The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-01-18

half c~orvincta. remember.
That's enough Tor the present, an
swered Emma Mcchesuey. briskiy.
Well. now, suppose we Talk machin,
cry and girls. and cntters for o.
while
Two months later found n A. Rach
and his sales manager both shirt
sleeyedS both smoking neryoasly, as
they marked, ttcketed, folded. ar
ranged, They were getting out the.
travellers spring lines! EnteredsMrs.
Mcchesneys and stood eyeing them,
worriedly. Il was her dozenth visit
TO the stock room that morning. a
strange restlessneas seemed to trou.
BILE her. She wanderedgfrom ofdceyt 10
show room, from show room to fac.
tory.
What's the troubleg" inquired r.
A. Buck, squirting up at her through
q cloud of cigar smoke.
"oh, nothing" answered Mrs. No
Chesney, and stood lingering the gpilea
OF g~listening satin garments, a queer.
faraway look in her eyes. Then she
turned and walked listlessly toward
the door. There she encountered
spalding-Biily spalding Of the coy.
eted middle.western territory, Billy
spalding, the longiheaded, quick.
thinking; spalding the persuasive,
spalding the mixer, spalding on whom
depended the fate OF the T. A. Buck
featherloom knickerbocker and pa,
jana.
Morning. When do you start
out?'' she asked him.
I'm the morning. Cad, that's some
line, what? I'm Itching TO spread it.
You're certainly a wonder-child, Mrs.
Mcchesney. Why, the boys
Emma McChesney sighed, somberly.
That line does sort of-well, tug at
your. heart.strings, doesn't it?" At
eight the next morning there burst
upon Mrs. McChesney a distracted r.
A. Buck.
Hear about spaldlngg" he demand.
ed.
"spalding? No"
His wife 'phoned from st. Luke's.
Taken with an appendicitis attack at
midnight. They operated at five this
morning. One Of those ~had!tbeen.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. operations.
That settles u.s."
Poor kid" replied Emma Mcches.
ney. Rough on him and his brand.
new wife"
Poor kid!i Yes. But how about
his territory? How about our new
line? How about"
"oh, that's all right" said Emma
Mcchesney, cheerfully.
"I'di like to know how. We haven't
a man equal to the territory. He's,our
one best bet.n
"oh, that's all right said Mrs. Mo.
Chesney again. smoothly.
"A little impatient exclamation broke
from 7. "A. Buck. at that Emma Nc.
chesney smiled.
I'm going out with that line. I'm
going to leave a trail Of pajamas and
knickerbockers from Duluth to Can.
ton" N
"You!i No, you won,t.. a dull,
painful red had swept into T. A
Bucks face. 1t was answered by "a
food of scarlet In Mrs. McChesrey's
countenance.
I don't get YOU" she said. Tim
afraid you don't realize what this trip
means. It's going to be a fight.
They'll have to be .coaxed and bullied
and caioled, and reasoned with. It's
going to be Q 'show-me' trip"
T. A. Buck took a quick step for.
ward. That's Just why. 1 won't have
you fighting with buyers, taking their
insults, kowtowlng to them, saving
them, lit isn't woman's work
Emma Mcchesney was sorting the
contents Of her desk with quick, nerv.
U fingers. "1'll get the twentieth
century" she said, over her shoulder.
Don't argue, please. IL it's no work
for a woman then I suppose It follows
that I'm unwomanly. For ten years
l Travelled this country selling T. A.
Bucks featherloom petticoats.. My
first trip on the road I was in the
twenties-and pretty, too. I'm a wom.
an Of thirty.seven now"
She arose, and shut her desk with a
bang, locked it. and turned a flushed
and beaming face toward T. A. Buck,
as he stood frowning before her.
"Your father believed In mee+from
the ground up. We understood each
other, he and I. You've learned a lot
in the last year and a half, T. A. Ju.
nior.that-was. but there's one thing
you haven't mastered. When win you
learn to believe in Emma Mcches.
ney?"
She was out Of the office before he
had time to answer. leaving him stand,
ing there.
In the dusk Of a late winter v
ming Just three weeks later, a man
paused at the door Of. the unlighted OF.
ice marked MRS McChesney."s He
looked about a moment, a 5 though
dreading detection. Then he opened
the door, stepped into the dim quiet
OF the little room, and closed the
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