Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-29
The Argus Daily Short Story
THE PARTNERS--BY nj. QUAD.
Copyrighted, 1905 by Associated Literary Press.

Among the applicants answering the
advertisement CT Klein & Klippert for
stcnographe~ was Miss Rose VIII
iiams of u suburban village Dotl;
partners wore old bachelors. and when
the advertisement was inserted Klein
said to Klippcrt:
There will probably be hundred
girls come tomorrow, ard as l know
more about human nature than you
do | will see them and picl, cut the one
we want"
But rs l know more about stenog-
raphy than you do it should be left to
me-" was the reply of the partner.
They wrangled over the matter for
ten minutes and then agreed that both
should receive and question the ap-
plicants. When Miss Rose entered the
Office each partner said to himself that
she would do, no matter whether she
knew anything about stenography or
not. Each tried to impress upon her
mind the fact that he was fatherly
and kind hearted and wished TO run
an orphan asylum. Klein wanted to
offer her $40 a week, and Nlippert
wanted to offer S. more. but they final
ly settled on So to start with. This
was $5@morc than they had intended
paying. and the boolikeeper wondered
if the well known economy of the cs-
Enlistment was TO fly out OF the
window. When the terms had been
settled and the applicant had depart
ed, to reappear on the morrow, Klci,l
hitchcd about on his chair for a cou-
pie of minutes and then said:
AS my room is rather the largest
and lightest, l am willing to make q
place for the young lady. Did you no.
tice the lines of sorrow around her
young mouth? l shall speak very gem
tly to her.
There is fine, light space in my
room for the young lady," replied
Klippert, "and 1 will take her in there.
There is 4 sad look about her eyes, as
If she had some great grief, and
shall not expect her to do much work"
They disputed for half an hour over
the point, and next day Miss Rose
was given the hall between the office
rooms of the partners. 1t was a
gloomy, contracted space, but she
made no complaints. Each partner
had made excuses to address her half
a dozen times when it came half past
II o'clock. Then Klein passed into the
room of the other and said:
"You seem to have lots of business
with the new girl this morning. If you
are not more careful she will become
afraid Of you''
II was going to say the same thing
to yOu," was the prompt reply. Il
have simply been treating her in ia
therly way 1 think she has lost her
natural father, and that's the reason
she looks so sorrowful."
"But she will expect me to invite her
out to lunch. am the senior partner,
you know"
"But / was intending to do that
courtesy myself. 1t belongs to the jun
Tor partner"
"But / contend that it would look
forward In you. Remember. she is a
very timid girl"
81 shall be gentleness itself. You
with your brusque way would certain
ly frighten her."
They went out into the store to
argue the matter out, and it took so
long to do it that Miss Rose had gone
to her lunch when they returned to
ask her to go with both. The partners
felt that the other was to blame. 3nd
at half past 1 o'clock, in order to get
even with Klippert. Klein called the