The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-15
THE EVENING STOR Y
Cupid and the Committee.
(By Carroll Gordon.)

Icy CdTIOll GOIQOIi-J
DO you draw Up resolutions ana
things?'' asked Kate Masters eagerly.
No. scorned Matte. You send
committee to the boss and tell him we
won't work any more
I'D rather write" declared Grace
Kelso. I'D be scared to death to go in
there and talk to him."
writing isn't half as good" declared
Matte. You just tell him what the
matter is and that we'll go on strike II
Bromley isn't dismissed, and that's all
there is to it,
ALL" repeated Kate. 'I should think
1t would be enough The idea of going
right in to Mr.. Temple and telling him
that we're not going to work any more
unless Bromley is sacked. I'd be so
scared couldn't speak"
I'm not afraid said Matte disdain-
fully.
st vote that we make Matte Lester a
committee all by herself" suggested
Grace and the motion was unanimously
carried without the formality of sec
onding.
mo you don't" cried Matte. "I'Il do
the talking but we want a lot of girls
for the committee. 1t has good eff
feet
In the end a committee of five was
appointed and it was agreed that the
noon hour the next day would be the
proper time for making the demand.
Matte lay awake half the night think
ing what she should say and her argu-
ment was continued in her dreams.
The room was all excitement the next
morning and as the noon hour ap-
preached the excitement grew more In
tense. Every girl in the room left her
lunch untouched to accompany the COM
mittee on its errand of protest and left
them only at the beginning of the short
hall at the end of which was Edward
Temples office.
The departure of the escort seemed to
have q bad effect on the others for. as
Matte raped on the door and a deep
voice responded, the other four girls
right about faced as by common i'm
pulse and fed down the passage way.
For a moment Matte watched them,
dismayed. Then with a firm hand she
turned the knob and entered the room
In place of the gray-haired man she
expected to find the room was tenanted
only by an alert young fellow who look
ed up expectantly as she approached.
ST beg your pardon" she stammered.
IT thought that this was Mr.. Temples
ROOM
so it Isl he responded briskly, land
this is Mr. Temple Only 1t happens
that my father did not come down this
morning. Anything 1 can do for you?
I am Frank Temple
IT don't know that you'll do she said
obviously. You see. I'm strike-l
mean a strike committee" she cor
rected.
"a single committee is rather unus-
ual," he smiled. DO understand that
you represent the factory"
1.-The finishing ROOM" she explained.
There were five of us but the rest ran
away"
81 see," he said gravely, though his
eyes twinkled. And may 1 ask the
nature of the demands to be made
It's that horrid Jim Bromley" she
exclaimed. I'VE don't want more mon
ey or anything, but we want n new
foreman. He's just as mean as can be-.
He wouldn't have Bess Bradley's ma
broke down and hurt her hand, he
locked her for the time she was away.
He's always fining US for every little
thing, and he's that mean
Mates pause spoke volumes and her
eyes added to the story. Temple
grinned.
IT shall have to look into this" be
said. Take chair please" He left
back with another young man as clean
cut as himself.
Mr.. Everett will look into the mat
the mean Mr.. Bromley
Now you're laughing at me-" said
Matte Indignantly.
Far from it, he denied. Grievance
committees should be treated most SER
iously"
And this is serious" she declared,
sustained gave her eloquence and her
eyes snapped as she recited long tale
of Bromley's wrongs. Everett listened
attentively, though at times he and
Temple exchanged sympathetic chances
as some quaint turn of speech caught
their sense of humOr.
This is matter that most certainly
should be looked into" he said. II do
not believe in fines except as last re-
sort Suppose you help us get at the
bottom of the trouble?''
I'm telling you all about it now"
she cried.
IT know he agreed But to get
Bromley right we shall have to wait.
Now If you will explain to the others
that the matter will be properly settled
If they will go on as they have been do
ing for a week, think we can hand a
very unpleasant surprise to the enter
prising Mr.. Bromley. 1t appears from
the books that few fines have been
turned in. On account of the number
of employees the envelopes are made up
several days ahead and the foreman of
each department takes out the fines.
Now on Saturday make a note of all
the fines, bring the envelopes to me and
we will have the matter Strengthened
out
Matte looked him squarely in the eye.
DO you really mean that?" she de-
manded.
Most certainly" he assured.
Shake hands on it," she demanded.
Everett blushed as his fingers closed
over the smaller ha and lingerd
there.
Matte went back to the room with
a sense of Importance. Word was pass
ed along that 1t was all right and to
meet on the corner after the factory
closed. There was a babel of voices as
the plot was unfolded and when, at
last. the impromptu meeting adjourn
ed Everett was lingering there.
81 saw the crowd forming" he laugh
ed, as he fell into step beside Matte,
land waited to hear the outcome"
She tucked her hand through the prof
fered arm and together they went down
the street.
THE next night Everett was waiting