The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-18
BY JANE OSBORNE.
pyright, 1912. by the Associated
literary Press

Copyright, 1912. by the Associated
Literary Press.)
Mary Drake. the pretty stenogra-
pher at Billington's, was kneeling
before the filing cabinet in the outer
Office Old Grenoble paced back
and forth through the offices
clutching his long white hands in
restrained annoyance. Never, In
all the course OF his twenty years
experience as prime minister to the
great steel king, Ellington. had the
wheels of the Office machinery
played such a trick. and now a mere
slip or n ten-dollar-aweek girl had
tied up big deal involving tens of
thousands OF dollars by misfiling an
important letter.
Office and stood behind the pretty
stenographer. She waS such a de-
fenseless. we'll meaning little
thing, and now she turned around
and looked at him so squarely and
unfiinchingly as she admitted that
the letter was sAl missing that
Grenoble was speechless.
The fact was that Mary brakes
simple. childlike frankness and pref
tiness had once more disarmed old
Grenoble stood torn between real
kHiDe ldu pfONCh again w ~" A'"t
surest means of self-defense.
Still she searched with unru u ed
serenity through the files, and still
tsrenoble stood torn gctween real
.nger and compassion
Il do wish could find that letter.
thS girl murmured in conversation
al tone.
Al this moment Tom Wayne,
Grenoble's clever young assistant.
came into the Office and his eyes
fell fran force of the habit that he
had been acquiring for the last few
weeks on the figure OF the pretty
stenographer. Then he saw GreEo-
BILE. pale and struggling with sup
pressed irritation. and he knew that
something had gone wrong.
Miss Drake was the first 10 break
the silence.
please, Mr. Wayne" she said ap-
poalingiv. without looking at him.
cant you think where I might have
put tina; order from Smiths. You see
Mr.. G~enahle wants to have Ii right
away and Ii will take all the after
noon for me 20 look In every folder
in this cabinet II isn't where It
a. nugh, 10 he and T. can't think where !
could have put it
or course. the letter was foAhd
Tom Wayne himself helped the Sirl
look through the fitss for It II had
been mishled MISS brakes fault #
cour-e--and even Mr.. WAYNE realized
then that Miss Drake would have 70
leave 70 rihis error. and several 9th
srs which had not been of great
moment only went To prove that the
little woman was as useless on the
flies as she had been ct typewritirg,
or stenography. or at the Office ieic-
phone switchboard, where. afte<
week she had proved herself incapa-
pie Of mastering the mechanism rs
the wires and plugs
See here, Wayne" Grennbie said
10 his young assistant that afternoon
when they had finished discussing
the important business Of the das.
"voa will have 20 discharge that Miss
Drake 7 have tried half dozen
times and somehow she doesn't seem
To understand The first time | told
her 10 go she was 40 nice about 1t
I <hat / promised to let her Try another
week Then when I told her that
-xhe- had Shnwn nal Improvement she
rie.dAd sn earnestly 10 stay that
turned the telephone boy into an
office hoy and gave, her try al the
telephone but YOU know how impos-
sible she was there Then II was on
the files and she has failed, have
don't believe she quite underst ooa
me-Ta tell-y ou-the truth, WAYNE
sh. IL so near the age of my own
daughters that haven't the heart TO
tell her brutaliy 10 20. But I think
K would be easy enough for YOU Mr.,
Ellington will be back N a day or go
and he would never stand FOR any
one like Miss Drake
True indeed. thought Wayne
Mary Drake would have to leave be-
fore RilIington's return. One OF the
secrets Of the great nnancier.s suc-
cess was his ability 10 choose his en-
ployes Now for the first time since
he had been in business he had con-
scented to go away and had sailed
for Europe for a few months Of rest.
Before he had gone he had suggested
thar n new @tAnagra Pa@f~b be EHnlepsasf
TO tighten the tasks of the hardwork-
etrg women liz the .att,se during the
summer months. Miss Drake was the
result OF the scgestion-she had
come from the employment agency
the day after Ellington left, and for
the first time in history an employee
nr Etiffngrou's Was cnosEn With
nut his personal interview Surely,
thought Tom Wayne. for the good OF
Miss Drake she would have to he dis
charged before RiIlington's return.
II was with thoughts Of the cool.
deliberate manner of tho great chief
Hftitrste-s- that Tatra--Warae- came
into the outer office that night In
tent on discharging Mary Drake He
walked deliberately toward her--try-
Ing not to look at her face for fear
OF catching one Of her disarm'nS
smiles. He drew chair beside her