The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-26
EVENING STORY
The Dove Cote.

Bradson & Sons furniture store, was
House Magnificent" This was To-
Gated on the fourth floor of the es-
tablishment and comprised about
eight rooms, in which were clustered,
in what purported to be a weH-fur-
nished mansion. a motley collection
of high priced furniture. The house
was complete, from the library, In
which an intricate carved Chinese
desk, inlaid in mother-of-pearl, stood
side by side with a Chippendale sec
rotary, to a kitchen in which one
might see at glance just what sorts
of utensils, tables, stoves and ice
boxes might be bought by those well
off enough to live in such mansion
as the House Magnificent
In the city where it was located 1t
was one of the sights for women COM
ing from the country for a days shop
ping. And if you watched these wo-
wide-open, round eyes, expressive of
admiration and wonder, and you
would hear no less expressive obs
and Abs" To many who had never
trod the oriental carpets of homes of
wealth it was the embodiment of all
that was luxurious and splendid in
| furniture. ! To a very few Bradson's
| House Magnificent" was the by-word
for all that was inharmonious and
pretentious in household interiors
But they never expressed their opin-
| ion to the Bradsons nor fretted much
because of the gaudy tastelessness of
| the outlay.
| So Bradson went on from year to
year with his enthusiasm for the
| House Ma gnificent' but little dim
med-even when from the reports
/ from his bookkeeping department he
| could see that very few pieces in the
place were ever ordered. 1t was still
a drawing card, he reasoned to HIM
self. Folk who come to see it no
doubt linger to buy less pretentious
furniture. 1t is good boost. boost
of the sort that the small-minded
merchant can never understand"
Then came Jenny Dorr. Jenny Dorr
was a little, red-haired, freckled, snub-
faced girl who was employed for Sc
week to copy sales records in the
| grimy, dingy portion of the fourth
| floor just behind the House Magni-
f1cent," where amidst the most out
worn of office fixings and furniture.
| the actual wheels of the furniture SELL
ing business were kept in motion.
| Jennie was such an odd girl! She
actually put each figure down in the
| big books that stretched out before
her as if she had interest in the per-
| Torrance. Sometimes she would open
the books months-even years-back,
and sit there as if entranced, compar-
ing column for column, total for total
There is something nutty about
| that red-haired girl there" comment
| ed the head bookkeeper to his en-
ployer one day, when he came in to
| look over the record after office hours
| were over.
| ''S' matter with her?'
She's always looking at the books
as if they were storybooks and at
| lunchtime she sneaks into that 'Hous,
| Magnificent and walks around. Ask
ed her what she did that for, and all
she did to laugh and say she
was listening to what the people said
said it wasn't to see the furniture
she knew that by heart already. She
| asked me if 1 ever listened to the peo-
| pie, and when / said No. she said she
| Queer piece. If she were a boy I'd
! think maybe it was ambition-but
being girl, 1 suppose it is just nosey-
ness"
HIM" commented the junior part
ner. Send her to my office the first
| thing in the morning."
The head bookkeeper was not
man to enjoy seeing another lose his
position, and he was sorry for what
| he had said. "Oh, the girls all right.
She does her work and never COM
plains. 1 wasn't exactly complain
I ing about her, only you never can tell
about person like that. But 1 would
MT like to be to blame if she lost her
| job
Send her to my office the first
| thing in the morning." Bradson re-
| peated and strobe out. His curtness
| was due entirely to pre-occupatfon and
not at all to-annoyance.
| Good morning, Mr.. J. T. Bradson,
Junior" was the greeting of the snuh-
faced, red-haired Jenny Dorr the next
| morning. Il expect you want to let
| me go. I am sorry
sit down-not in that chair by the
door. Here in the big chair opposite
me where l can look at you. How old
are you?"
| Eighteen come next summer"
How much do you get %
six dollars a week"
well, just to show you that I am
not firing you 1 will tell you that yoI
are to get twelve from now on-may-
be more later. You're a smart kid
aren't your"
The blue eyes looked at him to see
whether he were jesting or speaking
seriously. Discovering the latter to
| be the case, she answered frankly.
Yes, think am smart-at least I'm
| smarter than 1 am anything else.
am such little understood sort"
Tell me honestly what you think
of the House Magnificent 1 sup
pose you think it is pretty gorgeous.
You realize what a worthwhile prop
osition it is. in large business sense?
1 understand you frequent it. Give me
me your honest opinion"
"HoneSt-to-goodness or just as a
working girl would naturally tell her
boss what she thought he wanted her
to tell him.
'Honest-to goodness Bradson
quoted smiling.
Jenny gasped joyously as if a long
dreamed-for opportunity had come.
"Goody," she began. This is what 1
think / think that House Magnif-
cent is the worst liability you have
got. 1t eats up money, takes up room
and brings in nothing. Sure, 1t brings
people to the store, but those people
that come in all round-eyed and gasp
ing, look around and help wear out
the carpets and then say to each other
Come. now let's go over to the EN-
porium and do the buying and the
folk that can buy expensive furniture
they don't come to look at the
!, a