Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-07-05

,St was two hours later when Nella
Worth, weary, displrited, passed the
window, noticed the card, hesitated, re-
dected, shut her lips tightly and en-
tered the office-and thereby changed
She destiny of the Morses, uncle and
nephew.
Gust an ordinary working girl"
Nella Worth would have described
herself, never thinking of her simple
beauty and her exactness, fidelity and
intelligence as an office employee. She
had lost a good position through the
failure Of the house employing her.
The grimy Morse office was not invit-
, ing, the crude, clumsy "Girl Wanted"'
sign was not reassuring, but Nella had
been out of work for a month, her lit
tie stock of money was running low
and employment she must have.
The low wages offered by calculat-
i ing, cheese-paring Abel Morse did not
encourage her. He looked pleased,
however, as, fully engaged, she set
about her duties quietly and system
atically. He was all business. The
shrewd old fellow at once realized that
she was the same, and, Cyril coming
in was likewise attracted by her lady
like manner and her manifest eff
cheney.
And the sensation of a new benef-
cent element in the Office routine grew
upon him strongly as week passed
by. There seemed to be infused a new
token of comfort and briskness. In
her odd moments Nella had tidied up.
She induced old Abel to buy a new
desk and rug. She had the windows
cleaned. In fact, womanly tact and
neatness seemed to transform the
dreary den into a certain homelike
haven. Even old Abel noticed this. He
was homesick for two days. When he
returned he was SO pleased with the
administration of business during his
absence, that he actually commended
her for 1t and raised her wages two
dollars a week.
Cyril began to take a new interest
in his work. His grim old uncle never
had taken into account the fact that
he had never gone to the pains of i'm
parting to Cyril the details of the
business he, himself, knew so well, but
Miss Worth made the path clear, easy
and actually attractive for him. Wise
old Abel watched craftily. He marked
the change in his nephew and shrewdly
traced it's source.
One day Cyril was alone in the Of
flee. He had just returned from the
bank and Miss Worth had gone to the
post office to register some mail. His
uncle was over on the exchange. Cyril
was counting package Of bills when
a shadow fell across the desk. 1t was
sudden and menacing and instructive
ly he lodged aside. A blunt, hard,
heavy object grazed his head and
struck his ear, half stunning him.
Cyril turned to face q Drawn ruffian.
He was directing a second blow with
loaded billy. Cyril half arose to his
feet, staggering. He could not have
evaded this second blow. Looking
: past the ruffian, Cyril saw Nella enter
the room.
In an instant her quick eye took in
the situation. She noiselessly glided
to where a chair stood, raised 1t,
. swung 1t and dropped it directly on
the head of the unsuspecting intruder
with crushing force. The man went
down like shot and lay inert. All
business, Miss Worth went to the tele-
phone and summoned the police.
Cyril was half dazed as he stag
: gered to chair and dropped into it.
Still, he smiled gratefully, admiring-
ly at this bright and sparkling heroine,
always doing the right thing at the
right time. Now she came up to him,
! scanning him anxiously.
"You are hurt?" she asked, with
solicitude.
} "Just grazing blow-it will amount
to nothing" declared Cyril.
"Let me send for doctor. 1t may
be more serious than you think"
81 don't want DOCTOR" said Cyril,
) and then his eye fell upon a pigeon
hole in the desk before him out Of
| which protruded the card that had
} brought this angel of beauty and order
to the now renovated precincts of busi-
| ness. "What want is
, He looked her in the eyes with ar
: dor. The critical moment had come.
She had cured his rowing disposition.
: She read love in his eyes as he leaned
towards her, she blushed and thrilled
} as he indicated his needs in a prac-
teal way, for he held towards her the
little card-"Girl Wanted" and she
knew that she was the girl in ques-
} ton.