The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-12-25


swered Emma McChesney. briskly.
"Well, now, suppose we talk machin-
cry and girls, and cutters for .
while"
Two months later found T. A. Buck
and his sales manager, both shirt
sleeved, both smoking nervously, a.
they marked. ticketed, folded. ar
| ranged. They were getting out the
travellers spring lines. Entered Mrs.
McChesney. and stood cycling them,
worriedly. It was her dozenth visit
to the stock room that morning A
strange restlessness seemed to trou-
BILE her. She wandered from Office to
show room, from show room to fac
| tory.
whats the trouble?" inquired T.
| A. Buck, squirting up at her through
cloud Of cigar smoke.
"Oh, nothing" answered Mrs. Mo
Chesney, and stood lingering the pilea
| of glistening satin garments, queer.
faraway look in her eyes. Then she
turned and walked listlessly toward
the door There she encountered
Spalding-Billy Spalding OF the COW
eted middlewestern territory, Billy
Spalding, the long-headed, quick
thinking; Spalding the persuasive.
Spalding the mixer, Spalding on whom
depended the fate of the T. A. Buck
featherloom knickerbocker and pa
jana.
Morning! When do you start
out?" she asked him.
I'm the morning. Cad, that's some
line, what? I'm itching to spread it
You're certainly wonder-child. Mrs.
McChesney. Why, the boys
Emma McChesney sighed. somberly.
THAT line does sort Orwell, tug at
your heart-strings, doesn't it?" At
eight the next morning there burst
upon Mrs. McChesney a distracted T.
A. Buck.
"Hear about Spalding?" he demand
ed.
"Spalding? No."
His wife 'phoned from st. Lukes
Taken with an appendicitis attack al
midnight. They operated at five this
morning. One of those had-it-been-
twenty-four-hours-later-etc. operations.
That settles u.s."
Poor kid" replied Emma McChes-
ney. Rough on him and his brand.
new wife,"
poor kid! Yes. But how about
his territory? How about our new
line? How about"
"Oh, that's all right" said Emms
McChesney, cheerfully.
"Td like to know how! We haven't
q man equal to the territory. He's our
one best bet
"Oh, that's all right" said Mrs. Mo
Chesney again, smoothly.
A little impatient exclamation broke
from T. A. Buck. At that Emma Mo
Chesney smiled.
I'm going out with that line. I'm
going to leave trail of pajamas and
knickerbockers from Duluth to Can
ton
You! No, you won't!" A dull.
painful red had swept into T. A.
Bucks face. 1t was answered by .
flood of scarlet in Mrs. McChesney's
countenance.
uOu get yOu, BIO bdl0. u
afraid you don't realize what this trip
means. It's going to be a fight
They'll have to be coaxed and bullied
and cajoled, and reasoned with. It's
going to be 'show-me' trip"
T. A. Buck took quick step for.
ward. That's just why. l won't have
. you fighting with buyers, taking their
/ tx.c - lxxfv.~
them. lit isn't womans work"
Emma McChesney was sorting the
! contents of her desk with quick, nerv-
| Gus fingers. "I'll get the twentieth
| century," she said, over her shoulder.
Don't argue, please. II it's no work
, for q woman then I suppose It follows
, that I'm unwomanly. For ten years
: travelled this country selling T. A
| Bucks featherloom petticoats. My
| first trip on the road I was in the
twenties-and pretty, too I'm a won,
, an Of thirty-seven now"
IL She arose, and shut her desk with q
, bang, locked 1t, and turned flushed
3 and beaming face toward T. A. Buck.
t as he stood frowning before her.
> "Your father believed in me-from
, the ground up. We understood each
!, other, he and I. You've learned a lot
i, in the last year and half, T. A. Ju
. nior-that-was, but there's one thing
: you haven't mastered. When will you
. learn to believe In Emma McChes-
8 ney?"
t She was out Of the office before he
t had time to answer, leaving him stand
q ing there.
In the dusk of late winter eve
5 ming just three weeks later, man
l. paused at the door of the unlighted Of.
fee marked Mrs. McChesney." He
looked about a moment, as though
: dreading detection. Then he opened
= the door, stepped into the dim quiet
Of the little room, and closed the
door gently after him. Everything In
3 the tiny room was quiet, neat, order.
ly. 1t seemed to possess something