The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-26

der in his usual bluff manner: Nv nat.
v, uback, Brenden?" And after shak-
ing hands. added: Come into my Of
flee in five minutes
Promptly the boy stood before the
familiar desk, and the boss looked up.
well, Brenden, what can do for,
your" Huber inquired after asking
some rather perfunctory questions
about Charles experience, the an
swers to which did not seem to par
ticularly interest him.
You can give me my job back
again, sir. That's what I came for"
Charles had learned to address his
superior officers briefly and to the
point.
MN Sit down a minute" the
manager replied. The minute. and
attempt on the part of Huber to con-
vince Charles what an impossible
thing that was just now. Office ex-
penses had been cut. The mill was
not running full time; orders had fall
en- off-sthe war, you know-ended
too soon; business was not prepared
for it," etc.
So Charles, one of those who had
risked all to end the war too soon,
found himself hoist on his own petard.
Mr. Huber continued; telling him
they had filled his place with a girl at
SIS less per week, and she had proved
very satisfactory; perhaps, if the re-
| turned soldier was willing to accept
a. reduCClOn---
Brenden was not a uuick-spoken
young man and before, in his right
eous wrath, he could, frame fitting
reply. something happened.
| She of the brown eyes burst into
the room, her eyes full of flashing
manager, said: II wish to resign i'm
mediately, Mr.. Huber. Yes, heard
what you said," she continued, not
giving the boss chance to reply;
1t ~ hot IN
say. I live in the home town of this
concern and know the owners. know
the lump-sum plan that this office is
run on, too, and into whose pocket
| that five dollars a week that you
| knocked off my pay goes. just took
| this place to do my share during the
| war and now I'm going home to rest.
| If you give Mr.. Brenden his job back,
with a raise''-and here she glanced
for the first time at the soldier-'I'll
keep still. If you don't-well, you
! know the owners motto is "A job for
every soldier.'n
| Huber, grown first red and then
white, tried unsuccessfully to meet the
bangry eyes of the girl. Then, because
| he knew she had the goods on him,
he turned suddenly back to his desk
and flung over his shoulder at Bren-
den: Report tomorrow morning"
The girl hurried from the room.
| Brenden, wasting no more time than
was necessary to answer Yes, sir" in
a tone equally curt, took himself out
| of the offices and the building, and
on the sidewalk awaited the appear
ance of the brown-eyed heroine.
! Soon she came out of the entrance,
and before she saw him he saw there
were tears in her eyes. The dinky lit
| tie overseas cap came off and Charles
faced her. The girl sought to escape,
but Charles was not to be denied
and he was not to be denied truthful
answers to his questions. either.
| Over there Private, Corporal, then
| Sergeant Brenden had acquired the
| quality of mastery.
| And when he learned that the state
ments she had made to the manager
were only part way true and that
| there was neither home, parents nor
job awaiting Mary in her home town
land least of all rest-but only the
| grim reality of a search for another
position, he arose to the emergency
and made her understand that many
couples started in on a salary no
| greater than that which her coura-
geaus interposition had secured for
| him.
"But it's all SO terribly student" she
protested sts
80 was Chateau Thierry," said
! Charles.
We'll" succumbed she of the brown
eyes, you outrank me. Sergeant Bren-
den-I don't suppose dare refuse to
obey. And. by the way, my names
Mary Henderson"
| "who cares?" said Charles. "It'Il
be Brenden by IL O'Clock. Forward,
march,"
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)