Smyrna times., 1908-05-27
THE JUNIOR
PARTNER.
By Madeline Lewis.
Copyright, 1908. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

L was just one of those advertise
ments which hundreds who have an
swered them in vain term heartless:
young lady stenOgrapher and typist
wanted in a business office. Must be
quick and accurate. State salary want
ed"
Of the thousands who read it and
the scores. if not hundreds, who an
swered by letter was Kitty Burnham,
daughter of a widow living in one of
the suburbs of the city. She had 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 off in its blue envelope that
it would be heard of again, but to her
great surprise and almost to her con-
SternatiOn she received a curt message
asking her to call To make her way
to a business Office, to be questioned by
the abrupt manager. to be tested as to
her qualifications and perhaps told that
she wouldn't do at all-all 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. 1t 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. 1t would be only
q pittance, and yet she must take II
and hope for advancement. No man
old or young. could put himself in the
place of a girl of nineteen applying fol
a situation for the first time in her life
| and being ushered through an office
| where a dozen men were at work int
the sanctum of the manager. She eX
| pected to meet an ogre and to be shout
ed at She had only entered the doc
when she would almost have givel
her life to be flying down the street
Next moment the feeling disappeared
There was no ogre. There was Il,
shouting. A kindly faced man of for
ty-five looked up from a letter he wa
writing and greeted her thus:
"Ah. Miss Burnham, l was expect
ing you. Please sit down, and l will b
through in a moment"
The kind words rallied her, and thre
minutes later she was answering ques
tiOns and saying to herself that tn
man probably had a daughter of hi
own and was sparing her as much a
possible. She had heard over and owe
again that there was no sentiment
business and that the woman who too
a mans place in an office must eXpeC
to be treated like a man, but here seen
ed to be proof to the contrary.
"NIy name is Mr. Gray, and l am th
junior partner in the firm" said th
man when he had finished his lette
Gas this will be your first place yc
cannot expect the salary of an eXper
enced girl. What figure do you thin
will be right?"
IL had thought of IS a week" ST
replied. "but if you-yOu think that
too much I'll take $6' She didn
| WduI 10 run AWAY HOW. sue Wdule
v the place. and she didn't want the fir
n to think her too grasping.
N LET me see as to your stenography
said Mr. Gray. with smile mo nee
y to be bit nervous. Just imagine tn
n you have been here for weeks"
He was not lightning dictator. T
did not tramp up and down the roo
and interrupt himself every moment
A substitute words. In a quiet, easy w;
he dictated a letter. and when it W
= finished he nodded toward the tyI
writer in the corner. and the girl S
down and Transcribed her notes.
''It couldn't be better" he said as S
NJ handed him the sheet To-day
z Wednesday. but as l am a bit hurri
you might come tomorrow instead
waiting till Monday. AS to the salal
you will be worth $40 a week to stG
on. Good morning. Miss Burnha