The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-06-12
WHY SHE WAS DISCHARGED.

~ OROTHY BENSON laid down
lO her with sigh of satisfaction.
There, that is too good for space
book but-ho, hunt such bits make me
valuable to the Town and Home, and 1t
may mean a few dollars on my salary
when the new man buys into the firm;
l wonder who he is with all his dollars
and literary bee in his bonnet. Ii he
will please not discharge me until
give mamma summer in the country,
| will be thankful. All, mamma and l
do not fear poverty, for papa's losses
were all honorable ones and his name
was kept clean; / think the poor dear
could not have died in peace IL he had
owed penny. With that to keep us
happy mumsy will not miss her high
teas and I"-here little lump came In
her throat-"I shall not miss being out
of the set"
They want the copy for the second
FORM" said a voice at her elbow, and
the musings of the pretty young assist
ant editor were cut short while she
made numerous scrawls on the top of
various manuscripts-such as ten
point leaded," or 'close up" and ''cuts
to follow" and the begrimed boy dis
appeared behind the great doors that
shut the whirring machines from the
cOmmodiOus offices.
Miss Benson, leaned back and closed
hor owns fnr ond che did
so the face of Jack MacOmber rose in
her vision, and she let herself dwell on
the past.
She often dreamed of this face
sometimes it seemed happy and care
less of her sufferings, but to-day she
saw 1t grave and sad, as it was that
last day when cruel words had sep
arated them.
Il would own how sorry l am IL l
were not so poor and he SO rich, but to
speak now is to allow him to think pow
erty"--but this was as far as she could
think, for the tears were coming fast.
"Ill go home now and see little mother
and she will cheer me up; my article OIL
Criminal Children Is so good / can
sleep happy"
She went out into the spring after
noon and walked down the avenue.
1.-THE 10Th Of April-and only two years
ago Jack and went to Nj on little
horseback party and he bought me a
great bunch Of viOlets and fastened
them Oh the bridlev' She bought tiny
bunch now and placed them in her coat
just for ''auld lang syne."
AS she climbed the stairs to her tiny
apartments she felt that 1t was not
well, and she was not surprised to find
her mother quite Ill, and all thoughts of
self and her own heartache were ban
ished
1t was a week before she was able to
return to the Office, the proof pages
were sent each morning and she work
ed on them hurriedly, and that was
why she woke one morning with sud
den start and the instant wideawake
conviction that there was an error In
statement in her last article. She felt
a cold sweat break out upon her fore
head as she thought of 1t, but she de-
termined to go to the Office at once and
correct it.
When she came to her desk she found
it covered with mail, which she put
aside and went at once to the mana
gers room. She could hear the presses
running at full speed and she knew at
every pound that dreadful error was
being run of.
She found fresh sheet on her way
and opened 1t, but to her establishment
the error had been corrected. She won
dered who had discovered it, for the
forms were electrotyped, and to change
q word meant to chisel off the old and
solder on the new-quite a delicate
task.
She did not change her mind, how
ever, but determined to own up and
apologize for the error. Il hope the
new owner has not heard of 1t, whoever
lie may be-" she thought.
"Ah, yes. yes, a slight error" said the
manager, but don't take 1t to heart.
Mr.. Macomber saw 1t before the pages
were electrotyped. You may think him
-ah, Mr.. Macomber, Jack, one moment,
want you to meet our assistant editor.
Miss Benson" Jacks tall, athletic fig
ure rose from behind roll-top desk
and a pair of loving eyes met pair
Of frightened ones. Jack-A popular
club man, downtown In business and
this very magaxine-and hei. new en-