The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-10-31
The Assistant
BoOkkesper
How Edgerton iot His
Start.
By THOMAS RpEAN

i
no mother. brother or sster. and he
had not hundred dollars d the world.
His father told him on bis deathbed
that he would find in a tocking in the
chimney some money tat no one but
the two of them knew vas there. Aft
er the fathers death Jimmie found
enough to pay his falher's funeral ex-
penses and leave Jmall balance.
Realizing that fe must 60 10 work,
the boy went about seeking posi-
ton. He was sdelicate looking youth.
his features being finely nodded. Ev-
erywhere he vas told that he was
not rugged enough TO do hard work.
and he noticed that all the positions
I that did not require bodily strength
were given 10 ylrls. He kept up his
hunt for week. then gave 1t up-that
rs, he gave up trying to get job un-
der his own ideltity.
He was not boy TO be discouraged,
and If he couldn't make 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 his search.
Jimmie mace up as a very pretty
girl. He possessed pair OF mild blue
eyes, sensitire mouth. and, his light
hair being cut like a mans, he used
curling iron tc make 1t wavy. His
voice was naturally soft and readily
mistaken for o girls contralto. He
was of mediu6 height and for boy
was very well shaped. One who had
not seen him in boys dress would sure
! " believe HIN 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
J 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 a girl. Perkins, who was a
bachelor twenty seven years old, EN-.
ployed 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
| ~ assistant.
IL was not long before Jimmie found
! himself between two fires. Perkins be.
| gan to show him little attentions and
TO express n fear that he was working
too hard. Every attention, every bit of
sollcitude her employer expressed for
! the assistant bookkeeper was to the
saleswoman like a red rag waved be-
| fore a mad bull. Then, too. the per.
formances OF a man who supposed his
employee TO be woman were not only
disagreeable to Jimmie. but must re
suit. sooner or later. in a revelation OF
his sex and n consequent probable loss
OF his position.
Miss Cartright made herself especial
ly dlsagreeable to the supposed Ellen
Forsythe. III Jimmie made a mistake
In an account Miss Cartright would
make as much OF it as there was In II
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.
keeper-why, no one knew, though II
was surmlsed 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
i Whenever Perkins would show dis
position 20 make love to Jimmie tn,
boy would do what he could 10 stayC
him of. This only added zest TO Per
kins' passion. At last he became Il
marked In his attentions that ht
brought about a rebellion on the par
OF Miss Cartright.
One day Perkins appeared TO b'
much disgruntled, Miss Cartright ap
, peared TO be much disturbed, and M
atmosphere preceding a storm peryad
, ed the store. The same evening, wheI
: Jimmie was working on the books
'Aperkins came into the store and after
= NV commonplace remarks said
nre, Ellen Miss Cartright has insisted
pouno mtdischarging you"
one pou-aee&
sunderstanda
hey imagine rd bor oa instead o
a weapon
Of shot with EEL o,,or % ,aIk about
style of AZ bmIse IN keen the SO
r, II In just 40,
gun. which -
~ improved ss,,p,,o naro was foo
ming ,na' " "Sheks love TO her. She
ddly than ar,n
ngs. A gun 10 n,.,to harm your"
shots au,o How t"from me maxim
'sion' Us .no "Oh. tnenhcr away she
OK nrei' ~ man can rnh
lcnine gun do so I'm TIM
&c OF ,nese for breach M,6Rys a We
hring from she may upl Warehouses; {
" rounds OF ,,,,,.n ~ sue m