The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-11-20
JaStOnl JOSlin'S
Luck
A Fortunate BIunder.
By REINETTE LOvEWELL
Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Co

out or the WINDOW.
Before her Oh the table lay small
yellow envelope with the figure Z. a
period and two zero marks inscribed
In one corner. This had been hurled
there ten minutes before by the presi-
dent Of the Acme Knife company aud
was in final settlement Of her account
with his house.
Sadie had lost her job.
She paid 81 week to Mrs. Tierney
for her board. and the Saturday be
fore. by special dispensation. she had
been permitted to delay for seven
days the remittance Of this amount.
Hence there was now due Mrs. Tier
ney. payable on. demand. the sum of
IS, and the contents of the envelope.
augmented by Al cents in ner tarnish-
ed mesh purse. would lack 50 cents
of the board bill.
Agitated by the thought of confront
ing Mrs. Tierney in explanation OF her
breach of promise. Sadie permitted a
large and disHguring drop Of ink to
fall upsl IL ledger in which she was
making few final entries prior to
her leave taking.
All the while the Acme Knife com
pany sat at its desk with frown on
its face. The Acme Knife company
was Mr.. Arthur Lawton.
He was a young man Of mild man
ners and had never before experienced
the pain of firing stenographer. As
he heard a stifled little sniff from the
typewriter table where Sadie sat he
grabbed his hat and left the Office to
seek diversion.
His stenographer usually received
from Mr.. Lawton's lips four or FIVE
short letters each day. She knew her
shorthand system as Mohammedan
knows the Koran. and she had never
yet made d crook or a hook that she
could not decipher. The marks she
made stood for the words Mr.. Lawton
said, and she never got them wrong.
1t was only when she started to
spell them that she encountered diff
Guilty.
Fortunately for his stenographer. the
president was ont soliciting orders
most of the eight hours Sadie was on
duty. and there wasn't much to do
so she had abundant opportunity for
photographic research.
Her Handy Dictionary and Ency-
clopedia of Useful Information" was
worn very thin and shabby. for Sadie
faithfully found in its columns about
ninety of every hundred words she
wrote upon the machine.
But today there was no dictionary
In the office. With dark suspicion she
recalled that Annie Flynn. who work
ed in q real estate office down the hall.
had looked enviously upon that trusty
friend many time.
The address of the letter she was to
write was plainly printed on the letter
head Mr.. Lawson had given her, so
that much was smooth sailing. There
seemed to be nothing she could do
about the body Of the letter except to
spell the words as they sounded. This
method was much quicker and simpler
and required far less concentration than
the process of dictionary research.
Sadie was touch operator. and there
were never any errors In her typewrit-
Ing. Once written she did not find II
necessary to read 1t over.
Her work ended. Sadie dreamed.
Mr.. Lnwton usually came In Il little
before closing time TO read and sign his
correspondence. however limited II
might be, but at ten minutes Of s on
this eventful day he had not appeared.
At two minutes or the hour the tele
phone rang sharply, and Sadie took
down the receiver and recognized her
employers voice.
Miss Kiernan.' he called. II shall
have TO ask you to sign that letter To
Andrews & Andrews. can't get back,
and I want 1t to GO
She signed for the Acme Knife com
peny, by its president. hastily. troubled
by sense Of doubt about the spelling
and she stuck down the Hap with II
feeling Of relief that Mr.. Lawton would
not see it and Il Grm determination to
get Il dictionary from somewhere he
fore morning.
The carbon she buried to file. push
ing 1t far down in the folder. so that
no casual examination would reveal
any defects to persons who were sure
Of their spelling
There 1t had remained until Friday.
when. quite without warming Mr.. LAW
ron had appeared with the pay envelope
and the hidden carbon.
There was II wild look in his eye, and
his face WAS flushed
He laid the yellow sheet ont before
her:
Andrews and Andrews.
Attorneys at Law,
Bushnell Building.
Rochester. y. Y.
Attention. Nj 81 Andrews:
Dear Sir Replying To your favur of the
ferthur 10 say ~ the mater of which YOU
tpeke IL seems Ia me unnecessary t.
make n trip To Patterson on this account
and | will send Mr. Jastoni JOslin On ~
Few days to take up the mater with you
m pursOn Yours truly
ACME KNIFE co.
\ l.awton President
Mr. Lawton pointed II stern finger III
the name "JnstOm .IOSlin "