The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-09-16
INITIATIVE
BY LOUiSE

~tOOpNrlSnt, 1913. Dy Mcclure Newspapers
Syndicate.)
For the first time since Lurine Will
liams had left her home to make her
way in the business world, she was out
of a job. She looked at the matter
sensibly, too. remarkably sensibly for
so young a girl, for in spite of the fact
that she had been a successful and
very businesslike stenOgrapher to an
important and ~well-known man for the
past five years, she was barely twenty
two. She had worked hard to COM
plete her business course before the
small pittance she had saved was ex-
hausted. And it was by sheer perse-
verance and hard work that she had
gained and held her first position.
Now. just as she was becoming sure
had sold out his business interests and
had gone West to avoid the breakdown
which his physician had said was in
evitable.
For the past week Lurine had
searched the wan ads eagerly, but
in vain. Today there was one. Mr..
Hill, of Loring, Hill & Judson, was in
need of a private secretary. 1t was a
position that any stenographer in the
city would have beer glad to accept,
but Lurine knew only too well, as did
no doubt a score of other would-be
secretaries, that being the best law
firm in the city it was the very hardest
10 Yofn ananaC 20 nd M Mn 50 80,
NOR said, vas the most exacting of the
trio. But once a girl was admitted to
those sacred precincts her success was
assured. Certainly it was worth try
ing, and Lurine was experienced. Five
years should count for something.
An hour later Lurine arrived at the
office, very nervous and somewhat
breathless, only to be told by a stony
faced middle-aged woman, evidently
one of the clerks, that Mr.. Hill was
busy and If she was an applicant hat
he wasn't interviewing anyone under
twenty-five.
AS she was whirred down in the
swift elevator a glance into the merci-
less mirror showed her how hopeless
~ young and small she looked. How
ever. the luxurious and dignified at
mosphere of the office she had Just left
made her dissatisfied with any other
possibilities. Besides" she told her.
self as she walked back to her dingy
little apartment in the cool spring air,
anything worth having is worth work.
ing for"
Early that afternoon Lwine again
visited the beautifully furnished office
that had become ideal with her. The
same clerk admitted her a second time,
but surely she saw no resemblance in
the cool, self-possessed little gray
haired woman to the extremely young
and very nervous girl she had so re-
Gently refused admittance to. This
time, to Lurine's surprise, she ushered
her into Mr.. Hills private sanctum.
Mr.. Hills trained eye appraised her
swiftly and she felt from the first that
she was making a favorable impress
sion. He asked her a few perfunctory
questions, dictated a letter or two and
then Informed her in his calm, even
voice, which she soon learned was ha-
bitual with him, that she would do.
Through the hot summer months
that followed the little g~ray-haired.
specialized lady worked diligently in
MIR. Hits employ, always carrying out
his wishes, often anticipating them.
Suddenly n day early In the fall
Mr.. Hill announced that he was to be
one of the participants In the Liberty
loan campaign, and that he would be
obliged to leave her in sole charge of
his personal affairs during that time.
1t was then that her characteristic
honesty compelled her to tell him of
her ruse and that he was leaving his
business in the hands of a girl of TWEEN
ty-two and not a middle-aged woman.
There was a CLEAN of amusement in
his eyes as he replied: aDid you think
so shallow a disguise as yours could
deceive as keen a lawyer as your en-
ployer has the reputation of being? 1
knew it from the first. Two of your
wrinkles disappeared during your trial
dictation. Ii was your ingenuity and
initiative that got you the position, my
dear young lady. and 1t Is the same
two qualities that assure the safety Of
my business in your hands"
1t is a ~well-known fact in the bust
ness circles of that city that Mr.. Hills
secretary is a treasure, but neverthe-
less 1t is still something of a mystery
to them that he eve came to intrust
his affairs to so young a girl.
afoot. it is believed that they had a
car in waiting : a short distance
away. which has probably carried
them to safety.
This was the first holdup staged