The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-02
BY EDMUND MoRkHLY.

Copyright, 1912. by the Associated
Literary Press
Mr. benjamin Holhrook, of the firm
Of Il. Holbrook II Company. jobbing.
had been absent from his business
for three weeks. and therefore enter
ed his Office resolved to get back into
harness as speedily as possible. After
Wading through mass OF accumu-
lated correspondence, he rang for his
confidential stenographer She failed
u appear A second and a third ring
We're equally barren of results, Mr..
Holorook grew indignant. With a
sewage jab he touched another but
ton on his desk. and In a moment
Watson, his chief clerk. stood at his
elbow
doesn't Miss Gayley respond 10 her
call 2"
Miss Gayley was married while
20 uwere away
AN office romance?
Yes" responded Watson with a
smile. ''Smithers. one of the book
keepers. Is the other guilty party"
Well nc got a sensible wife. con-
found him. Give him a ten per cent.
raise. AT the same time he robbed
me OF a good stenographer just when
she had become efficient and yalu-
able. 1t strikes me these cases are
becoming pretty frequent in this Of
flee. aren't they, Watson
This is the fourth in three years
Exactly" agreed Mr.. Holbrook.
-Four in three years, Of which your
own case was the first. Matrimony is
a noble institution, Watson. but It
cannot be allowed to play hob with
this business the way 1t has been
doing. ! propose now to get n steno-
grapher who will regard this Office
as something more than a stepping
stone to marriage. Miss Gayley's
successor must he at least thirty-five
years old. You will advertise at once
for lady confessing to that many
summers. II YOU cannot find her. I'll
have to get a man--but l prefer the
woman. II she exists
". Fse1jaEsssss tfsfosSsk i7wd never isrrfi
married. At the age when other men
take unto themselves wives. ne had
been too busy smoothing the path OF
the newly established firm OF B. Hol-
brook 4 Company over the thorny
ways which infant industries must
travel. Matrimony. he had reasoned.
must wait upon success. Success he
had finally achieved, and now II walt
ed upon matrimony. II questioned.
he would not have been able to say
whether he had, eluded rratrinsony or
matrimony had eeiuied him. but now.
at the age of forty. he was forced to
confess to his friends that while 1t
was still possible in his case. II did
not seem very probable.
Being a bachelor. he had never
been able to fathom the mental
processes which led q girl TO abandon
a comfortable salary In his Office for
the purpose of sharing the salary OF
a male worker in the same officer.
and in much less degree had he been
able understand the lire Of reason
ing which led the aforesaid male
worker to persuade her to do SO.
In employing office help. the head
OF the firm was able to discern merit
at glance. Ali his male subordi-
mates had good qualities. The four
women who had reigned in brief sue
cession in the office were all well
endowed In this respcct--sO well en-
dowed. indeed. that four Of the male
subordinates had discerned their
merit even better than the boss. with
the result that for the NTH time In
three years that gentleman. with all
a bachelors dislike for change In the
existing order OF th;ngr. faced the
prospect OF becoming &C.
eustomed to new stenographcr. It
was this fact, coupled with the
knowledge that there were yet sew
erai unmarried men nthe Office. all
with good qualities. that led him to
issue his edict concerning the age OF
the next woman who should grace
his establishment
Watsons advertisement brought
but one applicant to Mr.. Holbrook--.
Il handsome omewhate ad.faced