Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-03-09
"A F5ctjOnLeSS
Fable for the
Fair
nv NNN LIsIE.

There was once young lawyer whose
name came seventh ON the lctterheads Of
great corporation. lie earned $50 a
week and a good deal Of respect from the
stenographcrs and secretaries and tele-
phone operators employed by his corpor-
etion-sll except one.
The one Miss Mary by title and
Mar, Ncvius 10y name was the secretary
Of the head OF the firm and modestly
called herself stcrographer and knew
almost as much about the law as the
young lawyer and drew salary OF $50
q wcck
The young lawyer had noticed that
| "Niss MARY secretary to Tho Old
| Man" wosrH at all had looking rirl'
| Shc had bls mnr eyes and fluffy light
/ hair. which offset hcr rather competent
/ ana Indifferent manner md the very cvi-
/ lent fac, that she was not as young as
she once had been"
| In fact. the young lawyer. who was
about %, nnd who liked the tender charms
Of 10, had an idea that Miss Mary must
be about e.
The Young LAWYER pridcd himself on
beins broad-minded and not drawing fine
social distinctions. And so. condcscend
| ingly, he began making things pleasant
for" Miss Mary.
Miss Mary met the young lawyers sd
vances without any suggestion that sh,
was flattered by his attentions or wor
rled over the social gap between the lega
| -
not soem to feel called on to henutif,
herself by wearing anything more clab
crate TO the office than her usual whit,
tailor-made shirtwslst and neat blacl
skirt
She did not seem TO recognize that sh'
was y and mot as young as she ono,
had been" and that II she played he
cards properly she might actually he
come the wife Of young lawyer insteat
OF tho stenographCr or an old one.
Conquest did not seem quite as slmpl,
a. the young lawyer had expected. Sc
finally no went so far as to tell MisI
Mary that she was going to dine with
him on Friday MISUNDERSTANDING beinI
reserved for young women with soc'a
positions and homes In which to recipro
cate the courtesy OF his distinguish
attention, the young lawyer had set Of
about more serious matters.
on Friday at 5, Miss Mary walked int,
The Old Mans" office and spoke a
follows Mr.. Carewe may I ask a yer,
great favor of your
And THE Old Man" twinklinE owe
mis- spectacles with an amiability to whicl
Miss Mary had accustomed herself Il
eight years OF faithful service, remarks
In a pleasanter voice than anyone els
in the office had ever heard. "A favo
at last, after eight years OF doing then
Go ahead"
"Td like to he kept here on iruportar
business until o'clock. want to avoid
an obstreperous admirer"
Miss Mary was too good sport
tell "The OLD Man" who her obstreperor
admirer was. and THE Old Man" wa
either too good sport to indicate this
he knew or too absorbed In office affair
TO care.
After five dinner invitations had bee
accepted and then suddenly declined o
Just the same plea OF having TO stay
do some special work for Mr.. Carew'
9 the young lawyer decided that Miss Mar
IS was a hopeless old maid without a sol
= above business, and that she look,
d every day OF thirty-five, and that fe
low would be a fool 20 bother with HI
Is when there were so many younger an
10 prettier girls in the world.
n Moral-sometimes when n man stooI
If to conquer the girl in the case decld,
he is STOPPING below her level and
not on the level"