The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-08-13
Dischar9ing
Mary Drake
BY JANE OSBORNE

Copyright. 1919. by Associated Literary
Press)
Mary Drake. the pretty stenogra
pher at Billington's. was kneeling be
fore the filing cabinet in the outer
ONCE. Old Grenoble paced back and
forth through the Offices clutching his
long. white hands In restrained annoy
snce. Never. In all the course Of 20
years experience as prime minister
to the great steel king, Ellington, had
the wheels of the offoe machinery
played such q trick. and now mere
slip of ten-doliar-a-week girl had
tied up a big deal involving tens Of
thousands Of dollars by uisfling an
important letter.
Grenoble came back to the outer
office and stood behind the pretty
stenographer. She was such de
fenseless. well meaning little thing
and now she turned around and look
ed at him so squarely and unfiinching'
ly as she admitted that the letter was
still missing that Grenoble was speech.
less
hC ltCl was ludt hhly IL ohO
simple, childlike frankness and pref
tiness had once more disarmed old
Grenoble. The little stenographer's
smile had proved again to be her
surest means of self-defense.
Still she searchNk with unruf1ed
serenity through the files, and still
Grenoble stood torn between real an
ger and compassion.
81 do wish l could find that letter"
tho girl murmured In a conversational
tone.
At this moment Tom Wayne, Gre
mobiles clever young assistant, came
into the once and his eyes fell from
force OF the habit that he had been
acquiring for the last few weeks on
the figure of the pretty stenographer
Then he saw Grenoble, pale and strug
Cling with suppressed irritation, and
he knew that something had gone
wrong.
Miss Drake was the first to breaA
the silence.
Please, Mr.. Wayne" she said ap
pealingly, without looking at him.
cant you think where l might have
put that order from Smiths. You see
Mr.. Grenoble wants to have 1t right
away and 1t will take all the after
noon for me to look In every folder
In this cabinet. 1t isn't where 1t
ought to be and can't think where
could have put It,"
OF course, the letter was found.
Tom Wayne himself helped the girl
look through the files for 1t. 1t had
been misf1led-Miss brakes fault, OF
even Mr.. Wayne realized
then that Miss Drake would have to
leave, for this error, and several 9th
ers which had not been Of 80 great
moment. only went to prove that the
little woman was as useless on the
files as she had been at typewriting.
or stenography, or at the ONCE tele
phone switchboard, where. after q
week. she had proved herself incap-
able Of mastering the mechanism Of
the wires and plugs.
See here, Wayne" Grenoble said
TO his young assistant that afternoon
when they had finished discussing the
important business of the day, you
will have to discharge that Miss
Drake. l have tried a half dozen
times and somehow she doesn't seem
to understand. The first time I told
her to go she was so nice about II
that promised to let her try another
week. Then when l told her that
she had shown no improvement she
pleaded 30 earnestly to stay that ]
turned the telephone boy into an Office
phone, but you know how impossible
she was there. Then 1t was on the
files and she has failed. have tried
again to discharge her but | don't be
lieve she quite understood me. To
tell you the truth, Wayne, she is so
near the age of my own daughters
that | haven't the heart to tell her
brutally to go. But l think 1t would
be easy enough for you. Mr.. Billing.
ton will be back In a day or so and he
would never stand for any one like
Miss Drake"
True, indeed, thought Wayne. Mary
Drake would have to leave before
return. One of the Sc
crets Of the great financier's success
was his ability to choose his employees
Now for the first time since he had
been in business he had consented to
go away and had sailed for Europe for
a few months Of rest. Before he had
gone he had suggested that a new
be employed to tighten
the tasks of the hardworking women
in the Office during the summer
months. Miss Drake was the result