The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-25
EVENING STORY
Helm Wanted.
BY ISABEL STONELEY.

81 tell ye, I don't want no wimmen
folks round my place." the judge
called Justify over the telephone party
line. Can't you send me down q
good. steady young man? Eth? Yes.
Bookkeeping and making up the pay
roll. Eighteen to start. If he's pretty
smart l might give him twenty"
| Sorry. Judge" came the answer
, from Layton's Business Agency. I'VE
! haven't any one on our books except
/ ing Miss Preston and Miss Andrews
and Miss"
! Don't want no wimmen folks" re-
peated the judge fatty. Cant abide
'em. There amt a woman in the mill,
Layton, and we've got to allow them
boys some leeway and latitude. If 1
/ put a female in the office they'll have
to sit straight and talk soft and keep
their hats off, and summers coming
ON, and l can't risk it. Huh? You'll
recommend her yourself? Nope. Had
worry round the place and upset
everybody's comfort. Send me cut a
good, steady-going young man and
/ FL take him"
| That was Wednesday afternoon, and
promptly at the following morning,
when the thin black line of workers
| filed thru the high board entrance to
| the mills, Kate Preston waited her
[ chance to follow them nodding to
/ Timmy Ryan as he passed by, grim
/ 81
ers. and smiling at all the other little
chaps from the brass-finishing depart
ment.
| lis that the office over there?" she
asked the timekeeper finally, and the
/ Judge. just climbing down from his
bristled instantly.
/ Kate stood unflinehingly until he
had finished telling her his general
and conclusive opinion of women
workers, and when he had finished.
\ she smiled at him. 1t was no propitia-
] was comradely and sympathetic.
You'd better try me. Judge" she
said calmly. Help is scarce every
where and it isn't a very desira BILE
place. you know. Mr.. Layton says
you're pretty hard to suit It's a long
last night. I've taken a room up at
F., Mrs. Ryan's for a week. and if you
don't mind III just go in and try it
anyway"
Before the Judge recovered his pres
enee of mind she was already in the
office and had her hat off. He
watched her waFily. Rollins, the as
sistant bookkeepeF, received her
| friendly greeting with a grunt, taking
his cue from the boss"
| Old Man Adams. the purchasing
agent. gave her one long, appraising
4 look over MS glasses, SI1llte0 ana went
on opening mail. sam Doty. the
judges own special messenger and
long-suffering office slave, looked
scared when she took the Judges old
alpaca coat off it's accustomed hook
and hung her own cloak there.
Yet she stayed. Day after day
passed. and while the Judge was
grouchy and ungracious to her. she
kept her place and made good. Grad
ually she lifted burdens from his
shoulders locking after the filing. the
personal mail. the telephone orders.
| classifying. smoothing. organizing I'M
[ til even Adams would cough and beam
woman" he ventured one day, and the
| judge grinned back appreciatively.
Exception always proves the rule,
| Adams" he said. Don't spoil her"
She had been there nearly two
months and in that time Jimmy had
mother She was told of the shadow
/ that hung over the factory, how, Bob
Dexter had come home from college
/ and had peen in the way, The judge
had frankly not wanted to be bothered
with him., He~wanted to run his own
| business.
Time enough when I pass along,
Bob" he said testify. We don't
need you down here
And the Judge missed a bunch OF
| money one day." Jimmy finished up.
PAY day the cash comes from the
| bank in new bills. and he had three
$1,000 bills himself, and they was
| stolen, and he SAYS Bob took EN-, and
| Bob never come back"
/ TOO bad" Kate smiled and forgot
all about the story until one day as
she took down her own cloak the
/ judges old gray alpa "a coat took an
other tumble from it's adjacent peg
and as she lifted it she felt the stiff
| crumple of new bills in the inner
pocket. There were three of them
nice, bright. brand-new banknetes
| She looked down at them half sadly
and walked slowly ovsr to the judges
| little inner room and laid them before
| him.
There they are" she said gently
Hadn't you better let me telephone
Bob?"
How the devil did you ever find
them" demanded the judge. joyously.
Il came to find them, Judge Dex-
ter" Kate told him. seriously sitting
on the edge of his desk. Bob told
, me all about it after we became en-
i gagged, and how hopeless it was trying
to make you know they must be right
! under your nose around here some
place. He couldn't come and look
for them, so / came. Do you mind
| very much?''
The judge glanced warily out, but
Adams was out and the office was in
| its afternoon lull of quiet. He laid
the three bills back in her hand
Take the pesky things, my dear
/ he said huskily. and call up Bob and
/ tell him for me he's got more sense
than his old dad"
J Copyright, 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
Observation-Disclosures