The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1918-12-19
THE CURE
BY ROSE NEWMAN.


Copyright, 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
syndicate.)
Slam! Bang! The door to the pri.
vate Office of Jack Willard closed with
a bang. The pretty blond stenogra-
pher winked sagely across to the book
keeper and her fingers began to work
on the typewriter keys with great dex-
terity. II guess young Mr.. Wizards
temper is getting the best of him." she
said smiling.
"Miss Felton," came from the Office
Of Jack Willard in a sharp, impatient
voice. Timidly the little dar!-haired
private secretary stepped into the Of
fee, closing the door after her. "Aliss
FELTON,, it is very essential that these
letters be copied before you go home
today"
Fa%lteringly Gladys took the great
batch of letters and went out of the
office. A sudden thought Of rebellion
swept over heE. As If she could finish
those letters before five o'clockl 1t
meant that she would have to work
overtime, and oh how she had planned
so very much on going to the ball to-
night, that wonderful ball, which was
the talk of the town. And her mother,
too, would feel sorry after she had
worked SO hard to finish her dress.
Some men were so selfish. He might
have left a few of the letters for to-
morrow. Well, it had to be done, so
Gladys set about to accomplish the
task before her.
AS she worked she thought of her
employer. He needed a good lesson.
He was selfish when there was much
work to be done. She would teach him
to consider other people besides him.
self. The time flew by as if on wings.
Half-past four! The stenographer
closed up her machine with a bang.
"Going to the ball, Gladys" she asked
as she passed her desk. "Sorry you
won't be there, it's going to be some
affair" Gladys wished her a pleasant
time and kept on working. The stenog-
rapher sauntered out of the office,
throwing up her hands in relief at
the door Of the private office where
her employer was apparently still at
work.
Half past Ave, 6, $3.50 and Z
o'clock passed and Gladys still worked.
Suddenly a smile overspread her coun-
tenance. She had an idea. She
would teach MI. Willard a lesson.
About ten letters were still left to be
finished. When she had finished the
last letter it vas eight o'clock.
Suddenly she uttered a moan and
fell back in her chair. In a moment
the bookkeeper and Mr.. Willard were
at her side. Mr.. Willard dismissed the
bookkeeper with a curt: "Ill take
care of her." After the bookkeeper
had gone she heard him murmur ten
Derby: poor little girl" and ooh,
what a brute I am" He. raised a cup
Of water to her lips and her eyelids
fluttered open. Weakly she said: II
am feeling better now" in answer to
his anxious query. She made no pro-
test when he telephoned for a taxi
cab and offered to escort her home.
Twenty minutes later the taxi ar
rived and he almost carried her into
the car. She murmured something
about the letters and he ungraciously
replied: "Hang the letters. They'll
be attended to later"
In the cab Gladys found her en-
ployer so c%onsiderate and tender that
she wondered how she had ever
thought him otherwise. He continu-
ally asked her if she was comfortable,
etc. Gladys was almost glad that
she had not gone to the ball. She
smiled to herself. The ruse was work.
ing successfully.
When they arrived at her home he
offered to assist her into the house,
but Gladys protested, so he contented
himself in giving her advice such as
to be sure to retire at once and to
rest.
On his way home Jack called HIM
self everything he could think of.
What a brute he-had been to make the
poor little girl work so hard. He had
never noticed before that his little sec
rotary was so good looking. He a
always regarded her as being a good
asset to his business rather than a
young and pretty girl. Well, he would
make it up to her now
In her home, Gladys found her moth
er waiting anxiously for her. Gladys
burst into a fit Of laughter as she told
her mother of her ruse. AS she pro-
ceeded to retire she laughingly said:
Remember, mother, I am to be Ill.
I'm going to make Jack Willard re-
gard me as a human being and not as
a machine"
The next day Gladys received a
beautiful. bouquet of flowers from
Jack, and later in the day found him
at her home. He apologized for being
the cause Of her illness and blamed
his COMPOUNDED sel1shness." The Wis
it's continued for many days. GLADYS