Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-02-27
Kelly
By GRACE THOMSON
Copyright, 1915, by G. II. SutclifYe

NJ UouUt lie nau 1n0tner name. but
when the gray haired old cashier had
asked what his first name was he had
explained that Kelly was enough,
If tell you the rest, you'll be calm
me some kid name, an I'm q man
now" he announced. I'm goin' T. earn
my own livin'." The cashier whimsi-
cally entered him upon the payroll as
Mr.. Kelly" and SO it had stood.
Kelly had graduated to the dignity of
long trousers and considered himself a
veteran In the service Of Edge & Lut.
ton when Kathleen came, a dainty, SEN
stive little woman, fresh from business
school and yet very much unversed in
the ways Of business.
She won Kelly's heart by calling him
"Mr. Kelly" and thereafter any of the
boys who dared play trick on the new
typewriter invariably turned up at the
office the next day with bruised lip or
blackened optic. Few Of them played
more than one trick, for when he was
but six Kelly could thrash any eight
year-old youngster on the block.
Kathleen. all unmindful of his cham.
pionship, merely noticed that the boys
were better behaved, and told her
mother that life In a business Office
was not as hard as she had supposed 1t
would be. ITS so very different from
what we thought l should have to go
through WITH" she explained, land the
little Kelly boy is just a dear"
Later on, when Luton began to take
notice Of the pretty typewriter, Kath.
leen changed her mind, but she did not
tell her mother Of the invitations to
drives and the theater. 1t was hard
enough that Mrs. Lansing should be
compelled to do without the luxuries to
which she had been accustomed during
her husbands life without having to
know that the money that procured
their bare livelihood was earned at the
cost Of keeping silent under covert in
suit.
Luton was careful not to make his
overtures too patent. and only Kelly
saw the little things which made Kath.
leen's work so hard. She put aside his
invitations with quiet dignity that
admitted Of no argument, and Luton
firing at last of a campaign Of courte-
", began to find fault.
1t was he who dictated most Of the
correspondence, and there were letters
to be copied over because Of some triv.
ial mistake. Night after night Kath-
leen had to remain copying letters, with
only Kelly for company. And when at
last she sought the street she never
knew that only Kelly's presence saved
her from further attention from Lut.
ton, waiting in the cafe across the way.
She thought it merely one Of Kelly's
little courtesies. never suspecting that
Kelly, idling at the window, had seen
Luton crossing the street and had di.
vined his intentions.
But while Kelly's presence saved her
from trouble in one way it increased
her burden in another. for Luton,
smarting under his rebuff, grew more
vindictive. The Arm was In a pool in
Y. and NJ. G.. and the operations were
conducted from the Office. Somehow In
spite Of caution some facts leaked out
prematurely. and the whole operation
resulted in a crash from which the firm
barely escaped with a whole credit.
The whole office was uneasy. That
there was suspicion that some Of the
clerks were believed to be guilty of
treachery was apparent, but John Edge
would not have any one discharged un-
til his guilt was proven.
I'VE must be careful for awhile" he
had said to Luton. when the latter
urged wholesale dismissals, but IL we
let every one out we could never again
command the confidence of our en-
ployees."
Luton let the matter drop, but when
It was decided to make a raid ON Men,
phis preferred and the news reached
the exchange almost before the confer
ence was broken up. even the senior
partner was forced to admit that some
thing must be done.
Luton very promptly discovered that
Kathleen had access to all correspond
ence Of the firm and that 1t must have
been she who in some manner had
in gain Of thousands to some one %
inc OUTSIDE.
Even then Edge did not want to work
on circumstantial evidence.
Take It easy. George" he urged.
Watch her carefully. but do not dis
miss her." And Luton had smiled I'M.
der his heavy mustache. He had an
idea that he could kill two birds with
| q single stone.
THAT red headed kid seems pretty
thick with the typewriter" he said. Il
shouldn't be surprised II they worked
together. You remember he brought q
telegram In Just 40 that Memphis deal
was put through"
"Kelly?" said Edge. why. he's .
part Of the ONCE"
| "Au the same, could show you
Ddge waved . protesting hand. Ha
could not believe in the guilt OF am
one In the once.
every well," he said YEARLY. Il