Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1911-01-28
SuperAuous
Things

The young woman stenographer
looked up coldly. - .--~--'- esq.,,
Don't you like it?" asked the 60
lieitor in an anxious tone.
yes, like the hat Also the man
under It." said the your woman
stenographer. But"
"Ah, those kind words Of apprecia-
ton are"
"a preface to some plain truths.
What did you do with your old hat?"
Ordered it sent here"
Just as thought. There is no use
Of my trying any longer. 1t is hope
less"
walt until get match and a
cigar. There-go ahead. Tell me
your trouble"
Long ago." said the young woman
stenographer, the chief threw out
strong hint that I'd be a great com
fort to him IL kept the vault in per-
feet order. He said II never had
been done. That was my cue for
working toward approval and incl
dentally an increase in salary The
stenographer sighed. We'll. every
| time a salesman returns from a trip
whether he has been to New York
or to Kansas City-he rushes out,
buys new hat and sends the old one
here.
"The first hat I wrapped up care
fully and put into the vault The
second ! stuck into an old bandbox.
The seventh and eighth | jumbled
into a bag. For six months those
| packages were moved from one side
of the vault to the other. Sometimes
they were on the floor and sometimes
on the shelf-always in the way. But
pictured to myself the gratitude
those men would show when
brought out their hats the next sea-
son, scarcely used and as good as
new"
The collector grinned. Did they
wear them?" he asked.
mo; still, they wouldn't let me
throw those hats away. Finally put
Mr. Wolcott's hat on Mr. Barker's
desk. Mr. Barker had no scruples
about getting rid of it. A cast-off
hat OF Mr. Barker's / put on Mr.. Ham
mond's chair-I didn't have to do It
twice. This method l pursued sys-
temaucally until there wasn't a
superfiuous hat left"
You are a deep, designing woman. "
The stenographer shook her head
and continued "Just your u.ention-
ing Christmas makes me shudder
Last year, for weeks before Christ.
mas, mysterious packages kept ar
irving and had to be stored In the
vault. My real trouble. however, be
! gan after Christmas. What do people
mean by giving such presents as they
do? Look at the cushions on that
settee. Regularly ! have to rip of
| the covers, take them to the clean
ers, bring them back and sew them
on again"
What would you have the chiefs
friends give him."
The stenographer scowled. 81
wouldn't have them give him fancy
calendars that have TO be adjusted
every morning"
Hang a monthly calendar in his
Office and stop fussing."
"Is that Joke? Look at the walls
II his office. Is there space on them
for even a postcard? had the photo
graphs of at least thirty of those
men framed for him and the clerk in
| the picture store acted just as if he
| thought ! was making a collection
of matinee idols. After the office was
! repapered the janitor and | hung pic
| lures at the rate of one a minute"
Il noticed that you put the three
ballet girls in the darkest corner and
that you had the picture of the John
son-Jetfries prize fight framed in
| black"
Look at the chiefs desk" said the
young woman stenographer with a
deepening sense of injustice. That
portfolio holds two sheets OF paper
and two one-cent stamps. The silver
rim OF that fancy blotter has to be
mended weekly No store in Chicago
keeps the right-sized leads for those
fancy pencils I've tried em all.
The only thing that lavender note
book holds is dust. Who gave him
that fountain pen? Every time he
uses 1t j feel as If I ought to put on
a rain coat and stun my ears with
cotton.
For eleven months a perfectly
good shelf in the vault has been used
for his misfit Christmas gifts. Yes
terday he sent them TO his country
home and today when looked at the
perfect order Of the vault began 10
have hopes of more salary but the
chief went Christmas shopping today
and here's the boy with your haiti"