The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-17
HIS FAMILY PLANS
BY JOANNA SINGLE.

tened while old John thousand last directions
about the management Of the mutual business OF
Markham & Markham.
"Confound that doctor!" he finished. wincing with
a sudden pain. II know he Is right and that simply
must spend the next three months tfaipsing about
Europe, worrying your mother int q FRAGILE and
trying to forget business as much as possible II.
to some things my self. / shall be oblised to lake
Miss spencer along. She knows the business almost
better than either you or l. ana cheerful per-
SON to be with us. I'm sorry about this sudden plan
but you'll have to get new stenographer-dont trust
business colleges Call up savery-nis business runs
on the same general lines He's my best friend, and
he Is to have good girls, and to spare In
the summer. Well, see you later IN go home nov.
Young Markham. who always did things now. wen,
the phone asked Mr. James Slavery for the loan
of stenographer for few months-one that couiu
spell and mind business and that of her
employer. The old man thought a moment and
promised send in the morning. That was
oone. Markham Junior then proceeded to other mat
tiers. determined that no detail should suffer in the
enforced absence of his father.
But he worked he ragged, for the night before
he had overheard parental conversation which he
could not without letting them know he had
heard, which would have troubled them terribly He
wished he didn't know that they were cold boodedly
worrying about his marrying though he but
twenty-four and that they had imagined they could
choose wife for him. They seemed worried lest he
be captured by the wiles OF some woman" girl
without money position. their own
particular social set He would show them that he
would make his own eheice, sincerely hoping the
family would like it. But If they didn't they could
go to thunder! Which sentiment was more forcefu
than filial But it the limit that they should
plan to force old Saverys daughter hint was
Margaret his mother mentioned though there were
several of the motherless girls.
They had been in England with aunt since child
hood and were coming back any time now. Let's see
he remembered that Maggie was the fossy- topped
htonpoy4sh enid he mad quarreled with
one summer when he was twelve and she a bit young
The said she sorry the girl a little
frail, she would have preferred stronger girl; but
Margaret was charming-she had seen her in Lon
aon last summer. She had been presented" and was
beautifully hammered. The mater had gone to tel
her husband thai his old friend Savery crazy. He
had had all his girls taught earn their own living
F IN case something happened to him. Maude had
learned to cook. Elizabeth to dressmake and heaven
only knew what he had taught Margaret! She was
the youngest. and marriage might her. She hac
hoped to throw the girl in John Juniors way thai
summer. and here she had to trail all over Europe
! She quite pathetic about 1T.
/ The young man sat on the veranda that night
after he had dutifully his parents on He had
promised them anything. and to be made com
Portable in the old house by the family servants He
hoped the pater would improve in health--and tenn
per. Then he went off early to bed, his mind still
| busy with choosing his wife.
Miss Stone the new stenographer, was waiting mex
morning. He called her to take dictaton ii
the inner office. and almost unconsciousiy though MS
was courteous to every accorded her the
/ he would have used with girls of his set She
was little and slender with quantities of plainly ar
ranged, bright brown hair and steady clear
She could not have been much past twenty, but sh.
had an air of poise and detachment that quit.
remarkable His quick noted that her exqusitel,
neat black dress was and cheap, that her su1af
shoes were cheap, but H. handkerchief which la,
I on the desk before her of very fine linen. Sh,
took dictation swiftly and quietly without asking hin
to repeat with an alert intelligence that pleased him
Ana when, later. she brought him the letters to sgr
they We're fautless. She could spell and she coulc
bring foreful order of his head
long sentences And neither that first day nor
other did she seem TO regard him personally. Sh.
| did her work and then went home. 1t Yer.
simple
I Business, always slack in summer. went smooth.
enough but he saw that every detail brought III
to date. Every one was busy enough. The CIR
seemed not to mingle with the other girls, but KEEP
to herself
y He found that she could only spell. but tina
she could exist without gum. cheap fnery and eab
crate coiffures And she made attempts, subtle o
:. otherwise, at flirting with her young employer. H
was used to being ogled by the girls in his employ
This was refreshing but her Indifference piqued him
He had an irrtated feeling that she hardly
as man. Her fine. steady eyes never fingered ap
provingly on his consciously handsome self. An,
she never fingered, never said than a conven
tionally pleasant word at coming going She neye
men menu her private AFFAIRS and when ne said sh
might go early, she pinned on her quiet street hat
took her gloves and parasol and went He wondered
{ where she lived.
Finally. in July he asked for her address-in cas-
J. he should need her holiday. In emergency
woman's home. and said the would always de
liver a business message
The heat increased. and he put another electric fa
IN the oice-n her corner-for she had begun to ioo
little worn and tired And he wondered IL she t1a
the ONCE except one evening at high-class vaude
I VILE She with elderly woman, he hardl
simple pale summer dress He reflected how won
derfuI II was for bright sweet girls to house
work. and $12 week. pitifully less. Ought he
) IN desency. to raise her salary7 ------
50 that he saa evar the neat va
Miss Carroll. who had some circulars to out. Blu
MISS stone salo IL ne utdn't mind would
read and write Htte-the Office was cooler thai
her room He acquesced and from his chair in tn
inner office he sat looking out at her She wrot
! some letters leisurely very good note paper
Then from drawer she took little green book
leaned back in the big chair and read quietly From
his own writing to his mother he would look nj
occasionally at the girl. serene and detached. witt
the breeze stirring the godbrown of hair Fnatt
she rose and went home. Miss Carroll followed
Passing out a few moments later, he saw tina
she had left her book the desk. 1t was Stephe
. Phillips "Marpessa," and to John Markham,s yonn
college taste this was the of discrimination
, reading She knew what what, that girl. A
he opened the drawer to put the book away. say
other Volumes worn little Browning. a small vourn
, or Lambs Ella Chesterton's "Defendant'-n
chance choice. such books that He was quite ex
! cited about it. Then he home
This was the evening when, the verands
alone. he discovered that he In love with her III
was very glad she stenographer. too. Tina
would show her. his parents the world and himsel
that 1t was Just the girl herself that he wanted
But he did not sleep much that night, tor he wa
TAR from certain that she would listen 10 him. tina
she would marry him, give him a chance L
!, WOO her! He could not compromise her by takin
hnr IN nlu kz tI5rzgx