Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-19
Euening Story
WHAT Made MIGHT HAVE
. MISSED. .,.
Copyright, 1916, by the MsClure
~ Newspaper Syndicate).
BY Elsie See.

Copyright 1916, by the MsClure
- Newspaper Syndicate).
Made, what put this silly idea OF
working in your uncle's once into your
head?" asked her mother.
"Oh, who knows but might write a
best seller some day with working
girl for heroine?" retorted Made
smilingly. y
"If Judson has any Jobs open that
call for unskilled labor" said her faith
er, run along; 1t will do you no harm. V
Then seeing his wifes exasperated
expression, he added: "If she were a
boy we'd think the more Of her for
having spunk enough to begin at the
bottom why not let her have ding
at real work." .... .a
Uncle Jud's letter says that he's
game to give me chance to make
good, said Maidie rising from the
breakfast table and leaning both arms
on the back Of her chair. as If the
better to convince her audience. "He
says his filing department is managed
by a woman who has three assistants
and that may come and f1ll vacancy
that will occur next week. and he won't
let on to a soul that I'm related to
him. Won't it be fun? Ever so much
more interesting than afternoon teas
and gossip fests!" ......,..
BE careful to behave SO as not to
excite comment" warned her father,
cor you'll find that gossip thrives in
q business office as we'll as it does
wherever human beings congregate
long enough to become familiar with
each others pecularities and short
comings.'
When Maidie entered upon her Off &c
duties the next week she found every
thing of interest, from registering the
time Of her daily arrival and departure
at the big time clock to watching the
skilled movements of the nimble-fin-
gered typists and the many shirt
sleeved clerks in the big Offices Of her
uncle's wholesale shoe business.
"Miss Mason" said the head fling
clerk to Maidie toward the end of the
second week, "the advertising manager
is going to send one of his assistants
over here to look through all orders
received from ten large accounts IN
the Middle West since his ADVERTISE
ments came out in the farm papers,
and wish you to help find the orders
Here comes the young man now. Mr..
Webster. Miss Mason will help you
to find the orders and to tabulate the
information you want"
For an hour or more Maidie and the
young man worked away without
word except with reference to the
duties of orders. and the number of
pairs of shoes listed in the different
grades and prices.
What a lot of people wear two
dollar Shoes" said Maidie after a SLY
peep at the modish shoes worn by her
co-worker and a satisfied glance at
her own six-dollar pumps. y.n~-- 2
""And what lot of money this firm
spends advertising them!" said young
Webster Give thousand dollars for a
farm paper campaign! At twenty-five
cents profit on one pair it would take
four pairs to net one dollar and twenty
thousand pairs to net five thousand
dollars" H.
at would have taken me hours to
get the answer said Maidie. with
a frank smile in her big brown eyes.
"But think of those twenty thousand
pairs of shoes all exactly alike, and
yet no two of the twenty thousand
people who wear them will be alike
"That is worth thinking about, isn't
it? Perhaps that friendly glance
from Maidie had something to do
with making her remark seem 50
worthy Of consideration. "And think
what a fellow could get besides two.
dollar shoes with th9sforty thourand
dollars those twenty thousand pairs
would COST"
For instance?" Maidie's inquiry
was born of her interest to know what
such an alert young man would fancy.
ooh. peach Of "a car and enough
to invest in the business here to hope
to draw more than fifteen per-"
Fifteen peri" exclaimed Maidie.
"Why. I'm getting only ten a week.
May I ask what you would do if
forty thousand fell into your lap?"
BUY a bungalow In the Adlrondacks
or perhaps a string of matched pearls
at Tiffany's," said Maidie, promptly
naming two things her indulgent
father had refused her.
"Whee-ew!" This half-exclamation
and half-whistle from Webster began
loudly as an expression of amazement
at Maidie's extravagant tastes, but
ended as a subdued warning Of the
approach Of Judson Warren, president
of the firm.
Maidie blushed crimson as her uncle
began to question Webster about tibet
results Of the farm-paper campaign.
Although it was according to her
agreement with him. she felt piqued
that he did not greet her cordially.
She looked down and rummaged
through the files in such evident con-
fusion that the head file clerk swept
up and asked Mr.. Warren whether he
was unable to find some information
desired. H., '.,'. - IS 49,