Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-06-05
Too Much Efficiency
by j. E. Rath.

well-set head Constance dropped ,
book on the floor and stopped to re
cover 1t.
However. that is not what wanted
you to reconsider"
She picked up the book and faced
him, her cheeks af1ame. He was laugh
ing at her. she knew; he had tricket
her. Yet his face was impassive ant
wholly thoughtful Even In her ange!
and confusion, she wondered what i'm
perfous necessity compelled H. Hedge
to be so consistently intolerable.
| What wanted you to reconsider,
he explained, was your decision moi
to assume the duties of secretary in
this establishment"
obi" she said family.
Yes. he had tricked her! She wal
raging at herself for having fallen in
to the snare. Yet how was she to know
that he did not intend to refer to the
downfall of Tommy Treadwell! Hel
own mind had held no other though,
for the past twenty-four hours. The
whole business of trying to escape
from surfdom had Inundated her. She
was even angry at Tommy. Perhaps
he had done his best-but why hadn I
he done better? He was bigger than
H. Hedge; he looked stronger. Why
didn't ne win? Perhaps efficiency real.
ly meant something, after all.
Yet as she stood confused and exas-
perated, the turmoil OF her mind sud.
denly resolved itself into calm. In that
instant a great idea was born. Con-
stance was utterly amazed at the dis
covery. The idea was nothing that she
had CROPPED or striven for; 1t simply
flashed upon her. Yet It was the solu-
tton of the whole terrible problem!
Buck up" she whispered to her
self. PLAY the part. This is where you
win!"
The efficiency man waited politely
for her to reconsider the secretarial
proposition,
She steeled herself to the task. sum-
moned all the Spartan in her nature,
and smiled at him.
II had forgotten your need of a sec.
rotary" she said
1T still exists, Miss Brooke
Then show me what to do, please"
efficiency man found 1t necessary to
steady himself against the desk.
He had been prepared for battle; not
abjsot surrender.
"Why-er-yes. he said "Glad to
show you. There's lot of back work.
you know"
Constance, working at the other side
of the library table, was a disconcert-
ing vision, even to an efficiency man.
There was freshness in her cheeks
that suggested rose-garden Her gray
eyes were steady and serene Tendrils
OF hair curled about her ears in q
unique way, H. Hedge decided, for he
could not rem ember having observed
similar phenomenon before. She had
a firm, assured way Of using her hands
that astonished him. They were as cap
able of hitng papers as they were OF
punching a leather bag. in addition to
which they were exceptionally we'll
manicured.
But 1t was when she smiled across
at him and frowned in occasional per-
plexity over some new problem Of ef-
hciency that H. Hedge made up his
mind there Is hope for the worst sin
ner in Christendom. Nearly everybody
can smile, but not like Constance
Brooke. For instance, do you know
anybody who. by merely smiling. can
make you go upstairs, brush your
hair, use a whisk-broom on yonr coat.
and critically inspect your collar, Just
under the chin? 1t takes very extra
ordinary smile to do that.
nAAn
is to be suspected that she was con-
scious Of employing 1t. Yet 1t produced
all those singular results, so far as the
efficiency man was concerned.
Never a word passed about Tommy
Treadwell. The new secretary had ap-
parently forgotten the matter In the In
tense absorption Of her work
Alice made the initial discovery the
very first day. She was home from
school early. and, glancing in at the
library as she passed through the hall.
was rooted in her tracks by the spec
tacle Of Constance standing at a Ale
case with her hands full OF papers. The
eff cheney man was at her elbow and
was taking glibly about something.
Alice could rot hear the words. 1t was
the attentive, almost eager. attitude of
Constance that chiefly amazed her
Whatever Connie was doing she was
doing willingly-and she was taking
orders!
The Younger sister stole upstairs,
a prey to perplexity and foreboding.
What she had seen was beyond all be-
lief. 1t was such an inexplicable thing
that she did not even dare to share the
secret with Billy, far less to mention
the discovery to Constance But II
kept Alice awake for at least an hour
after she went to bed.
Billy did not become aware OF any
development until the day
II was the middle OF the
forenoon when he blundered into the
library intending to make final plea
for gasoline money. Constance was sit.
ting at the desk. and the efficiency
mau was pacing the floor. t..lking.
Billy halted and opened his mouth
And make a note Of this" H. Hedge
was saying. ITO notify the servants
that hereafter all orders for supplies,
in excess OF one dollar must be GER
titled at the ONCE before being deliv-
ored IN {radosrop"