The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-02
his sTEnoeRAPHER
BY cArHARINe cRANMER.

armload of correspondence. Johl
: Grover halted suddenly as he ap
preached his desk. Between the up
per rim of his spectacles and hi
bushy, gray eyebrows he stared ou
at the small, white piqueclad younl
woman who was perched upon thu
wooden railing that inclosed his de
partment.
I'm Lydia Raymond. the new
stenographer," said the young woman
"Mr. Wilson brought me over. but hs
was called away to the telephone"
Wilson's q bird when 1t comes t.
hiring help" muttered Grover, Of
whom it was alleged around the once
that his middle name was Crouch
Turning toward Lydia. he srudgingly
extended a pudgy hand. Growers my
name Can you turn out work pretty
FAST"
"Oh. Just as easy!" And Lydia
smiled bewitchingly, but It was pearls
before swine, for Grover didn't see
the smile.
All right. now: let's start on this
pile and we'll see what you call easy u
And Grover launched into his most
vigorous dictation pace while Lydias
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 1t was just 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 little.
"Oh, but look how we'll we work to-
gether! I'll tell you what let's do"
enthusiastically. Lets work real fast
and get that whole pile finished and
then we'll take the ouch out Of
crouch, and put the sense in non.
sense. Shall we!'
I'VE might said Grover, with an
awkward smile and a bungling move
ment to get hold of q letter that
would give him 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 q satisfied expression that
was a nine days wonder to the oh.
servant Office force. But there came
a rainy nalarial morning late in Au-
gust when Lydia came droopingly to
her desk. with swollen eyes and q
colorless face. She tried to smile as
they began their morning work, but
made such 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 l didn't take
of a suffrage pin I was wearing he
wouldn't bid me goodnight.
l said Id promised Miss Bee to wear
the pin q week and tell her what peo-
pie said about 1t. Then he said was
getting crazier every day. but he
wouldn't listen any longer to my non-
sense. I didn't say a word then, but
after while I 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 I 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 minute!' exclaimed Lydia. "She
must be bidding on that big mimeo-
graph Job in our advertising depart
ment. Goody she's coming over to
speak to me-"
John Grover grew red and Beatrice
Morris grew pale when they were in
troduced by Lydia, who didn't know
until afterward that they had parted
ten years ago much as she and Clar-
ence had parted only the night be-
fore She had her first inkling of II
when John Grover broke the embar-
raised silence which followed the first
formal greetings.
Beatrice, he began, haltingly.
I've changed nv mind this morning
about several things, but l didn't lose
it and l won't if you'll let me build
a home for you now instead of build.
ing one yourself two years later" Of
course. he had not meant to say that
but after 1t was said II had to be an.
swered, and Beatrice gave an answer
that was as satisfactory to him as n
was surprising to her Grover turned
abruptly to the astonished Lydia.
Ring up that young rascal OF a
Clarence he commanded. and ask
him to make one of a luncheon partv
OF four at Sherry's at twelve O'Clock
today"