The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-23
!. THE N STORY l
HIS BookKEEpER
Copyright. 1913. By ". wener,.

Old Martin--folks called him old.
although he was far from SIXTY
scowled over the long counter heaped
With omato cans pickle Jars, mos
quito netting covered loaves Of bread
and stale cake. Jenny he conceded
was Il good enough bookkecper. but
for a woman going on thirty-niEe she
was Toe Eighty. And it wasn't as II
she looked young, either. For all her
picion that she touched" 1t up-she
had Il series OF wrinkles near each
gray y that absolutely denied youth.
or course. in tho dtmness of the rear
OF h store, with the iron netting Of
her booth as a screen, and her hair
combed fluffily and with a coat Of
powder she looked tolerably fetchins.
Martin didn't actually blame that
baking powder drummer for stopping
to talk and laugh. Like as not the
blamed fool thought she was a girl
drummers were that stupid.
But he did blame Jenny. He
wasn't going to have his store brought
into %disrepute by her flightiness. First
that he, n deacon in the Baptist
church, was encouraging her; first
thing he knew
Say, Mr.. Martin" inquired Jem-
my. tripping up. (That trip was an
other thing that annoyed her employ
Ell. Why in Sam Hill didn't she buy
~1at-heeled shoes. like a woman of her
age ought to wear. stead of them
f1lghty military stilts?) do you care
If I take a day off tomorrow? There's
u picnic"
NO" said Mr.. Martin sourly, II
don't are" How could he say he did
Dft0,, .f,1 1,,I -~.>l.@ G,,~ s~Ix N~-A
week invoicing the new summer
mean of her taking advantage of over
work to ask for Il day off when she
knew that he wanted to clean out
the basement and SO would like to
have her attend to the customers.
Henry, the one clerk, couldn't handle
an excess
And anyway. what did she banker
for picnics for? At thirts-nine Il
woman ought to past such %flightiness.
Listen to her telling the drummer
fat old man. who ought to be writing Il
letter to his wife instead of hanging
over her talking nonsense-'Sure, Ill
You what 4 real chocolate cake tastes
like! I'll wager you haven't eaten
Oh. is that so? It's NEAR Of you to tell
me-"
Say. Miss JENNY" called her en-
ployer, testify. will you wrap up
some beans for Mrs. Cooper::"
Jenny came forward cheerfully.
Two pounds. Mrs. Cooper: My. what
pretty hat you've got: Would you
get mad if I copied it Not exactly,
Of course
La. no." laughed Mrs. Cooper.
NO, I don't want any chilli sauce. oh,
we'll. if YOU say it's awful good"
Mr.. Martin frowned. That was the
worst OF it. Jenny was so ALTERED
cheerful, and she had such a knack
of increasing trade that you couldn't
walk up to her and say boldly: "Jem
my, you're too old to be foolish" You
just couldn't do it, that was all there
was to it. Some one ought to tell her,
though. Some n ought to say. kindly
and friendly, of course: Jenny
Pierce. you are thirty-nine years old.
and it's perfectly ~disgraceful for you
to wea low-necked shirtwaists and
f1ossy bows on your pumps and three
bracelets-even if you arms are round
ard curl your hair down owe your
ears" Mr.. Martin wished that he had
enough gumption to say ii. And as a
friend, he really ought to refuse to let
her off to go to that picnic. \ picnic
aroused all the fiightiness in Jemmy's
disposition. He had seen her. Last