The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-21
EVENING STORY
Wanted, a Dumb Woman.
(By Mona Cowles-)

Pragg's office at the Davenport.
Perhaps the single affliction OF
being dumb without being dear Is no.
a rare one but in Washington on
the Sunday that this advertisement
appeared in the local papers women
so handicapped were not numerous
Or if they were they were not stenog-
raphers in search of a job. OF the
half dozen dumb applicants there was
but one whose hearing was keen
enough and whose stenography was
good enough to justify the congress
mans young-man secretary-Who
sized them up when they came 10 the
office-in referring her to the con-
gresham himself. That was Mardy
Mapes and she was not entirely what
the congressman asked for in the ad-
vertisement. She admitted to the
secretary in writing, on the small
around with her. that she was under
thirty, and any one could have told at
a glance that she wasn't even twenty
five. However" she wrote to the
congressman when he objected to ner
on the score of her extreme youth
fulness. Il am old in my ways and L
can look much older if l dress in
plain dark clothes"
The congressman frowned at her to
show his disapprovel but consoled
himself with the thought that If he
kept her in his employ long enough
she would eventually reach a suitable
age. On general principle, it seemed,
Congressman Pragg had an objection
to young women. Some people whis-
pered that this was because of some
early disappointment in love but those
who knew him better knew that in the
congressman's up hill climb from
poor farmers boy to the leading man
of his state there had been no time
for filtration or love making.
You may consider yourself en-
ployed." said the congressman and the
smiles that came over Mardy's face
showed that she heard perfectly in
spite of her total dumbness. Now 1
want to explain why 1 want dumb
stenographer. 1 have had several wo-
men in my employ-good stenogra-
pliers they were too-but they drove
me almost crazy with their incessant
babbling. When they weren't chat
ting with my secretary out there they
were talking over the telephone to the
girl down stairs at the switchboard or
arranging with the people at the suf-
frage headquarters to make street cor
ner speeches on such and such a night
And after hours they babbled to their
friends all my business or tried to re-
tail inside political information to
their soap-boX audiences. Washing
ton is nothing but a village in lots of
ways and people soon get to know that
Miss So and So is working for Con-
gresham Thus-and-so and the first
thing I'd know people would be telling
me over at the Capitol more about my
own business than l knew myself.
These women didn't do it maliciously
you understand, but they were so fond
/ of hearing themselves speak that they
couldn't help it. That is why / wanted
dumb stenogra pher. Your youth
fulness is against you but 1 don't
suppose 1 can do any better-never
mind the references-you look honest
and my secretary says your stenogra-
< f1i-
tomorrow morning at half past nine''
Although the ambitious young man
from the congressman home town
had the distinction of being his secre-
| tary Miss Mapes soon did practically
all the work that is usually connected
with the post and the young man in
question occupied his time largely
with meeting the congressman call
ers, mixing with people whom the con-
gresham might find it useful to
know. in hotel Hobbies, club rooms or
wherever he might contrive to find
them, and making hurried trips back
and forth from various of the con-
gressman's constituents to Washing
ton.
Mardy Mapes seemed not to have a
responsibility or tie in the world
at least in Washington-outside of the
congressman'S office She boarded
, somewhere over in the northeastern
Indefinite section so far as the con-
:
I lied" back and forth from there to
! the congreSSman'S office in the hotel
where he lived near the White House
| She never worked "over'' time be-
| cause all her time presumably was
! possible office time. And if she stayed
| in the congressman's office till mid
night taking down notes for an i'm
portant speech that he was to de-
liver, or listening critically to him as
/ he rehearsed such a speech to her,
+ tongues in the hotel never wagged to
! her discredit because of it. Perhaps
this was because poor Mardy'S own
/ tongue itself was incapable of wag-
/ ging. She was pretty and she was
young but her dumbness and her very
somber and demure mode of dressing
were a protection against SANDER or
! less malicious gossip
More than if Mardy had expressed
! herself in words did the congressman
make a habit of studying her face,
| and before many months had passed
/ there was need for very little tablet
| writing in their conversation. He
could detect in the most minute varia-
4 ton of expression her meaning and
/ this constant studying of her face
came to be as much pleasure to him
/ as anything else that made up his
| busy days.
/ Then as spring came on the con-
/ gresham became more than Ordinar-
| lily pensive. Even at the capitol it was
1 commented on that Pragg had some
I cause of worry and Mardy's most in
i quiring and sympathetic look of en-
4 treaty did not draw his secret from
i his lips.
i One day when Mardy arrived in the
! morning she found the congressman
| already at his desk-something en-
Il tirely unprecedented - and Mardy
seemed to know when she first caught
his glance that at last the time had
1 come for her to know his secret care.
i Il have something's to tell you" he
began abruptly, not looking at her
tho ne usually studied her face with
such keen interest. Il have secured
the services of one of the greatest OF
| throat specialists-Doctor Spiggen-
heim-perhaps you have heard of
him. He is coming down to Wash
! ington as a special concession. He'll
be here this morning. I want him to