The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-11
THE BOSS AND LENA
By E. J. RATH.

MT. Dexter had not made other clauses in the agreement, but it was too late now. The question of hours was more serious, and when the Boss abolished all break lasts served earlier than 7:30 o'clock there was a threatened outbreak. Mir Dexter had to be called in to quell it, and they politely reviled him as he did it.
 Pay was a matter which went right down to the base of things. There was suspicious unanimity in the demand which was voiced in every dwelling in the park. The housewives started to put their feet down, only to discover that they had become sadly out of practice at that sort of thing. Their efforts were feeble and they could not hold against the on- slaught. Besides, nobody cared to be the first to break the charm. It had been so long since girl had left her place that none ventured to take the responsibility of precipitating an exodus.
 So it was that Gardendale fell into the clutches of a boss as powerful sagaeious and domineering as any who ever ruled city, ran a state or conducted the affairs of a nation.
 It was the Boss's latest ultimatum that brought the Park folk face to face with crisis; weeks vacation for every girl, another raise in pay and (this was the Boss's private demand) $50 a month for herself ! MT. Dexter conveyed the answer
 Positively no, Delia," he said, which meant that Gardendale was mad.
 Some av us'll be goin', thin" remarked the Boss calmly
 "All right" said Mir Dexter. "But when the first one goes, back goes your pay to twenty-eight."
 Sure, I'll be Pavln, too," said the Boss with all the serenity of power.
 He reported back to conference in progress at Mir Gates house that be- tween 25 and 30 girls would probably leave at the expiration of a week"
 We have endured enough" said Gar dendale. 'Let them go. We have per- mitted this Boss to rule us as if we were children. Now we will rise and crush her"
 We will do our own work if necessary" said the women.
 We will help" said the men,
 It was heroic.
 Three days more and the strike would begin. The village stores were almost de- nuded of their canned goods. The club had begun to lay in an amazing supply of provisions, in response to an avalanche of advance orders for dinners. lunches and even breakfasts. Gardendale was humming with excitement. Independence day was coming. The struggle was at hand. The provisions of war were to be met with a laughing face. After all, it might really be fun.
 When MT. Dexter arrived home that evening his wife opened the door herself and dragged him into the living room Her manner was at once mysterious and agitated.
 "Horace," she said. when they were beyond the earshot of any who might lls- ten. read this"
 She thrust into his hand a rumpled en- n uhaf box dered by all this unusual performance, extracted from 1t single sheet of paper and read:
 ''mis Della Monahann, am plees to hear you ar your phase leaving wit mis Dextar and wil you plees rite for me and say is it mise phase, as I am Joking for mise phase in country am gude cook with much hard work, being hear in this country VT 1 think like your phase fine so vii you plees let me no when you ar going mi adres Is mis Lena Schlot- tenhauser genl delivery pos offic New York F. s. 1 have friend wants phase to, so plees rite quick. s'yr friend Lena Schlottenhauser" MT Dexter looked up from the letter in- | quiringly.
 "Oh, I know we haven't any right to see it. broke in his wife excitedly "But Della Mary left 1t lying on the kitchen 1 table when she went out and I just couldn't help reading 1t. And then some- thing happened that made it so import ant that I knew you ought to see it.
 What happened?' asked Mir Dexter
 why. Della Mary told me this after noon that the girls had decided to stay another week and give us more time to make up our minds about the wages and other things"
 "Hum," said MT. Dexter reading the letter again.
 Well, what do you think of it?" asked his wife.
 "I think it's interesting" said MT. Dex- ter.
 Hadn't I better write to this girl im- mediately and see what she will come for?"
 T don't see how you can do that" said MT. Dexter This letter wasn't written to you. It's addressed to the Boss. You haven't any legal right to know anything about It. If you answered 1t the Boss would know in a minute you had read her letter, which would place you In an undignified position" T didn't think of that" said Mrs Dex- ter. But 1t does seem shame not to be able to take advantage of a chance like this. Two girls, mind you, because this one says she has a friend. Why, I'd let Della and Lizzie go in a minute if I could
 
 How about the rest of Gardendaleq,, asked her husband Don't forget our re- responsibilities there, my dearv
 "Oh, dear" sighed Mrs Dexter 'I wish you hadn't ever invented this Boss''
 MT. Dexter had the same wish, but he ignored his wife's comment
 Better see that the letter gets back in the kitchen" he said And If I were you I wouldn't say anything about it to anybody. Let's see what turns up. Pm interested in the Boss postponement of the striSe'
 Gardendale did not know at first exactly how to take the postponement Some who had grown militant, after long months of servility, were for making 1t a lockout on the day originally set. thus setting an example of courage and independence to the world. But the truce was finally ac- cepted, although it was made quite clear on both sides that there would be no yielding.
 Mrs. Dexter found much to do in the kitchen in the next few days She was hoping to catch the Boss off her guard. for she was dying to know if the Boss had written to Lena Schlottenhauser and if Lena had made any further overtures But Della Mary had a countenance whose immobility might be lixeneG to that of some famous general leading a legion to battle. It told Mrs. Dexter nothing. If the Boss was disturbed, she did not betray the fact by word or look
 Then the postman brought another let ter for the Boss. As Mrs. Dexter took it from him her hand trembled for she rec ognized at a glance the gnarled script of Lena Sch1ottenhauser. Mrs. Dexter re- ceved all the mail in person these days Ina Ar,0n ha ,,aY 1xy et,.