River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-09-05

self for the worst. Il lnIenu TO make
you my wife,"
He1en reeled.
you've been a good employee for
the past ten years. he went on, as if
he were merely increasing her salary,
'and l don't think you'll waste my
money if marry YOU"
He paused to cough. 'sDoes the lady
select the wedding day?" he cross
examined
A hot and scathing refusal was on
Helen's lips. Oh! The mans auda-
cious arrogance Was she nothing but
another step in his upward progress?
Did she have no choice? How long
had she been under consideration? Was
her position in jeopardy? The ques-
tons raced like flashes of lightning
through her confused mind. Then as
in panorama there passed before her
the years of combining hours, the toll
ing days and the nights without recre-
ation-just work. work and more work
that one might live. The very white
ness of her waist semed to implore
surcease from frequent washings and
the shiny serge skirt silently pleaded
honorable discharge from service.
And here was liberation Within her
grasp was material ease for the rest
of her years. Helen hesitated.
"May I have time to think it over,
Mr.. Hattisbury?" she asked slowly.
He seemed puzzled as to what ne
cessitated consideration. eyes" he
finally answered, 'you may have a
week.
AS Helen returned to her desk Rod
ney looked up-and promptly down
again. Helen was crying.
In the next succeeding days she was
grateful that he did not question her.
But Rodney was preoccupied in his
own affairs.
1t was the afternoon of the fifth
day.
''Helen," Rodney called abruptly as
he heard the last echoing footsteps of
their employer down the hall, twill you
marry meY
Helen's hand went TO her forehead.
Two proposals in one week for a
woman who had reached her thirty
eighth birthday without any. Rodney
came over to her.
sIisten, Helen. I've been thinking
a great deal about what you told me
that other day-about making some
thing of myself. You're right. I've
been in a rut."
Helen showed her comptometer to one
side. This was a new Rodney.
$50 I went and stuck the six hum
dred I've saved up in the cutest little
delicatessen you ever saw. It's got
cans of stuff on the shelves and cheeses
on the counter and cakes in the case
and flour in the bin, and" he ran on
excitedly without stopping for breath
as Helen grasped his coat sleeve in the
contagious enthusiasm, "there is good
trade. It'll be slow plugging at first,
lot and lots of work, but-but it's go.
He leaned toward her with arms ex-
tended. "All it needs-all / need is a
wife-that'll make everything COM
plete."
Helen could not speak. Something
was choking her.
"Tll be good to you," he pleaded,
taking her silence for refusal. "I'll do
all the work. Honest / will. l just
want you to encourage me. Won't you
please? It means-oh, it means indie
pendence"
Rodney stopped. Helen was crying
again. He sat down on her desk and
with one hand about her shoulder he
patted her head with the other.
"Jiggers, the boss!'' he called as the
door opened.
But they weren't in time. Mr.. Joseph
Q. Hattisbury had seen. He brought
ore foot down after the other with a
ponderous thud.
"Miss Bently," he snorted in high in
dignation, "after my talk, what does
this mean? / cannot give you week
to decide. Choose now"
Helen stopped crying and looked
from her opinionated employer to Rod
ney with his deep-set eyes still plead
ing his cause. The one held promise
of comfort and of submission; the
other, work-and independence.
''Oh, I'll take a chance" she said.
"I choose the delicatessen."