Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-12-30
By M. QUAD

on Monday show up herself. She mo-
toned to a room which could be clean
ed out for her accommodation. Then
she futtered out as she had 6uttered
In.
"Well? queried James after long
minute.
"Well" queried Joseph in reply.
well have to take her."
1--WE will"
II have felt for years that it must
come"
$50 have l."
Not a 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 1t be-
fore talking. When they had done so
on this occasion, James observed:
shes coming"
Certainly" was the reply.
1--WE can't stop her,"
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
1t. Then Joseph stood in the door and
looked. Then the bookkeeper came
and had look. 1t was queer; 1t was
amazing; it was incomprehenslble.
Monday 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, l am ready for dictati ton"
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
success. 1t was a success because
Miss Lacey made it so. She made it
so by saying:
"Oh, that's 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 it back for signature.
She did this with three letters and
then let up. She saw that James was
sinking under 1t. 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 you think we
can stand it?'
81 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 the
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 a 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:
She'll 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"
$50 could you"
Joseph, we must speak to the book
keeper. 1t is his duty to die for us If
necessary"
When Miss Lacey had given herself
another raise of salary the bookkeeper
was spoken to.
I'D get into a breach of promise suit
with tother one," was his solemn re-
ply, and the subject was closed.
One morning when Miss Lacey had
held her place for two months and an
other raise was expected she failed to
show up. James and Joseph 6dgeted
in their chairs. The bookkeeper look
ed like a man expecting trouble. AS
time sped on James looked hopeful.
AS more time sped on Joseph returned
the look. Just before noon a note was
handed in. 1t read:
Married this morning. Resignation
respectfully submitted"
Joseph"
James,
And they rose up and Rugged each
other and went Waiting around the
room, and the smile of the bookkeeper
was angelic to behold.