The Ordway new era., 1917-12-14
Wanted: A
Dumb Woman
By Mon. cowles
(Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure
per 6yndicate.)


"Wanted-A, stenographer who Il
dumb but not deaf; must be over thir
ty. No others need apply. Can Mon
day morning at Congressman Prage
office at the Davenporte."
Perhaps the single aflliction or beiht
dumb without being deaf is not rare
one, but In Washington on the SUNDAY
that this advertisement appeared IL
the local papers, women SO hnhui
capped were not numerous. Or,
they were. they were not stenosra
pliers in search of job. OF the hnlf'
dozen dumb applicants, there was one
whose hearing was keen enough ana
whose stenography was good enough
to Justify the congressman's young
man secretary-who sized them up
when they came to She Oiiice-in REFER
ring her to the congressman himself.
That was Mardy Mapes. and she was
not entirely what the congressman had
asked for In the advertisement. She
admitted to the secretary in writinS'
on 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: II am old In my ways and
can look much older II dress in plain
dark clothes"
The congressman frowned little
at her to show his disapproval, but
consoled himself with the thought
enough. she would eventually reach
suitable age. On general principles,
1t seemed, Congressman Pragg had an
objection to young women. Some peo-
pie whispered that this was because of
some early disappointment In love, but
those who knew him better knew that
in the congressman's uphill climb from
n 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-
p'oyed," said the congressman, and
the smile that came over Mardy's face
showed that she heard perfectly In
spite of her total dumbness. Now,
want to explain why wanted dumb
stenographer. have had several
women In my employ-good stenogra-
piers they were, toO-but they drove
me almost crazy with their Innocent
babbling. When they weren't chatting
with my secretary out there, they were
talking over the telephone to the girl
downstairs ut the switchboard or ar
ranging with the people at suffrage
headquarters to make Street-corner
speeches on such and such night.
And after hours they babbled to their
friends all my business, or tried to
retail inside political information to
their soap-box audiences. Washington
is nothing but village in lots Of ways,
and people soon get to know that Miss
So-and-So is working for Congress
man 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 I knew myself.
These women didn't do 1t maliciously,
you understand. but they were so fond
of hearing themselves speak that they
couldn't help 1t. That Is why wanted
n dumb stenographer. Your youthful
ness Is against you, but don't sup
pose can do any better-never mind
the references-you look honest, and
my secretary says your stenography Is
more 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
retary, Miss Mapes soon did practical
ly all the work that Is usually con-
nected 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 II
useful to know, in hotel lobbies, club.
rooms or wherever he might contrive
to find them, and making hurried trips
back and forth from various Of the
! congressman's constituents to Wash
ington.
Mardy Mapes seemed not to have 9
responsibility or tie In the world-at
least in Washington-outside Of tht
congressman's office. She boardet
somewhere over in the northeast-aI
indefinite section SO far as the con
gresham was concerned. and "trol
lied" back and forth from there to tn,
congressman's office in the hotel
where he lived, near the White House
Che never worked Overtime" becnus
all her time, presumably. was possibl
Office time. And II she stayed in tn
congressman's Office till midnight TAX
ing down notes for an importan
, speech that he was to deliver, or lii
tening critically to him as he re
hearsed such speech to her, tongue
In the hotel never wagyed to her dis
credit because Of It. Perhaps thi
was because poor Mardy's own tongu
Itself was incapable Of wagging.. Sh