The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-11-08

N1"ENAAMN 49, ~ - &NAAAAM AMMUNM~
por syndioate)
Mable Wells was as winsome rs
twenty, as buxom as thirty, and as
wise as forty, and yet she was none
Of these. A woman would have said
she was thirty-nvc-a man, twenty
I've, but as n matter OF fact she WINS
none OF these. either. She was en-.
tirely tw~enty-elght, admitted every
year, month and day OF Il, and smiled
when she ala no, %sercnely and brightly
smiled. whether you looked skeptical
or doubtful.
In her grnver moments. or hours, I
should say, Mahlc wns private sccre-
tary 10 the Honorable Peter Hobb. one.
time senator In the legislature OF tho
great state Of Ohio. and for all time
the richest man In Bellington. The
Honorable Peter Hohb. although only
~forty-one. was also the most dirnihed
man north OF the equator aud south OF
the North pole. He radintcd dignity
he oozcd II. He lifted his hat with the
same precise lift every time he met a
OF his acquaintance. and bowed
his hend at Just the right angle, with
never a variation. And during the
four years In which Mnble had been
his secretary he had never treated her
other than rs n she were n duchess
at n diplomats ball. with all the cour
tesy OF a Chinese mandarin.
And yet Notwithstanding all Of this.
perfection OF treatment on the part OF
her employer. Mable had disgrnccd
herself. She had chewed thu dignihcd
hand that fed her, as Il we're. she had
but what's the usei
when a friendly. sprightly, here-I-
am and horc-rm.not sort OF a girl. as
was Mable Wells, rises up In the ONCE
OF her employer, shovcs back the chair
from her desk, slams n book down on
It's paper.ilttercd top with n bang and
yeils out ia disguised tones right In
the face OF a dlgnined man like the
Honorable Peter HOhb-'for the love
OF Petei you make me Sick" and then
marches out OF his Office in the middle
OF the afternoon and doesn't come
back the next morning, you may know
that something would be liable TO
happen.
II just couldn't help H." she told her
mother that night. Gle Just lets that
nephew OF his work him TO n stand
still. n win ruin the boy, and he's
too nice n %youngster TO be ruined that
way. The ideai With all those bills
coming In every month and getting
bigger all the time, and he never says
a wordf'
"But. Mable. Just think what you
said. His name II Peter. dear, and
you said. for the love OF Peter He'll
think-oh. my. what viii he think7 OF
course, you're fred"
II don't care n ! am" said Mable,
epunklly. "The nerve OF him asking
me II ia take BILLY Hobb IN hand
and marry him just to make him be-
have-even supposlng / couldr'
But Mable's voice was as calm a.
n kittens slumber Ms she answered
the telephone at ten.thlrty the next
morning, and I regret 10 say that she
slipped her hand over the transmltteT
and giggled, when she heard the voice
OF her employer on the wire.
"Are you m this morning, Mis-
wellsf'
"oh, no." bllthely.
"Well-er-you were late-and-I-
or thought you might be ~"
II thought / was fred" said Mable
"Ftredl Oh, no, and you see, / cant
seem 20 find anything this morning
II you could arrange TO get over IA
soon as possible, Miss Wells, l would
appreciate t."
Thirty minutes later Mable entered
the ONCE and pitched into her work
There was a pile OF bills TO be checked
on, and checks 20 write for each bill
besides a dozen letters. The bills wer'
statements from Billy Hobbs cred
itors, and one Of the letters was Il
Billy himself. The letter was Of Ma
bells own composition, and Il was q
the point:
"My Dear Boy Needless 10 say
I'm covering FOUR accounts as usual
Also I'm sending you check for a hun
dred, which will be enough and morI
20 get you home. I'm expecting yoI
TO begin work ut the plant on the frs
OF the month.
"As you know, II you had dlsplaye,
! any particular talent In amy line at al
I would be glad 20 extend our pres
ent Arrangement 10 that end, but sucl
has not been the case As far AS
can see, your only talent lies In spend
ing money aud feeding chickens.
Il van 90 have a good time my
self one OF these days, and II I'm eve
7 10 have Il. you've got 10 be able q
take thlngs IN hand here. In orde
] 70 40 that. youT have 10 get In now
, "Your anectionate uncle"
The Honorable Peter looked owe
the checks hurriedly and signed then
but he signed the letters without look
ing al them at all. while his sesretar.
smiled demurely as she placed ther
: In the mail.