The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-03
THE EVENING STORY
The Junior Partner.
(By Madeline Lewis. }

y
It was just one of those adver-
tisements which hundreds who have
answered them in vain term heart
less: Young lady stenographer ana
typist wanted in business once.
Must be quick and accurate. State
salary wanted.
the scores. IL not hundreds. who ans
wered by letter, was Kitty Burn
ham, daughter of q widow living In
one of the suburbs OF the city. she
has seen and answered many such
before. There was grave need that
the little income left by the father
should be eked out in some way.
She had little hope, when the
answer was sent or in It's blue enve-
1ope. that 1t would be heard OF again.
but to her great surprise. and almost
to her CONSERVATION. she received
curt message asking her to call. TO
make her way to a business ONCE
to be questioned by the abrupt mana
ger-to be tested as to her qualifica-
w ,soui do e at al, ali this was a
nightmare to her. Then she must
state the salary wanted. That in itself
showed a want Of fairness on the part
Of the firm. It was taking advantage
Of the applicants.
Kitty spent an hour figuring. so
much for street car fare daily-so
much for lunches-so much left at
the END of the week out Of the SUM
she had made up her mind to ask. It
would be only a pittance, and yet she
must take it and hope for advance
ment. No man. old or young. could put
himself in the place OF a girl OF nine
teen applying for q situation Tor the
first time In her life, ana being ush-
cred through an office where a dozen
men were at work into the sanctum
Of the manager. She expected to
meet an ogre and to be shouted at.
She had only entered the door when
she would almost have given her life
to be flying down the street. Next
moment the feeling disappeared.
shouting. kindly-faced man Of
forty-f1ve looked up from letter he
was writing and greeted her thus:
''Ah, Miss Burnham. I was ex-
pecting you. Please sit down and
will be through in moment"
The kind words rallied her. and
| three minutes later she was answering
questions and saying to herself that
| the man probably had daughter Of
his own and was sparing her as
much as possible: She had heard
over and over again that there was no
sentiment in business and that the
woman who took a mans place in an
office must expect to be treated like
a man, but here seemed to be proof
to the contrary.
L
the Junior partner in the f1rIn," said
the man when he had finished his let
ter. 'As this will be your first place.
you cannot expect the salary OF an
experienced girl. What figure do you
think will be right?"
II had thought Of 50 a week."
she replied, "but IL you-you think
that is too much I'll take Sc" She
| didn't want to run away now. She
| wanted the place, and she didn't want
the firm to think her too srasping.
Let me see as to your steno-
graphy." said Mr.. Gray, with a smile.
E"No need to be a bit nervous. Just
Iimagine that you have been here for
weeks"
He was not a lightning dictator.
He did not tramp UP ana down the
room and interrupt himself every mo-
ment to substitute words. In a quiet,
easy way he dictated letter. and
when 1t was finished he nodded to-
ward the typewriter in the corner,
ana the girl sat down and transcribed
her notes.
"It couldn't be BETTER he said as
she handed him the sheet. To-day is
wednesday, but as am bit hurried,
you might come tomorrow instead OF
waiting till Monday. AS to the sal
airy, you will be worth SO week to
start on. Good morning, Miss Burn
ham. About S:45 in the morning
pleased"
Five minutes later she was on her
way home to tell her mother the good
| news. and five minutes later Mr.. Gray
was saying to the head clerk in the
outer office:
"Mr Benson, have new steno-
grapher coming in the rnorning-Miss
Durham
Eyes, SIR"
Eyes, SIR"
"She is to be treated like a lady.
Please see to it that there is no fish,
ing for introductfons by the young
| men. II she does not bring her lunch
with her she will go out alone Should
encounter her in the elevator or on
the street shall lift my hat to her."
ct understand. SIR"
Mr.. Benson returned to the outer
office and communicated the news.
The young men Of the bookkeeping
staff winked at each other and smiled.
They were made up OF the average
young manic better or no worse.
One OF them went beyond winking
and smiling. He said to the man at
his elbow:
Listen to that, will youi The old
mans got a private stenog ana q
good locker, and we must not even
wish her good-morning. Got to Just
raise our hats and look down at our
toes
The "old man. had como into the
humble employe and worked his way
UP to q Junior partnership. He had
never married. and, SO far a. any one
at the store knew, he had no near
relatives. His home had always been
a boarding house or hotel. When
he had come into the firm 1t was pre-
dicted that he would marry within q
year, but he had made no change
whatever. The boys had winked and
smiled over the message from the in
ner office, but all of them knew that
the junior partner had = deep-seated
respect for womanhood, and In turn
they respected him for It.
For weeks and weeks after Kitty
Durham had taken her place it