Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-16
The Daily Story
The Assistant Bookkeeper-By Thomas R. Dean.
COPYRIGHTED by literary surean

Jimmie was fifteen years old. He had
no mother brother or sister. and be
! had not a hundred dollars In the world.
His father told him on his deathbed
that he would find in a stocking In the
J chimney some money that no one but
! the two of them knew was there. Aft
err the fathers death Jimmie found
enough to pay his fathers funeral ex-
| penses and leave a small balance
| Realizing that he must go TO work.
the boy went about seeking posi-
| ton. He was a delicate looking youth,
his features being finely nodded. Ev-
erywhere he was told that he was
not rugged enough to do hard work.
and he noticed that all the positions
that did not require bodily strength
were given TO girls. He kept up his
hunt for a week, then gave it up-that
is. he gave up trying to get Job IN
der his own identity.
He was not boy to be discouraged.
| and If he couldn't make a living In
one way he determined to try another.
If the only positions for which he WAS
fitted were given to girls. why not
make a girl of himself and get job
as such? He spent the remainder of
what he had found in the stocking in
such woman's apparel as he needed
and started out again on bis search.
Jimmie made up as a very pretty
girl. He possessed pair of mild blue
eyes, sensitive mouth, and, his light
hair being cut like mans, he used
curling iron to make it wavy. His
z1pS ~
mistaken for a girls contralto. He
was Of medium height and for boy
was very well shaped. One who had
not seen him in boys dress would sure
~ believe him TO be girl.
Arrayed as a member of the gentler
sex, Jimmie. under the name OF Ellen
Forsythe, started again on his errand.
This time he met with better success.
A storekeeper. Henry Perkins, was
keeping his own books and getting
tired of working nights on them. He
hired Jimmie to make such entries as
would facilitate the work on his books.
intending to teach him the principles
of double entry. The salary was small.
but enough to pay for his keep
The only barrier to Jimmie's getting
on in his position was that he made too
pretty girl. Perkins. who was a
bachelor twenty-seven years old, en-
plOyed a saleswoman. Sara Cartright.
few years younger than himself.
Miss Cartright had set her cap for her
employer and was much disgruntled
when he took into his service the pref
ty assistant.
1t was not long before Jimmie found
himself between two fires. Perkins be-
gan to show him little attentions and
to express a fear that he was working
too hard. Every attention, every bit of |
solicitude her employer expressed for !
the assistant bookkeeper was to the /
like red rag waved be-
fore a mad bull. Then. too. the per- |
formances of a man who supposed his |
employee to be a woman were not only !
to Jimmie. but must re- |
suit, sooner OF later. in a revelation of !
his sex and a consequent probable loss |
of his position.
Miss Cartright made herself especial
~ disagreeable to the supposed Ellen !
ForSythe. If Jimmie made a mistake |!
in an account Miss Cartright would |
make as much of it as there was in it /
and as much more as she dared. Per |
kins would mildly reprove Jimmie and !
do what he could to pacify Sara, but |
he'dared not openly defend his book
no one knew. though it /
was surnised that. since he had been
devoted to Miss Cartright before jim
mics appearance. he might have been
too seriously involved with her to
shake her off
Whenever Perkins would show a dis
position TO make love to Jimmie the
boy would do what he could to stave
him off. This only added zest TO Per
kins' passion. At last he became so
marked in his attentions that he
brought about a rebellion on the part
Of Miss Cartright.
One day Perkins appeared to be
much disgruntled. Miss Cartright ap-
peared 10 be much disturbed, and an
atmosphere preceding storm pervad-
ed the store. The same evening, when
Jimmie was working on the books,
Perkins came into the store and after
few commonplace remarks said:
ELLEN. Miss Cartright has insisted
upon my discharging you
''lndeedr'
Yes: she says that either you or she
must go"
why not send her off instead of
me-"
Its a delicate matter to talk about,
but If you'll promise to keep the Sc
rret I'll tell you"
II promise"
Before you came here I was fool
sh enough TO make love to her. She's
Jealous of you
What can she do to harm your"
''She's got letter from me making
, proposal. If send her away she'll
.uin me-"
"How?"
''0h. there are lots of ways a wo-
nan can ruin a man If she chooses to
10 so. In this case she can sue me
or breach of promise. If she does
the may get damages. but ! wouldn't
are so much Tor that IL the suit did :
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