Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-01-30
Sent By
Miss Wiggin
M
By JANE OSBORN

small ONCE boy 10 Stanley HIGGINS, II
the middle of what seemed to said Mr.
Higgins the busiest morning OF tn
busiest week Of his business career.
The Lord knows it's time she sen
some one, but why did she annoy mi
this mornlng?" retorted Higgins. mo
don't tell her to go bring her in"
He had no time to examine the fold
| ed sheet that the girl from Miss Wig
gin had brought by way of recommend
alton. but the large sepia-toned photo
graph, apparently the worse for fire.
| Quent handling, opened of itself as
Higgins started to flip it and the rec
ommendation into drawer of his
desk.
He whistled and the Office boy hest
tated on the threshold to see whether
this meant that Higgins wanted him to
stop.
mo, go on" shouted Higgins. The
whistle had been the natural result of
the first glimpse of the photograph
which showed the original to be tall,
slender blonde, with a figure. that
mingled the litheness of a nymph with
the symmetry and perfection of a Di-
ana.
Especially was this true of the arms,
which were generously displayed in
the picture, though the vOluminous
furs about the shoulders, left one
obliged to guess the beauty there con-
cealed. Higgins had never heard of
sending in picture as part of an APP
plication for clerical job before.
1t wasn't a bad idea-still it would
have been more appropriate, he
thought, to send picture as the young
woman would appear in business-or
did she come in this theatrical attire?
In a minute more she answered the
question for herself. She did not, but
she was as lively and as Dianesque
in the neat street suit, albeit just
trifie worn and shabby, that she wore.
Miss Wiggin sent me" began the
girl, looking searchingly around the
Office as If missing something that she
had expected to find. She had time to
say no more.
ITS high time she did send you,"
was Higgins rejoinder. II don't see
any reason why you shouldn't handle
the job, do your"
"Only that my arms are just little
too short" she said; but that perhaps
doesn't matter with the work you have
FOR me. In the fur concern where l
was once 1t didn't matter, but Miss
Wiggin said I'd better tell you"
Higgins looked up in surprise, then
aughed. "Oh, that's all right" he |
aid. The idea that there would be |
enough switchboard work for her to
10 to make it necessary to have her
rms measured as one would for a
entral operator amused him. "Why
i'd you leave your last placer" he
sked. "Was it just on that accountT
mot entirely" said the girl, blush
ng in spite Of an effort not to. But
GU see-well in my kind of work 1t
ometimes isn't as pleasant as it
hight be, and-well, if do my work
'ell l don't like to go out to dinner
18th the buyers. You wouldn't expect
lie to do that, would you?"
Dinner with the buyers?" &asped
Iiggins. Assuredly none of the gov
'nment agents who came to place or
ers for mUtors in the concern for
hich he worked had ever yet shown
ny disposition to take the young wom-
\ c1nrGc To Il | [
er that she would not be expected to
, that sort of thing.
II suppose you can make yourself
'nerally useful for a day or So" he
i'd. In spite of the fact that he was :
of Miss Virgins delay in c
nding the girl, the filing cabinets in |,
lich he wanted her to begin the o
stem he had in mindNhad not come.
Daphne Drew-for that was her Il
me-was ready to begin work at a
ce, and though she seemed little
rprised when he told her to begin Il
arranging the papers in the draw y,
) of his desk so that if it were nee 81
sary for him to ask her to do so Il
e could at any time find anything 81
1t the desk contained, she went
out the work with will. Higgins re
ticed the slender white hands as 10
y worked over the papers. TO
They were not awkward ut their 1t
k-hands like that could never be CT
kward at anything-but assuredly
y were not used to that sort of
rk. Higgins found himself watch
them as they lowered over the pa th
9. He began to despise himself as &c
reflected that those hands were off
ter fitted to Gull vlolets or roses. re-
'nly once or twice he allowed him wi
to glance from the hands to the go
e above them. Once he pinched He
self to see whether he was actual fir
awake; later he wondered whether to
really liked the idea of having such Mr.
lance and beauty his near compan. an
during business hours. moi
e had Always complained because use
the rather plain exteriors of the for
ng woman clerks who were sent to ant
X for him. Now he realized that
vas better that way. Still. the
1tiful ono work oh eIlantlv m Won 4