The Washington times., 1919-09-24

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The critical moment came. It
happened TO be also the moment
chosen. by Brother Tom for an IN
usually festive celebration. The
fates propelled him into the parlOr.
The words on the lips Of the Man
we're shocked into silence.
After the Man had carefully and
safely dropped himself and his
prospects out Of her life, Marcia's
burden became almost as heavy
as her heart.
Mother broke down, as mothers
do after seventy years. Soon there
had to be q maid 70 do the work
at the little house. Later there
must be an amendment, for Mother
could no longer dress or feed her
self. Mothers get that way after
they have tOiled for many years
for boys and girls.
Finally Brother Tom braCed up.
In the automobile business a few
drinks don't matter, and he made
money. There was a girl who
thought that after the country
went dry maybe Tom would stop
drinking IL he couldn't get to
Europe.
She took q chance and married
him. Tom took the boy with him.
He was getting to be quite a help
to Marcia and Mother, but Tom
felt at was not just the place for
a kid-boys ought to be with young
peOple-need something lively,
you know"
So Marcia struggled along with
Mother. Nurses and maids for
old ladies are hard to find and
very expensive Marcia's face WaE
getting lines that did not belong
there from being up nights with
Mother. Her hair was turning
rather gray.
The new Chief Clerk, aged
tWeuty-four, had an inspiration.
Being a privileged character, he
went with it to the Old Mans Of
fee, with the feeling Of having
struck the Great Original Idea.
"I've been thinking" he an
nOuneed with a fine air Of i'm
pOrtance, chat what this office
needs is new blOod-up-tO-date
emplOyes-mOdern methods. One
has to hustle nowadays to keep
up. I've been wedding out the
Office force little-getting rid Of
the old wood" etc, etc. You
know just what he said.
Nov, there's Miss Pinney. Of
course, she knows more about the
business than any one except your
self. It's really embarrassing to
some Of the men drawing higher
salaries. The boys hate her-not
that she doesn't do her work all
right-bUt they feel that she is
rather critical-malles 'em uncom-
Portable. One can't quite boss
around a woman old enough to be
your mother in just the same way
that one orders girls-especially
when she knows the business. AL
together, it's bad for the office dis
cipline." He hurried on so the
Old Man couldn't stop him. "Now
] have a girl who was secretary
to Old Coins, who just died. She's
a peach-yOung, good locker,
bright, knows the business from
A to L-up-tO-the-minute, snappv,
and all that. She will start for
less than Miss Pinney gets. I told
her this morning to come in and
have an interview with you. I
thought perhaps you could ar
range for Miss Pinney to take her
vacation now and give this girl a
trial and if she proves all right
as I'm sure she Will-We could iusr
let Pinney drop out without any
trouble about It.
Because she's too old? Let me
see," said the Old man, reminis-
Gently. If my memory serves me
right she is about thirty-ejgbt
years old, which isn't old az all"
"Well-nOt for a man, perhaps.
But you see, she doesn't quite fit
in with the rest Of the clerks. and
these smart-loOking young girls
do give an air to the office"
The Old Man had a few ideas OF
his own. Some way he resented
this one very much. "Miss Pinnev
Is as up-tO-date as I am: she un-
derstands my ways, she is useful
to me-and, at times, quite snappy
enough" he added, grimly. When
] wish Miss Pinney dismissed, I'll
let you know"
The Chief Clerk promptly re-
covered and related the circum-
stance to the sympathetic Book
keeper.
Amt old men the limit when II
comes to progressive ideas?"
They used to be-" commented
the Chief Clerk. "OId women are
the limit now. I'll fire Miss Bird
and Miss Pepper before he gets a
chance 20 butt in"
We'll, the Old Man is seventy
I'VE II he's a day-he has heart
trOuble-he can't hang on always"
remarked the B. X. hopefully.
Then an all-Peaeh OlIiee!"
Miss Pinney came over 20 my