The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-03-22
THE MAJORS AIDE
BY MARIE MCDONALD.

to Major Watson" called the chief
stenOgrapher. And as further inStruc-
lions: "If its the major himself, Miss
Greedy. be very careful. He's fast
dictator: but for your sake | hope it's
his aide"
For Dorothy Greedy was Il new
stenographer. and the chief was aware
of the fact that new StenographrrS ar"
timid. This StenOgrapher was no eN-
ceptiOn Ia the rule, and her face
blanched bit as she reached into her
top drawer for her notebook and pen
ell. How she hoped il would be the
aide. whom all the girls liked 80 well!
Groom II BIS" the colored mcSSen-
ger had told her and she went hunting
for il. BY the time she was at III 3l1
she was shivering and pale and wish
ing sincerely. that she had never left
her snug little home i'm Ohio To come
10 Washington. just to show certain
folks that she could earn her own liv-
ing. She wasn't 50 sure now that she
didn't want il earned for her.
II 31S, She took Il deep breath;
then she tossed her head in the air and
walked into the office with the air Of
an experienced worker. Her attempt
at calmneSS succeeded well rs she
placed a chair beside Major WatSOn's
desk. sat down. crossed her knees and
poised her notebook in readiness on
her upper knee.
And then it began. Major Watson
1 acknowledgements how he dictated!
| Poor Dorothy's hand flew across line
after line, writing mechanically, for
/ her brain refused to think anythn"
/ hut maddeninC round of "Wonder if
/ I can read it-wonder if / can read
4 it,"
She did not realize il was over until
/ the major said, 81 told YOU that Will
/ be all" "Oh-cr, all right" she stam-
mercd. and rose. So back To the general
Z stenographic room she went, for trans
criptiOn. When she opened her note
book n terrible sight met her eyes.
There was a tumble Of meaningless
scrawIS. a chaos Of feveriSh strokes.
DULY she took out paper and carbon,
arranged il and placed il in her ma
chine Then started the transcription
slow, nerve-racking transcription,
which took all DOrothy's power of
memory and all her intuitive clever
ness to exc out the meaning of the
hideOus notes. But the transcription
gradually grew and her courage began
to return as she found her work be-
coming a little more consecutive and
legible.
The minutes passed, and the hours,
and when the fourth hour came she
was just starting the fifteenth sheet,
with only another page of notes to be
transcribed. She breathed a sigh of
relief as she inserted the paper in her
Typewriter and looked once more at
the notebook to study out the next
few words.
Twice she looked, and then again,
while her forehead wrinkled in a little
perplexed frown. For fully ten min
utes Dorothy studied the outline and
those around it, but no inspiration
came. 1t was hopeless.
Miss. Wheeler" she whispered
Miss Wheeler was the girl at her left
rather a pleasant-looking girl to be
sure, but Dorothy did not relish hel
task Of cOnfiding I'm her. However
Miss Wheeler's smile made II easier
and Dorothy whispered: 81 can't reat
: | chic ,,broco In Mo ior WotSnn'S dipta
ton"
"What system do you write" Mis-
Wheeler asked. But the name of TIL
system was unknown to Miss Wheele
and there was no hope. Miss Wheele
had been a new stenOgrapher herself
however, but a couple of months be
fore, and she remembered her first e1
perience with Major WatsOn's dicta
ton, and she was sympathetic. "Tel
you what you can do" she said at last
"You 60 in to his aide. the lieutenan
in the next room. and read to hin
what goes before that. All Major Wal
sons work goes through him, and h
:, would probably know just what tn
. | Sdiu vi at ACdSt "Oui
!, give a pretty good substitute"
/. But that would be terrible thin
r to do, wouldn't it?-tell the aide that
!. can't read my notesY'
:. Heavens, MOI" Miss Wheeler a!
sured her. 1.-THE poor fellow Is used
it by now. Every new stenOgrapht
goes In to him with her first dictatiO
r. from the major. / don't believe ther
n is one girl here who hasn't had hi
n help her with her notes at least one
= Go ahead-he's a fine fellow and wi
J.. be just as courteous as can be to you
y So Dorothy went, slowly, tremulOu
Il ly, to III $40, and opened the door. H'
eyes were on her notebook and III
cheeks a little red with embarras
ment. She walked to the desk. "COu
=, you-er-" She raised her eyes to Il
lieutenant's face and met his starir
into hers.
- Harry
y Dorothy. Dot! What are you d
ing here?"
"I-ah, well, / err" she stammere
"Why didn't you tell me wheNe "
J. had gomez"
n "Well, I-er-I thought / shOu
a earn my living and help out You Sc
# well, | didn't know you were going
n Il. fhlf