The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-21

n.
The earth seemed 10 have opened and
swallowed the man. He had few close
friends and no confidants. His habits
were bad and his temper was violent.
How hefhad managed to win so charm
ing wife was not to be explained.
There was nothing to show whn: bust
ness he had 10 transact in Manhattan
He simply had told Hopkins he Was
going across the bridge. There the
trail ended i
There were gruesome visits to
morsues and hospitals for Mrs. Car
teret. but without throwing light on
the Gaze Once in the morgue she
thought She had found .er husbands
body. but later she was sure She had
been mistaken
1t is marvellous what woman will
do when she is put to the test IL she
has pride land courage Firm in the
belief that her husband was not dead.
she decided. as a measure to prevent
neiShbors from inquirins as to his
continued absence. to change her resi-
dence. From the Fort Greene district
she moved 10 Bensonhurst She had
no more than settled this matter than
more serious one confronted her. III
the business was not attended to il
would go TO ruin. The strikers had re-
turned and hopkins was in charge but
| while he was good superintendent
| his knowledge and ability did not en-
! tend beyond the shop. He could manage
| the machinery and the men, but knew
| nothing about the office.
Mrs. Carteret. young and mex
| perienced, knowing nothing of bust
ness except what she had read or had
heard in the talk of men. but deter
mined TO make IL appear that her
| husband might return al any time,
| Went TO the Office every day, lust as
F, her husband had done, sat a his desk,
| opened the letters of the Carteret Ma
| chinery Company and tried TO direct
| affairs. II all was frIghtful puzzle
| TO her al first for simple things in
/ business have q terrifying effect on
i some persons. but she was fortunate
| in having among the Office force two
very capable employees. one the book :
| keeper. the other the stenosrapher
She was not quick to learn. but what
| she once graspsd She never forgot 1t
was a shock to her when she discov-
cred the real financial condition OF
| the concern. She had supposed her
husband had plenty of cash but the
books showed otherwise and the no
tees from the bank were unpleasant
confirmation of the correctness of the
bookkeeper's figures. The concern had
been none too prosperous when the
strike hogan. The cost of that strug-
! gle had been heavy The plant was a
fair one, and. properly conducted
would bring rea sonable return. but
the margin OH which to work wa.
small If she. made any costly mis-
takes il would result in disaster
She applied herself 10 the study OF
the business as She had applied her
self to nothing before In her life DC
casionally she blundcred grotesquely
but not often. and never seriously
There Is a Providence that takes care
Of sailors, babes and women in bust
ness Mrs. CartercI required care jus
then and got plenty of 1t. She wa.
so earnest and SO kindly that she wor
The sympathy Of all those around her
i 'T'he Office force never worked better
the men in the shops. sulen and re
seEtful after the strike, warmed I,
her as they never had 10 her nus
hand, and Mrs. Cartcret, who ha,
begun by considering the shop tn
vilest place in Iirooklyn, had come I,
have a pride 1t in. Clear minded an,
really capable, she learned more thai
she realized She did not make tn
mistake OF overworkinS herself an,
making herself Il Slave to the business
She was systcmtic by nature AM
planned her days In accordance wit
what she believed would bring III
best results.
y 10 .itin't now allSl Il peESOl
can learn If heart and brain ar
centred on the object Within tire
months Mrs. Cartcrot. who had no
known the difference between n rive
and a jackscrew. was fairly wei
4 posted, The business was showing
I 4 small profit. Enough new work wa
coming in 10 make the outlook promis
is and the bank president who. q
FIRST, had been skeptical about extend
ing credit 10 Mrs Carteret now wa
quite warm in his conGratulation
The woman was just beginning I
grow. All her energies were arouse
business came TO be looked upon b
her as something glorious She rca
business publications and found
them stories Of endcavor. of stru2gl
and of triumph that thrilled her Z
much, almost, did stories of iictio
She saw that even in cold steel and
iron bars there was romance TT
works took on a coloring and II
whole business q dignity she never b,
7 fore realized, and the glory Of II all
: her was that she WAS part Of it. Il
i, directing part
4 Mrs. Cartertt was so busy she d
q not mourn for her hubbard, The p
: lice. after months OF desultory Il