Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-17
capital. But the next morning just as

Shirley was about to leave for the sta
ton: escorted by all the children, Mrs.
HOLSTER came with a package of adj
dressed postal cards which she had
made George get for her the might be-
fore. inc put them in Shirley's bag.
"Just drop us a line. as you go
along, DEAR she said. "Ill feel hap
pier about it to be hearing from you.
Mail one whenever you have a
chance"
Shirley laughed as she looked at the
fat package.
"All those, mother dear? You must
expect I am going to stay a month!
You. know / won't have much time
for writing. and I fully expect to be
backs tonight or tomorrow at the lat
est.'
We'll, that's all right" said her
mother. You can use them another
time, then; but you can just put a. line
on n whenever it is convenient. I
you get back. You know this is your
first journey out into the world
alone" al. 80
Shirley stopped to- kiss the little
mother.
"All right, dear! Til write you a
serial story. Each one continued In
our next. Goodbye! Don't take too
long a walk today. 1 want o rested
to hear all I'll have to tell when / get
back tonight!",..
Shirley wrote the first postal card
as 500 as she was settled in the
train, describing the other occupants
Of the car, and making a vivid picture
OF the landscape that was slipping by
her windows. She wrote the second
in the Baltimore station, after she had
met Mr.. Barnard, while he went to
get seats in he parlor ar, and she
mailed them both at Baltimore.
The third was written as they near
ed Washington, with the dim vision of
the great monument dawning on her
wondering sight in the distance. Her
last sentehce gave her first impression
Of the nations capital.
They had eaten lunch in the dining
car, a wonderful experience to the
girl, and she promised herself another
postal devoted to that. but there was
no time to write more after they
to a. taxi and whirled away to an Of
flee where her work began. She
caught glimpses of great buildings on
the way, and gazed with awe at the
dome of the Capitol building. Mr..
Barnard was kind and pointed out
this and that, but it was plain his
mind was on the coming interview.
When Shirley sat at last in a quiet
corner of a big dark Office, her pen
and looked at the serious faces Of the
men in the room, she felt as if she
had been rushed through a treasure
vault of glorious jewels and thrust in
to the darkness of a tomb. But pres
entity the talk about her. interested
her. Things were being said about
the vital interests of the country,
scraps Of sentences that reminded her
Of the trend, Of talk in the daily pa
pers, and the headings of front COL
urnns. She looked about her with in
which these men quoted the words Of
those high up in authority in the gov
eminent. With awe she began her
work, taking down whatever Mr..
Barnard dictated. her fingers flying
over the tiny pages of the notebook,
in small neat characters, keeping pace
with the voices going on about her
The detail work she vas setting dowr
was not Of especial interest to her
save that it was concerned with gov
eminent work, for its ~phraseology was
routine Office work at home; but she
set every sense on the alert to get the
tiniest detail and not to make the
smallest mistake, understanding from
the voices of the men about her tina
it was of vital interest to the countr!
that this order should be filled quick
ly and accurately. AS she capped hel
fountain pen, and slipped the rubber
band OF her notebook when it wa!
over, she heard one of, the men jus
behind her say in a low tone to Mr.
Barnard:
You're sure of your secretary o
course? I just want to give you tn
tip that this thing is being very close
ly watched. We have reason to be
lieve there's some spying planned
Keep your notes carefully and don
let too many in on this. We know
pretty we'll what's going on, but it.
not desirable just now to make an,