The Tupelo journal., 1910-10-14
HER LOSS
A GAIN
By GEORGE WEYMOUTH

and contrary to business ethics. Marcia
knew that. But what are you going 10
do? Even when q girl becomes a part
Of the great business machine, she 10
not a piece Of machinery.
OF course he didn't mean anything
by 1t. Every three months he came
breezing in from his western trip, full
Of enthusiasm and glad to see every
body in the firm. If he held Marcia's
hand with a lingering pressure and
looked at her until she blushed, 1t was
only his way. II he gave her a flower
and leaned a minute over her desk,
saying commonplaces with his tongue
and wonderful and mysteriously elo-
Quent things with his eyes-why. Il
meant nothing. 1t was only the way
of him.
But poor Marcia. part Of the ma
chine and yet not a piece Of machin-
cry, treasured the flower. remembered
the pressure Of the hand. and inter.
preted the message Of the eloquent
eyes In her dreams.
Which was against the rules Of the
house and contrary to all tho sound
ethics OF business.
Then there came the day of the
awful explosion. He had just come In
from the road and there was trouble
about his expense account
I'VE can't stand for 1t, Mr.. Jerome"
said the head. angrily.
And because Jerome was young and
foolish and didn't know how impor.
tant the head was, and perhaps also
because he travelled much in the west
where men are free, there was a flip.
pant reply that grated on the awful
dignity of the big man Of business.
and the first thing Marcia knew there
was a beautiful row on hand.
The head proposed to kick the sales.
man out Of the Office. and the sales
man landed his resignation with a stif
uppercut on the adamantine cheek Of
the sacred head.
Many men came running to the help
Of the mighty one. but the salesman
strobe out with %quivering nostrils and
glazing eyes, and no man dared to lay
a hand upon him.
He looked about the ONCE defiantly.
and then when his eyes fell upon Mar
cha they softened. He came and
leaned over her desk.
We'll. little GIRL" he said. I've left
the firm. l won't see you any more,
will II"
I'm sorry-that you've left the
firm" murmured Marcia.
You're the only thing in the firm
that l hate to leave, little girl-and I
guess the towns not so big but I'll find
you again."
And he said other things, putting
into words the tender messages that
his eyes only had spoken until now.
And Marcia blushed and trembled,
and could say nothing, though per.
haps the one little look she gave him
was not without its meaning.
All Of which was a fragrant viola
ton of the rules Of the house. and
against the Medean laws of sound
business. But Marcia was too dazed
and happy to care. Really. she was
glad that she wasn't a piece Of ma
chlnery on this great day. but just
a girl with a heart and a soul.
It might have been 4 o'clock that
afternoon when the boy came with a
package for Marcia. Without think
ing. she opened ia dozen long
stemmed American beauties, and on
@hN 4o-I that vAct1nd o~0nU fh0 hvnc.
SONS she read: James Fleming Je.
rome, with the Consolidated COM
pany."
Now, the Consolidated was the
hated rival of Marcia's company. But
she did not think of that. She just
rejoiced in her heart because Mr.. Je-
rome had found another position so
soon.
Before Marcia could hide the flow
ers and the card she knew that some
one was looking over her shoulder.
end she dared not turn back to see
who 1t was. But some instinct told
her It was the head himself.
A moment later, when he moved
around in front of her, she knew that
1t really was the head, and that his
eyes we're cold with anger aud the
bruised place On his cheek, where
the resignation had landed. stood OFT
ritifully prominent.
"You will send those flowers back"
said he. witheripgly. land you will
write that no employee of this house
receives any gifts from rufans."
Indeed, l will not" said Marcia.
She was SO indignant that she forgot
to be afraid of the head.
"Then you win go to the cashier
and get your weeks pay-this min
ute," he snapped. "And you need not
refer to us when you want another
| position"
when Marcia found herself on the
| street with her weeks salary In one
| hand and the roses in the other hand.
| she still was too indignant to be sorry
that she had lost her job.
She was walking along n OF the
| principal streets when she ran into
| Mr.. Jerome. In spite Of her efforts
to be brave there we're tears in her
ewes before she had finished telling
him what had happened. After all,
she lust was a girl-and not a piece
' -