The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-31
THE EVENING Story
Discharging Miss simpson.
(By Edmund MoberIvl !

jump as the buzzer on the wall hasi6e
MS desk rasped out a sharp. insisfent
summons.
Cartwright had been chief clerk of
years, but he had never outgrown his
liapll or jumping when he heard that
puzzer It's penetrating rasp was the
voice of authority, for it was controlled
Dy button on the desk of Mr.. Payne.
the irascfble president of tn, comnsnv
whenever it emitted its raucous call it
told Cartwright that the president de-
sired his presence.
Swiftly but noise1essiy Cartwright
presented himself at the elbow. of Mr..
Payne' IN the private Office of the
Cartwright, snapped Mr.. PAYNE.
Il want YOU to fire that Miss simp-
"But-but. SIR" stammered the chief
CLERK, thought you held high
opinion of Miss Simpsons ability as a
stenographer''
so did-until recently"
.'Wh-what has happened to alter
your opinion, STRIP
she is getting careless in her work. -
You must be mistaken sir. Miss
SIMPSON IS very careful worker"
is she, indeed? Perhaps you con-
Mr. Payne, as he produced a type
written letter which had been placed
on his desk for his signature saThis is
letter making a quotation on gray
iron castings to the Coidren-Speyer
Company. What do we read? Gentle
men: We are pleased to quote you in
gray-eyed castings y The presidents
ponderous indignation caused him to
stop.
"Gray-eyed eastings." he exploded
presently. There's sample of the
work of your careful worker. Why,
lott r. Il
ing stock of this company, had it
slipped by me; and that isn't the worst
part of it. Look at this at the bottom:
Yours affectionately.' Two fool mis-
takes in one letter, both due to care
lessness, or what is worse-incompe-
tence. tell you, sir. I'll have no slip
shod workers around me. And I might
add, Cartwright, that you'll find it to
your interests to scrutinize more care
fully the correspondence you place on
my desk for my signature. You should
have caught both of these errors if
work for which this company pays
you"
perhaps if 1 should warn Miss
Simpson ventured Cartwright, there
would be no further cause for COM
plaint.''
ut would be wasted effort This
isn't the first offense. Her letters of
late have been full of misspel1ed words
and eraSions-far too many of them.
I have been long suffering in this mat
ter, but this CoIdren-Speyer letter
passes the limits of my patience. She'll
have to CO."
'But, sir
kindly do not obtrude your opin-
ions upon me until requested, Cart
wright broke in Mr.. Payne testify.
Efficiency is the watchword Of this
plant. Miss Simpson is inefficient, and
iS
path of our progress She must be re-
moved. This is final
For a moment Cartwright's gray
eyes glinted unpleasantly behind his
thick glasses, and his meager figure
Strengthened, but his resolution died
within him as the steely glance of the
president bored through him.
Very we'll, SIR he answered meek
ly, as he turned to go.
Cartwright, in the capacity of chief
clerk, had been obliged to discharge
subordinates more than once; but they
had always been men, He had never
been called upon to fire a woman.
The foundry business was an open
book to Cartwright: woman was the
reverse. Like the average human be-
ing: he feared what he did not com
prehend. He was in panic as he
faced the dreadful prospect of telling
woman that the company no longer
required her services. And such
Womani Not one of the fluffy, frivo-
1ous beings who kept one eye on the
male clerks and the other on the Of
fee clock, but sweet, serious girl who
had the interests of lie company at
heart.
Rufus Cartwright liked Miss Simp-
son. Had he not been so timid where
femininfty was concerned he might
have confessed to himself that liked
was far too mild term. In the
privacy of his room at the boarding
house he had even dared to dream
dreams about her. It was monstrous.
Cartwright procrastinated as long
as he dared. He realized that Mr..
Payne would soon want to. know if
his wishes had been carried out Sud
denly his chin squared. and he en-
tered the little room in which Miss
Simpson toiled.
The chief clerk was very red and
uncomfortable as Miss Simpson looked
up from her work.
"Er-Miss Simpson" he began, and
then halted.
The stenographer looked at him in
amazement.
well, Mr.. Cartwright" she an
swered gently
Rufus swallowed hard.
stWiu you be my wife?" he burst
out, nearly fainting at his own au-
dacity.
Miss Simpson blushed rosy red She
smiled nevertheless.
why. Mr.. Cartwright she ex-
claimed, after a pause. eff 1t did not