The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-04-05
DISCHARGING BETTY
BY ISABEL FROST.


made up his mind to discharge Betty.
If discipline was to be maintained In
the office at all, that was the first sttn
toward it. In the first place, she never
should have been employed In such a
place as the Benzinger Iron works. She
had walked through the outer gates
one early spring morning, the last OF
line of applicants, and had asked the
first worker she met what the superin-
tendent's name was.
Crank Curzon," she was told. There
fore, instead of waiting her turn, Betty
had marched valiantly up to the book
keepers desk and had asked for Mr..
Curzon quite as If she were paying
little afternoon call. And she got the
position.
The salary was only so week, but
there was no carfare to pay, and the
factory lay just across the railroad
tracks from the pretty suburban neigh
borhood where she lived with her ia
Their and the four boys, all younger
than herself.
"You mustn't mind" she said that
evening, beaming on her docile home
circle at the supper table. "Pm a ter
rible cook, and this way ] can hire old
Mrs. Ransom to come in and work for
us by the day for 81 week. That
leaves me five for myself. / am Mr..
Curzon's private secretary"
what does he look likef demanded
David, the eldest brother.
"Well, he's rather tall. and possibly
thirty, more or less" Betty dished the
preserved cherries thoughtfully. "And
very, very businesslike and short
spoken"
But" said Dave sarcastical!y, swat
till he's Bettifed."
1t took about four weeks to Bettify
the whole office. 1t began with the
strike at the gray iron foundry across
the street. After the reserves had
been called out and the fight in the
yards was over, Curzon came back,
looking rather tense and angry.
"Why didn't you keep out of range
when those fellows were firing at usY'
he demanded of Betty.
81 wanted to see," answered Betty
haughtily. 1T was very interesting"
1t was the end Of the second month
that Curzon began to make up his
mind. In the first place, he was am
bilious and had put all thoughts of
love or marriage out of his scheme of
life. The foundry was his life. And
still it was June, and Betty wore the
most enhancing, fluffy gowns to work,
absolutely unbusinesslike.
Likewise, at the lunch hour, Betty
had tiny electric centrivance which
sine calmly applied to the companys
switch, and ON which she managed
somehow to concoct the daintiest and
most unexpected Of luncheon dishes,
since there was no good restaurant in
a radius Of mile. And then she would
invite him to pGrtake.
So one night toward the end of June,
when she had worked overtime, he
stood by the window of the office that
overlooked the gray iron building and
spoke gloomily, Realistically.
"Of course, you know this can't go
on much longer"
"Are you trying to discharge me, Mr..
Curzon?"
"rve got to-" answered Curzon SLOW
~, returning her look with unswerv-
ing intention. "Fve either got to fire
You or marry you. This can't go on
l can't think of anything under the
light of heaven but you, day or night,
and want to work."
"Then, of course, must leave" said
Betty, with her very incest her very
kindest manner.
Betty" said Curzon, In a curious
voice, voice of accusation and APP
peal, too. "Betty, why did you ever
come to work here? l didn't want you.
You know perfectly well you've seen
this coming on, and believe you've
gloated over it."
Nobody knows how far Betty's dig
nifty would have gone IL 1t had not
been for the half-brick that came sail
ing through the open window. Curzon
went down like a hewn tree at her
feet. When the ambulance arrived
Jim and the engineer were holding
down the two strikers who had lain
in wait outside the Office windows for
chance at the boss.
But inside the Office Betty knelt on
the floor beside Curzon. She had
washed and bandaged the cut ON his
brow and had pillowed his head on her
coat-the little pongee silk coat she
wore to work. And the young sur
geon, entering hastily, hesitated ON The
threshold, for Betty's hand was strok-
Ing back the hair from the patients
forehead with more than a nurselike
touch, and the upward gaze of his
eyes was-as he told Jim later-"a
dead give-away."
I'm not going to work at the foun-
dry any longer" Betty broke the news
10 the family circle that night with
tact and gentleness.
Thought 1t wouldn't last much long
err" scoffed Dave. "Who discharged
you. Bet?'
''Mr. Curzon," sweetly.
For carrying on In business hours"
Archie limited darkly. Just then the
bell rang at the front door, and the
color deepened in Bettys cheeks as
she rose.
THAT'S Mr.. Curzon, and you behave
every last one Of you. He's come to
sec father"