Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-12-07
HELMS EMPLOYER
Why She Lost Her First and
Only Job.
nr FRANcls A. COREY.

Az the head OF the Arm entered the
once. Helen Floyd glanced up with a
gasp OF surprise. II had never oc-
Cured to her that the rising Chicago
lawyer could be the same Robert
Cartwright she had known and Tilted.
ten years before. In far-away' village
of Vermont.
Escape was impossible. Moreover.
Rhe had been without a position for
six weeks. and business men were not
stumbling over each other in their
eagerness to secure her valuable serv-
ices.
Cartwright stopped to speak to Miss
Mears. blonde-haired girl with clink.
Ing wrist bangles. The two crossed
slowly to where Helen sat.
The young woman to see about
the place." Miss Mears explained to
her employer. her voice keyed to dull
Get sweetness.
Cartwright glanced without the
flicker OF an eyelash at the forlorn fig-
ure huddled In the big ofice-chair
you may take this mornings let
ters." he said. as II addressing n
stranger
Helen flushed resentfully. But the
situation had resolved itself into a
question OF bread and butter. Pick,
ing up a notebook, she followed him
into his private ONCE, wondering II
he could have failed to recognize her.
In the old days she had affected to
despise him; but now, as her pencil
new to his swift dictation. there was
q revulsion of feeling. He had brisk.
alert, business-like way. There must
be something to the man who had SO
quickly achieved successl
AS for herself, she was no longer
the pampered daughter OF the big man
of country village. Reverses of
fortune and her fathers death had
driven her into the world to earn her
living. How completely the tables
had been turnedi The voice that had
wood was now droning prosaic die
tation. and she was as impersonRl to
the man himself as q mere machine!
That's ALL" said Cartwright finally.
Type those on"
A little later Helen was saying to
the Gathering typewriter. HE can't
have forgotten me. I'm not greatly
changed-the name would have told
him who / am. WHY. then, does he
treat me like a stranger"
That night. in her cherries room at
the boarding house, she pondered the
situation. Was her rejected sutton
paying her or in her own coin? Even
II she deserved punishment friendly
word would have cost him nothing.
She would have thrown up the situa-
ton but for familiar imp leering at
her elbow. 1t drove her back to her
post In the morning.
She discovered that Cartwright's
step was the signal for every girl in
the ONCE to preen her feathers He
greeted them all with the same CHEEKY
smile. She waited with some anxiety
to see what would be his attitude to-
ward herself.
The mornings dictation over. she
was coolly dismissed. Neither look
nor tone betrayed the slightest per-
sonal interest Helen was dismayed
to realize that she felt hurt and dis.
been awakened that sent her heart
suffocatingly into her throat. w
So It went on for two weeks. She
began to think that he had indeed
forgotten her. Surely he would want
to inquire aboud old friends. and the
dear home viliage! And yet how
could ten years have effaced her
image SO completely?
She found herself thinking about
him to an extent Incompatible with
peace OF mind. 1t was a cruel fate
that had driven her to this man of all
others In the disheartening search
for employment.
She and Minis Mears were standing
Mt the Office window one morning
when Cartwright's new motor-car
drew up at the curb.
"I'll be riding in that beauty before
many weeks go by" Miss Mears said
with self-satisfied smile.
Helen was almost fearful when she
turned to her desk Miss Mears was
not Robert Cartwright's sort Of girl;
he had never shown her especial at
tention. But there's no telling what
a man will do when 1t comes to Sc
lecting q wife!
TITS nothing to me whom he mar
RES" she declared. But didn't
think he would choose one OF the
fiufy and frivolous kind"
Now the brooding shadows never
left her eyes. She lost flesh and color.
Hope and courage were at low ebb.
And then. one morning. Miss Mears
met her with an announcement that
was like her oath knell
You're going to be- firedl Mr.. Cart
wright just now wanted to know the
date OF your coming. and the salary
due you. It isn't pay day. He could
have had but one object In making
such inquiries"
isn't my work satisfactory" Hell
en- managed to ask.
Evidently not" grinned Miss
Mearg
Cartwright was in his private ONCE.
CHANGING through that mornings
stack OF letters. Mechanically Helen
got ready for the usual dictation
When the summons came. she took
her place, pencil and notebook shak.
ing In her hands. She tried to con
troll herself but the ghastliness of her
face betrayed her.
Come back for a moment when
you have typed these off," her employ
or said brusQuely. the dictation I'm.