Putnam patriot., 1913-04-11
|HEI| I|EIE|i ERFs 5 EMPLOYER EITiP Why She Los, Ter First and Only Job.
By FRANCIS 4. COREY.

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 she had been without a position for six weeks, and business men were not stumbling over each other in their eagerness to secure her valuable sery- ices
 Cartwright stopped to speak 10 Mise 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 iher employer, her voice keyed to dul- .cet sweetness
 Cartwright glanced without the flicker Of an eyelssh at the forlorn fig lure huddled in the big ofice-chair
 You may take this mornings let ters,' be said. as If addressing a stranger
 Helen flushed resentfully. But the situation had resolved itself into question Of bread and butter Pick ing up notebook, she followed him into his private office. wondering if he could have failed to recognize her. In the old days she had affected to 'despise him; but now. as her pencil flew to his swift dictation. there was revulsion of feeling He had brisk. alert. buslness-like way. There must be something to the man who had so quickly achieved sueeessl
 Az for herself. she was no longer the pampered daughter of the big man ,of a country village ReYerses Of fortune and her fathers death had driven her into the world to earn her living How completely the tables had been tnrnedi The voice that had wood was now droning prosaic die 'tation, and she was as impersonal 10 the man himself as a mere maehinel That's all" said Cartwright finally. f-Type those of
 little later Helen was saying 10 hhe clattering typewriter. He cant have forgotten me. I'm not greatly changed-the name would have told him who I am Why. then, does he sreat me like stranger"
 That night, in her cheerless room at Rhe boarding house. she pondered the rsituation. Was her rejected suitor paying her off in her own coln7 Even lsf she deserved punishment friendly word would have cost him nothing. She would have thrown up the situa- fion but for a familiar imp leering at her elbow It drove her back to her post in the morning.
 She discovered that Cartwrights step was the signal for every girl in she office to preen her feathers He greeted them all with the same cheery smile. She waited with some anxiety 50 see what would be hls attitude to- ward herself
 The mornings dletation over. she was coolly dismissed Neither look nor tone betrayed the slightest per son1i interest Helen was dismayed to realize that she felt hurt and dis appointed Slumbering memories had been awakened that sent her heart snffocatingly Into her throat
 So It went on for two weeks. She began to think that he had indeed
 
 1o inquire about old friends and the neAr home village And yet how could ten years have efaced her amage so completely?
 She found herself thinking about him to an extent incompatible with peace of mind lt was a cruel fate that had driven her to this man of all others in the dIsheartening search Hor employment
 She and Miss Mears were standing at the office window one morning when Cartwrights new motor-car drew up at the curb.
 m be riding in that beauty before many weeks go by Miss Mears said with a selfsatisfed smile
 Helen was almost fearful when she turned to her desk Miss Mears was not Robert Cartwrights sort Of girl. he had never shown her especial at tentiou But there's no telling what man will do when lt comes to se- lecting a wifei
 Its nothing to me whom he mar. ries~ she declared "But didn't think he would choose one of the
 
 Now the breeding shadows never left her eyes She lost flesh and color Hope and courage were at a low ebb And then. one morning Miss Mears met her with an announcement that was like her dath knell
 You're going to be firedl MT Cart. wright just now wanted to know the date of your coming. and the salary due you. IL isn't pay day He could have had but one object in making such inquiries
 Isn't my work satisfactory 2" Hel en managed to ask,
 Evidently not" grinned Miss Mears.
 Cartwright was in his private office, giancing through that mornings stack of letters Mechanically Helen got ready for the usual dlctation When the summons came. she took her place. pencil and notebook shak. ans in her hands. She tried to con. rrol herself, but the ghastliness of her rAcs betrayed her
 -Come back for a moment when ycu have typed these on, her employ CT said brusauely. the dietation tn. ashcd
 Helen stumbled through her task and rstraced her steps.
 'You1i never do for this ofhoe. Miss Floyd" Cartwright said shortly. I've seen this for some time. Your success sor will come some time today. Here's your back pay-and a months salary ku lieu of the usual notice