it is necessary for me to in
struct you as to your duties. / have
charge of the houses correspondence
entire charge. My name, Miss Fos-
dick. is Nipple"
Yes, Mr.. Hipple," the girl replied,
meekly.
"ln the first place" Mr.. Nipple
went on, leaning back in 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;
''in the first place, | always insist on
my stenographer's taking me down
verbatim ct literatim. | suppose you
know what that means. It's Latin"
he added, condescendingly.
"Yes, sir"
well, Miss Fosdick, | have had the
houses correspondence in my hands
for several years, and both Mr.. Pop
lins have come to rely implicitly upon
me. Indeed, do not really see how
this department could move along
without me-"
The girls gray eyes looked at the
Indispensable clerk with an amused
twinkle.
II think | can say, Miss Fosdick, :"
the young man proceeded, as he set
tied himself more comfortably in his
chair, "and | think | can say it with
out the slightest egotism or desire to
boast, that ! have made the letters of
Poplin & Son famous throughout the
business world as models of English
composition and ornate diction."
The clerk watched the countenance
of his new assistant closely, to note
the impression of his words.
Miss Fosdick nodded understand
ingly and smiled. 1t was a sweet
smile, for she could not smile any
other sort had she tried.
"Those are the reasons why ] always
Insist on absolute accuracy on the part
of my stenographer. do not permit
even the alteration of single word or
any other change whatever. / trust
you apprehend me clearly"
quite so, Mr.. Nipple"
"Then we will begin"
Mabel Fosdick's first days work was
perfectly satisfactory to the hyper
critical correspondence clerk. He
4ouHu lilhSSlI w" Ii Will uliN d
rying accuracy. IN the transcri bed
letters, too, the words were spelled all
correctly. She never struck the wrong
character on her machine-a fault so
common among type-writers, and one
which sometimes helps to make type
written communications resemble
Egyptian hieroglyphcs.
Thanks to Miss Fosdick's skill, Mr.
Nipples specimens of ornate English
composition went forth into the busi-
ness world more faultlesslv than ever,
and aided in making smooth the rough
places of commercial epistolary COM
munication.
The firm of Poplin & Son had been
served by a masculine type writer. but
the style of the correspondence clerk
had become too oppressive for him
and he had resigned. This was ex-
actly what Mr. Nipple wished, for he
longed for a typewriter with laughing
eyes and golden hair, upon whom to
lavish his flowers of language-such a
being as he had read about in funny
papers. At last he had found one to
suit him, after much examination of
applicants, in the person of Miss Fos-
dick.
! Everything went on with apparent
smoothness for about month. The
members of the firm noted with ap-
proval the modest demeanor of their
new typewriter, and the other male
clerks in the establishment envied
Nipple his pleasant duties.
One day the elder Mr.. Poplin sent
In al To
rate office.
"Sit down, please" he said, when
she arrived; Il have a letter from my
friend, Mr.. Shaw, of Shaw & King,
who says that communication from
this firm contains much irrelevant
matter"
Poplin looked over his glasses at
Miss Fosdick, and found her blushing,
with her eyes cast down. He asked.
not unkindly:
did you write a letter to that firm
lately?"
"Yes, sir"
Then you know its character?"
"Yes, sir"
what have you to say about it?"
81 wrote it down just as MIR. Nipple
dictated it, sir"
$50 supposed, after reading it, but
is it not rather unusual TO insert in
letters extraneous remarks made dur
ing dictation?"
He has always insisted on being
taken down verbatim Ell literatim,
sir" the pretty typewriter went on,
with some confusion, "and really, sir,
Mr.. Nipple has annoyed me SO much
with his attentions and has refused to
desist, that ! felt must do something
to crush him. I'm sorry took the
method did i oughtn't to-oh, dear,
what shall do?"
And Miss Fosdick put her dainty
cambric handkerchief to her eyes and
her speech dissolved in tears.
There, there, my dear girl; don't
cry" said Mr. Poplin, soothingly.
He took her hand to assist in the
comforting operation and placed her
head on his fatherly shoulder. He was
not too old to make mental note of
how long her lashes lay on her rosy
checks and how dewdrops of tears
oozed through them.
what am | doinp?" Mabel ex-