The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-11-30
That Little
Stenographer
BY M. QUAD
BY M. QUAD


The firm of Thomas & Co was com
posed of Joseph and james. brothers.
They were old fashioned men and old
fashioned in their methods of doing
business. They ran their offices OH the
longhand principle. There was no
stenographer. no typewriter, no dicta-
ton, no adding machine. Their book
keeper was young In years. but old
fashioned too.
1t was one morning when both broth
ers were busy at their desks writing
out letters in the way their fathers
had done before them that the place
was invaded The invader was a f.
male, young and good looking. She
was also petite and breezy. She
wasn't bit afraid of the men who
looked at her with amazement writ
large on their faces. She said she had
called to see about place.
She would come for IS week to be-
gin on, and soon she would want more
Not word from the partners.
The day was Friday. On the next
day she would send her typewriter and
on Monday show up herself. She mo-
i toned to room which could be clean
| ed out Ner accommodation. Then
she fiuttered out as she had tiuttered
| in.
"Well?" queried James after long
minute.
well" queried Joseph In reply.
| "We'll have to take her"
ave will"
| III have felt for years that it must
come"
| $50 have L."
Not word did the partners say to
each other until they were at the
lunch table They had lunched at the
same table for ten years. They had
always ordered soup and eaten it be-
fore talking. When they had done so
on this occasion, james observed.
| "She's coming
Certainly" was the reply. Il
I'VE can't stop her" is.3s
| impossible"
"And you are bachelor"
"And so are YOU"
The conversation ended there. Next
day the typewriter and its stand came
and were placed In the little room.
James stood in the door and looked at
it. Then Joseph stood in the door and
looked. Then the bookkeeper came
and had look. 1t was queer; it was
amazing; 1t was incomprehensible
Mondag morning Miss Lacey, as she
had incidentally called herself, floated
in. Then she busted her machine and
came out with pencil in hand to say:
well, ] am ready for dlctation."
James looked at Joseph. and Joseph
looked at James. Then, bracing him
self as a man does TO meet the grim
monster, James proceeded to dictate
his first letter. and Joseph went out
into the warehouse so as not to add
to his perturbation The dictation was
q success. 1t was a success because
Miss Lacey made it so. She made 1t
so by saying;
"Oh, that's a wrong word. We must
use another. That's bad grammar,
and we must change it. You don't
mean to say so and so. but so and So"
She constructed the letter to suit her
self and brought 1t back for signature.
She did this with three letters and
then let up. She, saw that James was
sinking under IT, Next day Joseph
dictated, and it was the same. When
they went out to lunch together and
after they had had their soup James
queried:
Brother Joseph, do vou think we
can stand itf''
Il thing wen have to-" was the dis
NAL reply.
And they did have to. Miss Lacey
took charge of the Office from the first
day In two weeks she said she was
worth $40 a week, and James nodded
to Joseph, and Joseph nodded to tho
man IN the glass cage. In four weeks
Miss Lacey got another raise. She
raised herself TO $12 per. She had got
so that she read the business letters
herself and answered them without
dictation. Just suggestion or two
and the thing was done. James had
thoughts. and Joseph had thoughts
but Miss Lacey had been with them
for six weeks before they had any
thing like confidential conversation
Then after the soup James observed:
/, shell raise herself to fifteen next
"And then to twenty" replied Joseph
Joseph, you are bachelor"
$50 are you. James"
"You could marry her and thus solve
the problem"
80 could You"
Joseph, we must speak to the book
keeper. 1t is his duty to die for US II
necessary"
When Miss Lacey had given herself
another raise of salary the bookkeeper
was spoken to.
I'D get into breach of promise suit
with t'other one" was his solemn re
ply. and the subject was closed.
One morning when Miss Lacey hat
hold hpr pincp for two months and an