Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-12-01
haven't you any conscience in the

haven't you any conscience in the
natter"
Not a scrap" laughed Tellla.
81 should Think said Geraldine
that you'd like to feel sure you were
earning your salary
LAS long as I'm getting it, returned
Tekla, I'm satisfied
Payday was approaching and Tekla
was glad. Just before that important
date Mr.. Wolfe said, one morning,
Never mind Miss Blisss check, Arm
strong. I'll attend to it myself.
It was the thirty-frst of August, and
for the first morning in two weeks
Tekla was not late. After hanging
I'D her hat, she turned expectantly
toward her table; but no white en-
velope greeted her. A moment later
Mr.. Wolfe rose from his chair and laid
a large, oddly lumpy envelope before
her. AS Tekla picked it up. MI Wolfe
turned suddenly to his partner.
Armstrong" said he, you remem-
Der that appointment with Johnson
at the bank?"
Thus considerably left alone, Tekla
opened her large envelope. Inside
were twenty-seven smaller envelopes,
on the outside of each of which was
printed Sill. Please count immedi-
ately" Besides this, each small en-
velope bore date, one Tor every day
in August, the Sundays excepted.
hot
opened one of the envelopes, spread
the enclosed coin on her table, and
counted.
why" exclaimed Tekla, "i must
have made a mistake, I'm eighteen
cents short.
But the second count brought no
better result. Ninety-three cents was
all the packet contained. Laying it
aside for future consideration, Tekla
opened the next tiny envelope. Some
thing was wrong with that that, too.
1t contained only seventy-eight cents.
Three packets contained the full
amount, one dollar and eleven cents.
These, however, were Offset by two
others, holding respectively nineteen
and fourteen cents, while a third en-
closed absolutely nothing but large
Canadian penny. Tekla gasped, and
looked at the date. 1t was August
tenth
Now what" unused Tekla, begin
ming to see light, was | doing on
Oh, yes, that was Elizabeth Buttons
II 1T IN I Nv NE-oIfo
l wouldn't be down because I was in
Vited to help Elizabeth celebrate
Tekla, with flush creeping into
her cheeks, counted her money. 1t
to fifteen dollars and sew
enty-fiye cents. A slip of paper at
tached to the newest of the dollar
bills caught her attention. She read
the words: ''An honest day deserves
an honest dollar"
And honest day-an honest day"
repeated Tekla, regarding with misty
eyes the heap of silver and copper
coin. Does he mean that the other
days weren't hOnest?'
An hour later, when Mr.. Wolfe and
Mr.. Armstrong returned. Tekla's
cheeks were red, her eyes were resO-
lutte, the machine was giving forth
short, sharp, metallic clicks, and all
round the Industrious girl were neat
ly typewriter pages, for Tekla was
doing an honest days work.
She did not have a relapse to her
old, easy-gOing habits. Nothing was
said. but when payday came again,
Tellla received two checks, Mr.. Arm
strongs for thirty dollars and Mr..
Wolfe's for fourteen dollars and TWEEN
ty-five cents. Choosing a moment
when Mr.. Armstrong was absent, TEX
la laid the second check on Mr..
WOlfes desk.
Il didn't earn it, said she, briefly.
Not last month, perhaps" said Mr..
Wolfe, pushing the slip toward Tekla
and smiling, but you've more than
made up for it since. Mr.. Armstrong
says you're worth two Miss Dodds.
That's a good deal from Mr.. Arm
strong, you know
ooh, I'm glad,' breathed Tekla, fer
vently. That's worth all the picnics
I've missed -Youth's Companion.