The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-21

growled Gerald = he slammed down
his dcsk IL very bad temper.
| The next morninG he directed Mr..
Breen to advertise for another steno-
grapheF. and his absence from town
drove from his mind the fact that he
would have to readjust TIE routine Of
his ONCE.
Monday morning he entered his Of
| nee and. hanging up his overcoat and
hat. pressed the button for Miss PIN
ney.
The door opened.
Good morning. Miss Pinney." he
said. without looking up: I've heap
OF letters here and
Er-good morning." said hostile
| voice.
Gerald lifted his head and gazed In
mingled joy and wrath at the sight Of
Ann Dalton standing there in his Of
hce. looking adorable in . Trim black
cloth skirt AMI white shirt-waist.
"Ah!" said Gerald. 1t asst. II had
gotten Miss Pinney was leaving last
week. 1 presume. Miss Dalton, you
are familiar with the details Of q busi-
ness office pr
II am a graduate of the Luckie
Business College," said Ann haught-
lily.
"Yon should be very ehlcient then"
said Geral with deadly courtesy.
Please be seated, Miss Dalton
And = never even placed a chair
for me-. ragged Ann to her mirror that
night wher she reached home. "And
the horrid. horrid brute dictated SO
rapidiy-a1d was SO snippy because /
made few mistakes in his wretched
old letters. And then-then-" breath
iessly. for this was the browning in
suit OF all, then, while 1 sat there,
that catty Sue Beresford telephoned
him to come to dinner tonight and he
la .gheds and TESTED with her while
while Anc then the defender of q
business life for women threw herself
on her bed and cried.
Later she sat UP and dried her eyes.
II the way to votes for women lies
over my b. eding heart I'll take that
way she cris d tragically. II hate
him!'
Gerald Ford had always been con-
.ldered q kind employer. but there
was q anse of opinion in his Office
as the weeks passed by and his sever
ity toward pretty Miss Dalton began
to be noticed. He had never been SO
C1ctatOria1. and he laid down more
rules than poor Ann could remember
in her pretty lead
I'D leave il I was you," volunteered
Miss Murphy of the outside office.
Never!' vowed Ann, firmly.
I've heard he was crossed in love-
went on Miss Mu ply. ''It might
have been hat stunning Miss Beres-
ford who mes up here sometimes to
consult him about her mothers at
fairs
Ann said nothing. but jealous an
ger took possession of her heart. She
was mortified to discover that her
mind dwelt more on Gerald Ford than
1t did upon the hl-fning question of
feminine rights, ard the first glow of
triumph that had followed her sue
cessful answer to Mr.. Breen's adver-
tisement, had been dimmed by Ger
AIDS unexp- cted aloofness His man
ner to her was stern and businesslike
in the extreme, and instead of tan
TALKING him by her daily presence in
his office. she herself was most UNI
happy.
Daily She heard him talking over the
telephone making appointments with
men and women of their own set only
to turn % her at last. CURLY dictate
some stupid letter and. closing his desk
for the day, rush off to some pleasure
Added to these woes was the dis
approval of her usually indulgent par
ents. They bewailed the fact that
toll in a dingy office.
1t was disagreeable day in Janu-
airy. Ann hated to leave the coziness
OF her own little sittingroom with its
glowing fire and inviting idleness of
easy chairs and new books.
everything went wrong that morn
ing. She was late at the office and
Gerald had spoken rather sharply.
reminding her of the hour. Then
ner pencil point had snapped sudden
ly as she jotted down her shorthand
notes. He sharpened it for her
You should be provided with sew
eral pencils, he said reprovingly
like in such matters and,
1t was at this moment that Ann
Dalton arose and deliberately threw
her notebook at her employers head.
His eyeglasses flew one way and his
dignity another.
He caught her slender arms and held
her rigidly.
Ann, you little terma eant., he
breathed quickly.
Let me go!'' she gasped. .Tf YOU
knew how I hated you, Gerald Ford,
you would let me go! If you dare say
the word business to me again"
She broke down and sobbed bitterly.
Gerald smiled tenderly down at her
fOrlorn little figure. He did not loosen
his hold. IT need a wife-more than 1
do stenographer." he Whispered
cant you be contented to do your
portion of labor in our home, Ann, darl-
ing?''
AIMS answer was not audible. but
Miss Murphy. who had put her head
into the room for an inquirfng instant,
darted out to the main office.
MI. Breen-you'll have to advertise
for anothtr stenographer." she giggled
Miss Dalton's going to be married.
Who told you?" asked dozen eager
voices.
I'm not blind.'' was Miss Murphy's
retort.-(C Copyright, 1915. by the Nc
Clure Newspaper Syndicate.)
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