Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-07-21
4 AIKEN on I rial
SsSSss=sssss<sassd
- 7iit-s.l--,'. g.
"a man whirled about.

Iii Try you. LOT WeehS ue SNAP
ped. .and your pay will be SO"
The girl paused on her way to the
door 81
THANK you." she said. IL expect to
make myself worth more than that"
y When he came down the next morn
ing and tramped into his ofiice. he
found the girl seated at her table, her
brown head bent over her work. He
was just little surprised to find her
there. Persons he engaged had way
OF promising to come back and falling
to do 30. He knew that he was to
blame for this, and he rather gloried
In the thought But here was this
strange girl at her place and looking
a. II she meant to stay there. She
was neat.looking girl. Her hair was
tidy and there was a bit of white
about her neck that softened the eff
feet OF the black frock. And In lit
tie vase In front Of her was q flower,
Z red flower Of some kinda flower,
he told himself, that looked strangely
out II place in the dingy room.
And then the man suddenly stared,
about him. Both the windows were
open. and they were clean, and the
sunshine was streaming in. And there
was ! general air Of freshness about
the place that was quite amazlng-and
the odor Of cleanliness was fairly pun.
gent.
Good morning" said the girl sweet
ly.
This girl was going altogether too
far. What did she mean by taking
such liberties? He would show her
that he was not the sort of man that
could be imposed upon. No doubt she
had been spoiled In the office Of her
father-her dead father.
He looked up. The girl was stand
Ing by the desk.
"The men from the telephone COM
pany will be here at 10 o'clock to ar
range for moving the phone, she said.
..and the typewriter is being -put in
order. Do you feel the draught from
the windows?
he KTOW1Su OIL AndALlCuA6lO WOIu OE
two and the girl turned away.
.Oh,n she said and turned back.
Mary, the woman who cleans, asked
me to tell you that she wasn't In any
way responsible for the improved ap-
pearance Of the ONCE. She said she
was quite willing to let me take all
the credit. 1t seems much nicer here.
doesn't 1T"
Heer was his chance to assert his
authority. But, strange to say. the
only form OF expression his anger. took
was another vicious slam Of the much
suffering private drawer.
The girl brought new methods into
the business. the labor-saying and
time-saving devices he had despised.
And with the departure Of the old,
fashioned methods his old-fashloned
brusqueness seemed to depart. too.
Customers who had been offended at
his irritability and plain speaking
came back. The business was In bet
ter shape than ever.
sl'm losing my grip" he growled to
himself. II don't know anybody who
fears me. And yet. confound 1T. the
old house seems to have q new lease
Of prosperity. II only Robert :" y e
He had been thinking a good deal
about his son. No doubt It was an
other proof of his fatuous weakness.
He arose suddenly and took the va
cant chair by the girls table.
Miss Norris" he abruptly said.
"I'm troubled"
Not about the business. Mr.. Thur
bert"
mo. The business is all right Per-
haps, II 1t wasn't LIQUID keep, my
thoughts on 1t. It lis my son Robert
who bothers me-"
Yes. Mr.. Thurber.s
But you don't ask me why?'
II know something about the story,
sir. You disagreed, Your son felt
that you were treating him like 4