The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-08-28
Force Of Words
n
By JANE OSBORN


portant to say" protested the snub-
nOsed little Office girl. Anyhow. Miss
Peterson. he's been here three times
today, and II you don't see him now
he'll just keep on coming"
Miss Peterson seemed absurdly small
for the large swivel chair in which she
sat and, as you looked closely, absurdly
young for the ponderOus rolltop desk
before her. Then. II you had locked
again you would have wished that.
because she was so young and petite.
she might have had enough sunshine
and fresh air In her days to put
little more color in her cheeks and
little more life In those blue eyes that
obviously were meant to be more
sparkling than they were.
did you ask him to write it?' she
asked YEARLY.
"Yes. but he says it's important" re-
iterated the girl.
IF it's important, Peg" explained
Jane Peterson. who had a way of ex-
planning things to the interchangeable
little Office girl ''if it's very important
he had better write It, because | can
and l might have to make some impor-
tant answer, and If had to say 1t,
wouldn't know how. Peg" she went on.
dipping her pen in ink in order that
she might go on signing the letters that
lay before her. and then regarding the
nnint nf 10 nj taIu
1T seems as If / could write almost
anything. but when 1t comes to saying
them I'm stumped."
'"Then I'll tell him to come in?"
"Yes." and there was resignation and
WEAKNESS in the tone.
"But Peg" and Jane showed more
interest, what does he look like? Do
you suppose he wants to sell history
of Napoleon on installments or to get
me to have my life insured?"
"He is no agent" announced Peg,
loyalty. "And he doesn't look like the
people you see around here. He's big
and just little rough looking. Just a
little like the movie actors when they
are fixed up to look like cattle rangers
or something. Not the way he's
dressed, but the way he walks and the
look of his face"
"Well, send him in" and Jane again
lapsed into resignation and WEAKNESS.
Thus Peter Trevis was ushered into
the office Of Jane Peterson, and Peggy
closed the door as she went out of the
room, although 1t usually stood open.
If he had something really important
to say, reasoned the romantic Peggy,
maybe 1t was to propose, and she was
sure he wouldn't want to have the
whole outside Office hear it.
But Peter Trevis did not want to
propose-at least he didn't want to
propose marriage. With considerable
abruptness he got down to the business
in hand and to begin with produced
creased and well-worn sheet torn from
one Of the popular agricultural publ
cations. He spread 1t out on the slide
OF James desk, and Jane blushed as
she beheld the words, in display type,
of one of her own compositions.
increase your income 100 per cent"
then more words of an equally dicta-
tcrial nature, assuring the farmer or
Ianchman that by learning how to use
q typewriter and how to write com.
polling business letters he could, in
spare minutes double his income. All
that was necessary was to buy type
writer, which he was assured he could
learn to operate within few weeks
by "our new lightning method" and
take course of fifty lessons in "force-
full letter writing" and the purchase
aud use for future reference Of some
dozen or so books on business and busi-
ness English, any one of which would
be worth the price of the entire course.
"You wrote that, didn't your" de-
manded Peter, becoming aware, as did
all who entered James sanctum, that
she really was too small and too young
for the heavy oak furniture.
EYES," she faltered, and then CROPPED
in her mind for something to say. For
Jane was not glib, when 1t came to
talking.
"Well, I want to tell you that I've
come all the way from Oregon just to
meet you and show you that and to
say to you. just as I did now: You
wrote that. didn't your I didn't write
to tell you because I can talk better
than I can write. Now, what are you
going to say?"
II don't believe / am going to say
anything" faltered Jane, feeling ex-
tremely uncomfortable.
Nothing? You aren't going to de-
fend yourself or explain or anything?
out there in Oregon own and operate
rather sizeable prune ranch, and
there are enough trees on that place
SO that In few years, II they are
n operly marketed, I could buy out
why, could buy out this entire plant.H
He waved his hand rather scornfully
toward the surrounding Offices Of the
Union Correspondence school. "The
tronhle is inst running that Mace is