The Lamar register., 1915-09-08
HIS STENOGRAPHER
BY cATHARINe cRANmER.

/
Returning from the files with an
armload of correspondence John
| Grover halted suddenly as he ap-
preached his desk Between the up
per rim of his spectacles and his
bushy. gray eyebrows he stared out
at the small, white piqueclad young
woman who was perched upon the
wooden railing that inclosed his de-
| partment.
I'm Lydia Raymond, the new
stenographer," said the young woman
Mr.. Wilson brought me over, but he
was called away to the telephone
wilson's a bird when 1t comes to
hiring help" muttered Grover, OF
whom 1t was alleged around the office
that his middle name was Crouch.
Turning toward Lydia, he grudgingly
extended a pudgy hand. Growers my
name Can you turn out work pretty
fast?"
"Oh, Just as easy And Lydia
smiled bewitchingly, but 1t was pearls
before swine. for Grover didn't see
the smile.
"All right, now: let's start on this
pile and Wen see what you call easy"
And Grover launched into his most
vigorous dictation pace while Lydia's
fingers fitted over the pages. AS he
looked up from the last letter he
found Lydia sitting with her hands
| clasped around one knee and looking
straight at him.
I'm awfully glad you aren't
grouchy." she said. with childish can
dor AT first / thought you were the
very man who put the ouch in crouch
but ! guess It was Just a Monday
morning crouch, wasn't it?'
81 guess we haven't got time to talk
nonsense; look at this pile of work"
Lydia turned her head to one side,
stuck out her red lips and frowned
| Just a little.
"Oh, but look how well we work to-
getherl I'll tell you what let's do"
enthusiastically Let's work real fast
and get that whole pile finished and
then wen take the ouch out OF
Crouch. and put the sense in non
sense. Shall we?'
We might said Grover. with an
awkward smile and a bungling move
ment to get hold OF letter that
would give him a chance to fasten his
eyes somewhere.
A month after Lydia's advent the
credit department was running so
smoothly that John Grover went about
wearing a satisfied expression that
was a nine days wonder to the OBJ
servant office force. But there came
a rainy malarial morning late in Au-
gust when Lydia came droopingly to
her desk, with swollen eyes and a
colorless face. She tried to smile as
they began their morning work, but
made such a pitiful failure that Grover
| pushed the pile of letters away and
looked intently at her.
Child. there's something wrong;
can be of any help?"
I'm afraid you can't, for I've spoiled
everything" Two tears splashed on
her note book before she could find
her handkerchief Then she con-
tinued: Last night when Clarence
started home-Clarence is, you know.
or was my, my"
Yes. yes, know: and what did he
do?'
"Oh. I was the one to do the mis-
chief Clarence said II / didn't take
on suffrage pin was wearing he
wouldn't-wouldn't bid me goodnight
| said I'd promised Miss Bee to wear
the pin week and tell her what peo-
pie said about IT, Then he said was
getting crazler every day, but he
wouldn't listen any longer to my non
sense. | didn't say a word then. but
after a while l said: There doesn't
seem to be any nonsense to listen to
except when you are talking He
whirled around and rushed out OF the
door. and looked down at that old
pin and Just boo-hooed."
We'll, what in the dickens does
that ranting suffragette mean by
placarding you as one of her kind?"
growled Grover.
! oh, but Miss Bee doesn't rant. and
she isn't freak. and she knows near
ly everything. And there she is. right
this minutel' exclaimed Lydia she