The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-10-17

of the concern of Brown < Brown.
He asked him some questions that he
wanted him to answer frankly in a
letter that Mr. Thorne assured him
would BE confidential
did he smoke cigarettes? If so,
did he smoke in business hours?
did he indulge in games of chance
with other errand boys?
what did he eat for luncheon? Did
he go to night school? How did he
spend his evenings? What time did he
go to bed"
There were many more questions in
the same vein, and Alison answered
them promptly, assuring the kindly
vice president that she smoked not at
all and abstained from games Of
chance. She ate egg salad and milk
for luncheon, went to bed early and
spent her evenings "at home" She
didn't add that those evenings were
sometimes spent with her tired little
body resting on the soft upholstery of
the long chair in her own little bed
room reading some one of her favorite
Spanish or italian authors that she
had learned to admire in college.
The next letter expressed approval
of the young boys steady habits, but
he reproved the boy for not going to
night school, and ended by telling him
that he would give a prize OF $5U-
that he always offered messengers IN
the concern, but had never been Won
if he would devote himself so earnest
~ to the study of Spanish that wlthln
six months he could command snght
reading knowledge Of that language.
He himself, he said, had been manor
capped because as boy he had not
mastered foreign language Ii was
only recently, when his time Tor SUCH
study was limited, that he had taken
I'D Spanish. 1t was the great language
for business men of the future, etc.,
etc.
Alison really ought to have been
more cautious, but the very evening
after receiving this letter she wrote
back a long and fluent letter In her
best Spanish, explaining to Mr. Ihorne
that though she did not go to night
schools. she had mastered Spanish the
previous winter and spent much tlme
reading it. She declined the prize
however. as she had studied it With
out knowledge that such a prize ex-
listed.
Then came the letter that caused
CONSERVATION. Mr.. Thorne wrote OF
fering Alec a position in the chicago
office as second correspondent IN the
Spanish department. They were get
ting lots of orders from South Amer
lea, he explained, and he really need
ed him. His wage would be more than
doubled, and his travelling expenses 10
Chicago would be paid.
Alison was at first confused ana re-
pentant. She felt that she ought not
TO have consented to the office mana
gers deception. But then she took
different attitude toward the matter.
Financial conditions in the Preston
family had not been all that they
might have been for the past year ana
it had become apparent that announcer
year at college would be Impossible
for Alison at the present time. she
had about decided to spend the fol-
lowing autumn and winter working.
And. here was a chance TO earn go
week. She wrote back to Mr.. Thorpe
accepting the position, confesslng at
the same time her sex, did not wait
for an answer but, packing her little
travelling box and gaining a rather re-
luctant consent from her parents,
started forth to take her new JOB.
She could live on $40 week, she hg-
ured. especially if she continued to
dress in uniform, and the other Slo
she could save to pay her next years
expenses in college.
The office manager in the New York
office when he heard of the step she
had taken, predicted stormy recep-
ton for Alison. He felt thar he knew
lust how Thorne would snub her. But
the storm and the snub were not FORTH
coming. Thorne told her that at hrst
be had not known then he Glanced to
see the New York paper that had the
office managers advertisements for girl
messengers, and, beside, he suspected
from the egg-salad luncheon and the
hand writing that she was a girl.
Then one day Thorne called Alison
into his office and as she came toward
him in her trim little khaki suit he
held out both his hands and took hers
into his.
Alison did not draw back, but stood
looking down at their Joined hands.
with a puzzled smile on her face.
81 want you here, Alec" he had al
ways retained the first name by which
he had thought of her-"I want you in
the office, but more than all | want you
in my heart. / want you TO make
home for me. Is it so necessary to
finish out that college course OK
yours?"
ssThere is always one and only one
possible event that willie make col
lege girl give up her course" said
Alison.
"And that!
"When the man in all the world she
loves asks her to be his wife,"
"Does that mean you have decided
to finish?' asked Thorne relaxing his
hold on AIison's hands. But he tight
ened it again when she told him thHt
1t didn't.
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