The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-16
JUST A GIRL
MISS WILCoX PUTs zENA WISE.
Bu JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER "a.

CHAPTER a.
The next day Miss Wilcox came into
the office where I was transcribing my
letters. dictated by Mr.. Claxton, and
remarked:
Want me to put you wise %
wise to what? I don't quite I'M
/ derstand." I didn't understand at all;
but remembering the day before. I
tried to be tactful.
Wise to the place and-the bossi
If he likes you it is an easy place
enough. The hours are short. But
| don't let Belts get down on you. He's
the one man in the place who hires
and discharges all of US, and he does
it for nothing sometimes. So watch
out. You never can tell when he is
going to turn you off for some other
girl-usually good-looker." She
spoke rather bitterly.
you have nothing to fear on that
score" returned. She was a remark
ably pretty girl, altho overdressed. She
| had n good education also, yet at
times was far more ungrammatical
and slansy than Mary was now.
I'D been gone long ago If L hadn't
Then, why don't you wave your hair
and comb it down over your ears
more? It's awfulIy old-fashioned the
way you wear it"
father liked it So" replied, just as
some one called her, so relieving me
OF her unwelcome condolences, and
advice.
What Miss Wilcox had said about
Mr.. Belts made no impression upon
me. I was not working for him, but
for Mr.. Claxton. Should the manager
discharge me, I should demand to
know the reason, not neekly walk out
to give some better looking girl my
place.
When I told Mary, she said:
''She's Jealous of you! Didn't 7 tell
you she was cat? Is she cookbook
ing?"
VERY, and would be much more at
tractive if she wasn't overdressed. She
1.-THE dickens she did! The nerve
of herr You're too good-looking, too
refined. to be much of pet around
any office. You sure are if the girls
are setting their caps for the unn1ar-
ried men around. Are they all mar
ried?"
IT haven't the slightest idea. From
something she said I have notion she
cares for that Mr.. Belts
is the high mucky-muck married?
Thot Mr.. Claxton?"
I'm sure 1 don't know. nor care.
What difference does it make whether
he is married or not? I am hired to
take his letters, attend to office work,
not to keep house for him.
1T know, Zena, and you l-eedn't get
huffy. But remember. was a work
ing girl long before you knew anything
about it. Most of the time it don't
make no difference whether the bosses
are married or not. They flirt with
pretty girl just the same. But it makes
a lot of difference whether the girl is
the right sort or not. I'll bet a nickers
worth of pancakes that your Mr.. Clax-
ton amt married, and the Wilcox girl
is setting her cap for him"
I laughed merrily. I was happy be-
cause had secured such a nice place,
and Mary's peculiar ideas amused me.
-"5irIs who work are too busy to
think of flirting" 1 told her. You
should have heard me telling mother
that knew no one but you and Mrs.
Fagin. She couldn't understand why I
had no young men calling on me,
bringing me bon bons and flowers as
they used to when didn't need them"
"Ain't it the truth! When you don't
need things you have them. When you
do. you don't! It's a. case of them
that has, gifts, and them what amt got
nothing, gets left! But honest. zena.
most working girls look out for the
main chance.
Tell me more about the nanager?"
she asked after a bit.
"Oh. he likes pretty girls in the Of
flee. guess. He can't be blamed for
that. can hep
"I knew there was a worm in that
raspberry, a nice bitter one. He'll be
making love to you pretty soon, and if
you won't stand for it, you're fired.
Out you'll goi''
L laughed again at Mary's express
sions. 1 knew that there were fine
business men, moral and good, like
dad. had begun to realize there were
some of the other sort too, but thor
oily believed the fine characters pre-
dominated.
had been a business man.
{ Tomorrow-A visit to the movies