The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-11-05
Not Enough
Speed
By r RAY BAKER.
]. - ~~~~ - ~.
g. 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.

g, 1921, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
In casting about fer wife, Sidney
Johnson, owner and general manager
of the Toga Searchlight company
failed to find anyone that suited his
matrimonial tastes quite as we'll as
Jessie FearmOnt, assistant general
manager of the same concern.
They had been associated in the
same offices now for four years, and
Jessie had grown" on him. AT first
he had given little attention to her
personal charms, one reason being
that he had not felt inclined to settle
down, another being that he had es-
tablished a business rule never to fall
in love with an employee.
But now Sidney felt that the time
had come, for he was twenty-seven
and the home instinct had fastened
its grip on him. Then there was the
everlasting restaurant menus that
were firing him both psychologically
and gastronomically. SO he set out
to find wife. and he travelled in a
circle and decided the object of his
quest was right in his own office
Jessie was young-about twenty
fOur-and a brunette of the charm
ing type; not at all the kind that is
considered real business woman tim
Der. but in this case being the eXcep-
ton that proved the rule. There were
two draWbacks-Jessie was too slow
and she wasn't human.
In specifying these drawbacks in his
mind Sidney meant too slow in the
literal sense; Jessie simply couldn't
move fast. Everything she did was
done in slow, methodical, machine
like manner, and she had never been
known to get excited in the most mo-
mentOuS business crisis. And not
once, to Sidney's knowledge, had she
ever made mistake This latter
fault was in her favor. from bust
ness standpoint, but when viewed from
Il matrimonial angle it was quite the
opposite. He could scarcely reconcile
himself to wedding girl who could
not err, because he was prone to make
mistakes himself. In fact, if it hadn'.
been for Jessie's watchful eyes the
firm would have lost many dollars,
due to its heads carelessness. But
would this exactness prove a blessing
in marital life? Sidney feared not
He wanted someone who was human
for a life partner.
1T looks as If I'll have to remain a
bachelor" he confided to himself one
and watched scurrying forms in the
street below. Jessie is almost the
right person to be my wife, but those
two drawbacks are insurmOuntable
barriers. OF course I don't know that
she'd have me, although without being
cOnceited, | am inclined to believe she
might. True, | don't know thing
about her outside of business hours.
but person who works so methodi-
cally must play the same way. and if
she can't make mistake in business
she'd be just as inhuman in a home
l guess I'll have to give it up"
AS he watched from the window his
eyes CHANGED to light on a figure plod-
ding along the sidewalk below. 1t
was girl, and she was taking her
time, with other pedestrians hurrying
on ali sides of her.
"There she comes now" Sidney
sighed, and his heart beat just a little
quicker. THAT everlasting gait Of
hers would drive me 10 distraction if
l had to live with her. Why doesn't
she hurry just once? 1t isn't that she
doesn't get results, for she does, but
she's so methodical."
Presently Jessie entered the office
laid number of long envelopes on
her desk, exactly in the center of it,
hung her coat and hat on the same
hooks they had adorned for the past
four years. walked leisurely TO her
chair, seated herself slowly, touched
up the knob of hair on her head as
she always did, and said sweetly:
Woodworking. I've just been to
the auto license bureau and procured
your number and those of several 9th
ers. You remember you filled out
your blank the other day and had it
sworn to before a notary public. 1t
certainly is convenient not having to
send to the capital for them, as you
used to-"
He agreed that it was a good morn
ing and that her statement was true,
as her statements always were. and
he couldn't help thinking how ador-
able she appeared as she sat there
opening mail 1t was gratifying to
note that the third finger of her left
hand remained bare, for Sidney was
constantly fearing she would show up
some day with a diamond ring
He took his license plates with him
when he left the office that evening
and attached them to his car. He was
a motor enthusiast when the weather
was good. but it turned cold that
night, and for two days he did not
take his machine out Of the garage.
Consequently he was more than lit
tie surprised one morning, three days