The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-12
EVENING STORY
Tom the Talker.
BY JANE OSBORN.

forged ahead from the post Of least
of all office boys in the sales depart
ment of the Universal Chopping Bowl
company to the post of head of that
department was not because Of any
superior knowledge of the psychology
of people who wanted to buy chopping
bowls wholesale or because of any
personal mag netism, but because his
tongue wagged like womans. Tom
Brattle had the knack of talking fast
and furiously, but then Tom was one
son among five daughters in a family
that consisted of some five or six
maiden aunts and a grandmother and
great-aunt and-well. Tom had
learned that if he wanted to make
himself heard to the end the only
thing was to talk fast and leave no
chinks in the conversational structure.
If he did some one else would get -
wedge in. And Tom had also noticed
in those days when he filled the ink
wells and bougk: sandwiches from
the deicateSsen for the boss, Mr..
Dawson, on busy days, that the sales
men who got the largest orders for
chopping bowls from customers who
came into the office were those who
kept the possible buyer from raising
any objection to the brand OF chop
ping bowls that the Universal put out.
The Universal sales department,
like every other department in every
other concern, felt the effect Of the
increased demand for women to take
the place of enlisted men, and the only
solution seemed to be. when matters
were at their worst. to enlist recruits
from the number of wives and sisters
and relations of the well-to-do mem
bers of the concern who would not
normally be gainfully employed.
Toms sisters were employed and SO
were his aunts, but when he wanted
to get a new girl for the switchboard
In the sales department he made his
wants known to the heads of the
concern, and the very recently &C
quired wife of one Of the sons OF the
president of the concern was sug-
gested as candidate She had
caught the fever Of general usefulness,
and having no business asset but
pleasant voice, had been promised the
first vacancy as telephone operator
which happened to be in Toms de-
partment.
And this suited Tom immensely. Be
cause Tom had a theory that g. tele-
phone operator was one OF the most
important personalities about any Of
flee, especially d sales office. She did
more talking than any OF the other
girls employed, and talking, in Toms
estimation, was an important thing.
And the girls in his office had rather
looked down upon the post or teie-
phone operator. When the regular
girl for that job was on vacations or
off at lunch they handled the wires
condescendingly. To them it was
matter Of minor consequence. So
when the daughterin-law of the
president of the concern was coming
that this would put new light on the
job of switchboard operating. 1t
would lend it tone and show the girls
just how important it was.
Then the morning that the young
Mrs. Dawson was coming Mr.. Dawson
| 'phoned in to say that Mrs. Dawson
had backed out. She had found that
it would interfere with her Eat
| homes" she hadn't realized that she
| would have to be there every day, and
So
Then Tom began to talk, and he
talked fast and furIously, even tho
he was talking to the son OF the pres
ident, and having hung up the receiver
| he sent to an agency for telephone
| operator of the best type. He offered
| to pay her more than even he felt
telephone operators were worth, he
| cause he felt now that having ASSURED
the stenographers and other girls in
the office that so important a per-
sonage as Mrs. Dawson was going to
| take the job he could not retreat so
d
hearted, listiess girl for the work
| Tom seldom countenanced decep-
ton, but this time it was necessary
| SO when he found a nice-looking young
| woman in ibusiness-like apparel watt
| ing to see him in the outer office and
she began by saying that she believed
| they wanted a telephone operator
Tom let her get no further. but told
her on the spot, in an undertone, that
| she looked as If she would do. but that
| she would have to bluff it out as the
| daughter of the president and consent
to be called Miss Dawson, and conduct
herself as nearly as 1t was possible for
| her to do SO the daughter of the
president of chopping bowl concern
would conduct herself.
| But you see" began the appli-
| cant.
| THAT is quite all right" Tom rat
tied on. You're an intelligent young
/ woman, and you can manage, and
none of these girls know anything
about the family of Mr.. Dawson. So
off your hat and coat at once I'll
| have your name put on the payroll
Immediately"
But was going to say"
If you don't understand this board
one of the girls will show you," Tom
anticipated. ''It isn't that they don't
know how" he explained. Its that
they don't think it's worth while.
That's why I wanted them to think
that we had one of the Dawsons on
| the job. Tell them, If they ask, that
Mrs. Dawson decided not to come, but
| that you came instead And Tom
! hurried back to his office bent on
talking a flowing. line of enthusiasm
concerning the merits of the Dawson
chopping bowls into his dictaphone.
No stenographer could keep up with
him.
Now, temporarily Tom was not
a fast talker. It was an acquired hab-
it, and his idea of a happy home TO
go to after working hours was q home
where there were not five sisters and
aunts and things. and where one could
talk as slowly or as little as one chose.
1t was because he had SO often thought
of how restful such a home would be
i h. 70 ix,lz ah TT.