The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-20
EVENING STORY
For the Love of Pete.
BY INES MACDONALD.


Mabel Wells was as winsome as 20,
as buxom as 80, and wise as 40,
and yet she was none of these. n
woman would have said she was 35
IA man, IS, but as a matter of fact
she was none of these either. She
was entirely 28, admitted every year,
month and day of it, and smiled when
she did SO, serenely and brightly
smiled, whether you looked skeptical
or doubtful.
In her graver moments, or hours, /
should say, Mabel was private secre-
tary to the Honorable Peter Hobb, one
time senator in the legislature of the
great state of Ohio, and Tor all time
the richest man in Bellington. The
Honorable Peter Hobb. altho only Al,
was also the most dignified man north
of the equator and south of the north
pole. He radiated dignity-he oozed
it. He lifted his hat with the same
precise lift every time he met wo-
man of his acquaintance, and bowed
his head at just the right angle. with
never variation. And during the
four years in which Mabel had been
his secretary he had never treated her
other than as if she were a duchess
at a diplomats ball. with all the
courtesy of a Chinese mandarin.
And yet Notwithstanding all of this
perfection of treatment on the part OF
her employer. Mabel had disgraced
herself She had chewed the cignified
+; hand that fed her, as it were, she had
but what's the use!
When friendly, sprightly, here-I-
am and here-Pm-not sort of girl. as
was Mabel Wells, rises up in the office
of her employer. shoves back the
chair from his desk, slams book
down on its paper-littered. top with
a bang and yells out in disguised tones
right in the face of a dignified man
like the Honorable Peter Hobb-For
the love of Pete! you make me Sick!
and then marches out of his office in
the middle of the afternoon ana does
mt come back the next morning, you
may know that something would be
liable to happen
Il Just couldn't help it," she told
her mother that night. He Just lets
that nephew of his work him to
standstill. 1t will ruin the boy, ana
he's too nice a youngster to be ruined
that way. The idea! With all those
bills coming in every month and get
! ting bigger all the time, and he never
says a world"
but. Mabel. just think what you
you said for the love of Pete! He'll
think-oh, my, what will he think?
OF course. you're fired"
Ct don't care il I am said Mabel.
spunkily. THE nerve of him asking
me if I'd take Billy Hobb in hand and
marry him just to make him behave
even supposing I COULD"
But MabeFs voice was as calm as a
kittens slumher she answered the
telephone at 1890 the next morning,
and I regret to say that she slipped
her hand over the transmitter and
giggled when she heard the voice OF
her employer on the wire.
Are you ill, this morning. Miss
weIls?"
"oh, no." blithely.
'twelLer-you were late-and-I
|-er thought you might be ILL.,
IT thought / was fired" said Mabel
Fired? Oh, no, and you see, can't
seem to find anything this morning
II you could arrange to get over as
soon as possible, Miss Wells, I would
appreciate it"
Thirty minutes later Mabel entered
the office and pitched into her work.
There was a pile of bills to be check
ed off and checks to write for each
bill, besides a dozen letters. The
bills were statements from Billy
Hobbs creditors. and one of the let
was of MabePs own composition, and
it was to the point:
my Dear Boy: Needless to say.
usual. Also I'm sending you check
for a hundred, which will be
enough and more to get you home.
I'm expecting you to begin work
the plant on the first of the month.
LAS you know, If you had dis
played any particular talent in any
line at all / would be glad to ex-
tend our present arrangement to