Connecticut western news., 1906-08-23

Then her brother strode out of the room and slammed the door.
 Don't mind him, dear" said her mother. Men are all like that"
 Shortly after lunch next day the bell rang and Mrs. Dickson opened the door. A small boy confronted her.
 "They's a telephone fer Miss Dick son at the drug store. She's to call her brother up," he said and was gone.
 "Marge. oh. Marge!' called Mrs. Dickson.
 Yes. mother?'
 You're to call Fred up at once. The boy just came with the message"
 Marge came downstairs and took her hat from the rack.
 Il wonder what he wants," she said and left the house.
 Fifteen minutes later she returned, breathless. Fred met MT. Roberts at lunch, and he told Fred he was in an awful fix. His stenographer had been taken very i'll and had gone home, and he asked Fred If he knew a good girl who could substitute until she was we'll. Fred told him would help him out, and it's SIS a week." she finished excitedly.
 Her mother sighed, but there was a contradictory twinkle In her eyes. Its too bad you haven't kept up your speed. Of course you won't be able to take the position" said her mother.
 Wont I? I guess I will. He wants me right away. It's the MT. Roberts," said Marge lucidly.
 Mrs. Dickson smiled. And you can go to the country now, dearie," she suggested.
 Yes, If his stenographer only stays i'll long enough-poor girl" she amend ed. feeling that her remark was more human than humane.
 For u month MT. Roberts stenogra- pher lay i'll. When she came back. late in May, Marge packed her trunk and went into the country to write her masterpiece
 Her letters home were frequent. In one she wrote:
 "The country Is glorious at this time of year. It grows lovelier each day. This morning as I sat beneath d fine old maple tree awaiting inspiration I was startled by familiar voice, and who do you think 1t was? MT. Rob- erts. He said he was city tired and wanted whifr of pure country air. He doesn't know how long he'll stay. He says 1t all depends. I find him very congenial. although he laughs at the idea of women wanting a career. intended working this afternoon, but he has asked me to take a walk, so I shall have to postpone work until to- morrow"
 Her letters glowed with accounts of pleasure trips taken with MT. Rob erts," but only In the first was there any mention of work.
 Mrs. Dickson remarked this to her son.
 Don't worry. mother" he said know ingly. ''The kid'll come around all right. She's the writing bee In her bonnet. and she's stung some, too, but a sting isn't fatal, and the treatment she's taking now will effect a perma- nent cure"
 Ills mother sighed.
 "She was such good stenographer," she said ruefully.
 Two weeks later Marge came home, rosy and bright, with a new happy light In her eyes.
 ''The vacation has done you good, dear," said her mother II have never seen you looking better or happier" she added collectively.
 Did you do any writing. dearT
 Yes. read us what you've written, sis" said Fred.
 "I-I-that is-well, 1t isn't-in shape yet to be read" replied Marge nerv- ously.
 Fred winked at his mother
 But can't you give us some idea of It." he persisted teasingly.
 In the evening the ''city tired Rob- erts" called. Marge met him at the door. His first words were, Have you told them. dear?' Marge hesitated.
 "Oh. Billy, I couldn't" she said at last ''I tried to. but Fred was horrid and leased me about my masterpiece and mother thought I had been work ing all the time I was away. and I | couldn't tell them then. You do it, Billy" she said imploringly.
 And Billy did. Percentage of Famous Joke.