The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-12-20
Wanted: A
Dumb Woman.
By Mona Cowles

Ex~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)
"Wanted-A StenOgrapher who is
dumb but not deaf must be over thir-
ity. No others need apply. Call Mon
day morning at Congressman Pragg's
office at the Davenporte."
Perhaps the single affection of being
Iaumb without being deaf is not rare
IOne, but in Washington on the Sunday
that this advertisement appeared in
the local papers, women so handi-
capped were not numerous. Or, Il
they were, they were not stenOgra-
pliers in search of job. OF the half
dozen dumb applicants, there was one
whose hearing was keen enough and
whose StenOgrapby was good enough
ito justify the congressman's young
IMAM secretary-who sized them up
when they came to the Office-in refer
ring her to the congressman himself.
That was Mardy Mapes and she was
mot entirely what the congressman had
asked for in the advertisement. She
admitted to the secretary in writing,
ION the small tablet of paper that she
carried around with her, that she was
under thirty, and anyone could have
told at glance that she wasn't even
twenty-five. However" she wrote to
the congressman when he objected to
her on the score of extreme youthful
ness: 81 am old in my ways and l
lean look much older if l dress in plain
dark clothes"
The congressman frowned a little
at her to show his disapproval, but
lcOnsOled himself with the thought
that If he pit her in his employ long
enough, she would eventually reach
suitable age. On general principles,
ut seemed, Congressman Pragg had an
objection to young women. Some peo-
ple whispered that this was because of
some early disappointment in love, but
Those who knew him better knew that
lin the cOngresSman's uphill climb from
IA poor farmers boy to the leading
man of his state, there had been no
time for Irritation or love-making.
4 ~You may consider yourself en-
lDlOyed," said the congressman, and
dthe smile that came over Mardy's face
lshowed that she heard perfectly in
kspite of her total dumbness. "Now,
vsant to explain why I wanted dumb
4stenographer. / have had several
Awomen in my employ-good StenOgra-
4phers they were, tOo-but they drove
lne almost crazy with their innocent
Ebabbling When they weren't chatting
with my, secretary out there, they were
talking over the telephone to the girl
downstairs at the switchboard or ar
Ranging with the people at suffrage
headquarters to make street-corner
speeches on such and such a night.
land after hours they babbled to their
tfriends all my business, or tried to
retail inside political information to
their soap-box audiences. Washington
lis nothing but village in lots of ways,
and people soon get to know that Miss
ISO-and-So is working for Congress
man Thus-and-So, and the first thing
t'd know people would be telling me
lover at the capitol more about my
hOwn business than knew myself.
These women didn't do it maliciously,
lyon understand, but they were so fond
y0f hearing themselves speak that they
couldn't help it. That is why / wanted
a dumb stenograpLer. Your youthful
mess is against w, but l don't sup
pose 1 can do any better-never mind
Nhe references-you look honest, and
tmy secretary says your stenography is
1nore than fair. Report here tomor-
ROW morning at half-past nine"
Although the ambitious young man
from the congreSsman's home town
had the distinction of being his Sec
Fetary, Miss Mapes soon did practical
Nv all the work that is usually con-
Aected with that post, and the young
man in question occupied his time
largely with meeting the congress
mans callers, mixing with people
whom the congressman might find 1t
useful to know, in hotel lobbies club
Fooms or wherever he might contrive
TO find them. and making hurried trips
back and forth from various of the
eOngreSSman'S constituents TO wash
fngtun.
Mardy Mapes seemed not to have
responsibility or tie in the world--at
geaSt in Washington-outside of the
eongressman's office. She boarded
somewhere over in the northeastern
Sndefinite section so far as the con-
gresham was concerned and ''trol-
Ned" back and forth from there to the
congressman's office In the hotel,
wf~re he lived, near the White House.
She never worked overtime" because
all her time. presumably, was possible
Office time. And if she stayed In the
se0ngressman's office till midnight TAX
ing down notes for an important
speech that he was to deliver. or lis
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