Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1906-02-01
HELD BY THE
GOVERNMEN
BY Ohio B. .ScnSd

| 6 Copyright, 1870, by L. &. PARCELS
| E~nryoNNNNNNNHN HNNNNNNHNNNNN/g
| John Pearson was distinctly annoyed.
| He would not have believed Eugenia
| could be so unreasonable 1t was bad
enough to lose Havens, who was the
| best stenographer he ever had, but
when he finally secured another who
| could do satisfactory work, to have Eu-
| genia object because the girl was
| young and pretty was enough to make
a man lose all patience.
He strove to appease his fiancee's
wrath by pointing out how inferior In
] beauty and grace the new stenographer
| appeared to him in comparison with
| herself. He tried to appeal to her rea-
| son. her pride, for faith in him, but to
| little purpose.
"You need not trouble to call again
| or TO communicate with me until you
have discharged that girl" was the
| ultimatum, and Pearson went away,
angry and indignant, matchmaking
| all women and their silly, unreasonable
| jealousy.
Miss Anthony was not often unrea-
sonable and had had little occasion for
| jealousy. She hardly could have ex-
, planned it herself, but her annoyance
about the girl and her resentment to-
| ward her lover had begun when she
had asked the name of the new en-
ployee and John had replied, anna
| Darling"
The tiny flames had been famed and
increased by every word of praise for
| Miss Darling that the unconscious
Pearson had stupidity uttered until she
could bear it no longer. She magnified
his satisfaction with the girls work
into love for the girl herself, and she
felt for the moment quite justified in
demanding her discharge.
But with the next days light Miss
Anthony's good sense and love of fair
play reasserted itself. How silly |
was" she thought.
She resolved to send him little note
or telephone message but decided to
wait until evening He was to take her
to the opera, and on the way she would
confess her unreasonableness.
The evening passed, and no John and
no message to explain his absence. Ten
o'clock, 10:30l Il won't be foolish" she
thought firmly I'll call him up by
phone and tell him / want to say good
night
She had often done this when it had
not been possible for John to come TO
her. She smiled happily as she rang the
bell and called for the Pearson resi-
dence John lived with his brother, and
she knew the family had gone away.
She recognized the housekeeper's voice
in reply to her call, but her face fell at
the message. Mr. John had not been
home, and Mrs. Barnes could get no re-
ply to frequent calls over the phone to
the Office.
The next morning Miss Anthony
called Mrs. Barnes again, with similar
results. Mr. John did not come home,
and there was evidently no one at his
Office.
Miss Anthony was essentially a wo-
man of action She dressed herself in q
most becoming street costume and a
half hour later was entering the great
Office building on Congress street. Pear
sons office was closed, the door locked.
"He wasn't there all day yesterday"
volunteered the elevator boy.
But surely some one was" insisted
Miss Anthony. "The young LADY,
''She came in the morniIg, bat went
away again Immediately" he answered
Miss Anthony was quick to resolve
and equally quick to execute. She con-
suited the directory and took car for
Arlington. At the door of a neat little
cottage she paused. Yes, there was the
,iame, Daring on the doorplate. What
could she say TO the girl even if she
found her? Did she really expect to be-
lieve that she and John Then she lift
ed her head proudly. Was she going to
be silly again? Something had happen
ed to John, aad siiss Darling might be
able to aid her in learning what it was.
When Miss Darling entered the room
Miss Anthony hardly could restrain the
impulse to take her il he. ar.ns. such
pretty, timtd looking little thing
hardly more than child. Her eyes
were visibly red with weeping, and
when Miss Anthony asked her if she
had been at work the day before her
face colored painfully.
Miss Anthony explained enough of
the situation rur Atiss Darling TO un-
derstand the reason for her visit, and
then Miss Darling told her own story
hurriedly.
Il have been with Mr.. Pearson nearly
Il month and supposed my work was
entirely satisfactory. | went to work
yesterday morning as usual, but / had
hardly entered the office when the tele-
phone bell rang. On answering it l
found it was Mr.. Pearson speaking He
said that he should require my services
mo longer and would mail me a check
for two months salary"
She paused, choking back Sob Miss
anthony blushed with shame and re-
gret.
II left the Office Immediately, of
course. l cannot understand it, for 1
was at work on some papers that Mr..
Pearson was very anxious to have fin.
ished this week-Work that another
stenagrapher could not well take up.
And'-she hesitated-"as yet 1 have
not received the check"
Miss Anthony spoke rapidly and with
decision. "A1iss Darling l am con-
vinced that there Is some mistake.
know Mr.. Pearson was satisfied with
your work
"Do you think" a,Sked Miss Darling
eagerly, "th0t it was not Mr.. Pearson
that it was y hoax?"
81 hardly know what to think" re-
turned Miss Anthony evasivelF, "hut /
am so sure that Mr., Pearson is pleased
with your work and wishes to retain
you in his employ that l am going to
ask you 10 return to the office now
with me- Perhaps III some way we
may learn something of him."
The two girls were standing before
Pearson's door, and Miss Darling was
searching in her handbag for her dupli-
cate key when a young man approach
ed, saying courteously, Were you look
ing for Mr. Pearson?"
YES" answered Miss Anthony quiet
ly. Can you tell me if he will be III
todayF'
81 think not. There are several i'm
portant cases before the grand jury
this term, and its sitting may last three
Or four days more"
t,a ;,,e