The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-01-23
THE SPELL
OF BEAUTY

notice when Regina O'Kane came to
Ill the vacant job as private secretary
to the manager. The chief clerk
bought three new ties that same
afternoon. The junior member OF the
firm put a pink in his buttonhole and
looked at himself every time he pass
cd the mirror In the clean towel and
soap cabinet on the wall of the outer
once. Two OF the errand boys we're
discovered in the storeroom polishing
their shoes. and the assistant buyer
shaved on his beard. Naughty! And
he a married man, Even the girl who
was the telephone operator took on a
worried look aud tended her threaten.
ed laurels anNiously. The two steno-
grapher ladies'. being hopeless In the
line OF personal pulchritude and alto
gether out OF the running, occupied
themselves with verbal shafts
Altogether things took quite a
change in the ONCE. and life from .
TO 8 acquired an added zest Before
long. however. there vas a perceptible
change In the managers literary
style. That Is to say. his correspon.
dence. always so conspicuously well
composed. his English such a pattern
OF excellence. his vocabulary so richly
varied, suddenly dropped into the CON.
mon words OF one syllable style.
What the deuce is the matter
with Woodson's letters lately" re-
marked the vice president. as he
casually scowled through the files
"He writes like a second reader"
"He does seem TO have taken to
the simple life as regards vocabulary"
agreed the President sort OF
turned vegetarian as far rs Ian.
guage is concerned. Banished all the
strong meat Of composition. as II
were. But have you remarked the
improvement In his disposition No
more grouches and-ern not 80 many
visits to the cafe downstairs. eh7
Noticed it,"
Mighty good.looking girl that new
stenographer." the V. =. remarked.
irrelevantly. incompetently and i'm.
materially.
Beauty's smile for a few weeks longer
and then a slight ripple occurred.
owing 10 the vice president being an
altogether unsusceptible person with
inyestigatory tendencies
One beautiful blue Monday morning
when the manager was late. the vice
president dictated letter to the fair
Regina You may take IL directly on
the machine. Miss O'Kane." quoth
he. 1T Is only short one
Gentlemen: Got that7D
we have yours OF the 10th inst
As you say. II may be an idiosyncrasy
-" "a what. did you say. Mr..
Biggar') Il said an idlo-you spell Il
with two SIS and only one c. Go on.
please AN idiosyncrasy on our
part to consider scheme which
seems chlmerical--- tNo. not ki,
but chi Go on "chimerical 10 us
The consensus OF opin-- WHAT
No. It's sen not cen-what was I
saying last o. yes.) The consensus
OF opinion In our ONCE Is that there
10 not one scintilla OF reason in the
I'll said sclntilla s-ci-n.p o. I
say. Miss O'Kane. I'll just write II out
in longhand and you can copy H."
Mr. Woodson is always satisfied
with my work" began Beauty. swal.
lowing hard and beginning TO look
dewey about the eyes-that Is. orbs-
for they we're not mere eyes Ike or
binary secretaries had. He said only
the other day that after all. simple
words were The best. In fact he used
20 write his letters full OF long ones.
but he always changes them now to
short ones that he says are more
direct and 10 the point It's better
for every one. he says and II you
think "
mol don't think. Thank you
very much" And the V. p. bolted
from the room. leaving Beauty water.
ing the typewriter with her tears
When the Manager arrived little
later the V. p. called him in and told
him about IT,
81 see II all now. plain as day" he
said. She is lovely. but suppose I'd
tried her on innuendo' and 'psycholo
gical' Say. put an 'ad' in the paper
quick under Help Wanted Female
and get one that can spell Never
mind the looks. Give this ono a
weeks pay and have her fired she's
no"
"Mr. Biggar." began tho manager In
Arctic accents. MIR. Biggar. you may
save yourself the trouble OF doing so
unpleasant a thing. Miss O'Kane
will be leaving at the end OF the week.
to be married sir-TO ME-"