The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-09-17
A Postponed
Proposal
By JANE OSBORN.

.. 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
1t had been a dull executives meet
seemingly to Rodney Blaine {
great waste of time. Mr. Stewart. TIN
president of the concern, was going Il
Europe and Mr.. Stone. Of the Chicago
Office, sixty-year-old contemporar!
y Mr. Stewart, was coming to take hi!
place In the New York office. The
meeting had been called to make fina
arrhngcIhcits-ar which /
seemed t. Rodney could have beer
made m well without his presence.
But when the six other executive:
were making their departure from Mr.
Stewards office and Rodney was try
ing to escape the usual threshold
parley, Mr.. stewart stopped him
placed fatberly hand on the younl
mans shoulder and asked him to wait
The others gone, he turned back t
his desk, requested Rodney to Close
the door and then to sit down beside
him.
There Is something / want you t
do-somethlng simple, but very i'm
portant," began Mr.. Stewart. 81 have
the greatest respect for Mr.. Stone
and know that his coming here may
be fraught with many inconvenience
and anxieties. Now. I'm having The
office turned about little to please
him. He rather likes rocking chair
in his office, ! don't know whether II
Is Chicago cuStom-nevcr noticed
but I've ordered couple of them te
be put here, and I've had two add
tlonal electric fans andy the way
that reminds me-
"Of what you wanted me to dor
asked Blaine, somewhat bored by al
| these considerations for Mr. Stone.
only this" Mr. Stewart hesitated
and then plunged ahead. Its about
Miss Drew. 1t would be a trfe diff
! flcult for me, you see. Shes an ex-
cellent young woman. and invaluable
We couldn't get along without her
That's why 1t will need someone with
great deal Of tact Dear me, we
couldn't get along without Miss Drew
You will be tactful, won't your
"YOu see" Stewart continued with
out waiting for rejonder, Miss
Drew knows so much about the bust
ness. we couldn't possibly have her
go. She Is to be Mr.. Stones secre-
tary I'm used to her. but Miss Drew
| Is, well. rather"
"Yes," agreed Blaine. calling to view
the swapping black eyes and vigorous
waving black hair of Mr. Stewards
secretary. "She is trlfle."
quite So don't mind it now
Though l must confess she rather
upset me at first. And of course, If
she becomes really annoyed at any
one I imagine she would be a tartar
1t Is her temperament We spoil her
here, too. Headstrong, fine looking
girls like that usually are spoiled
when they have unusual brains.
and"
"You surely don't expect that / can
dull the edge of her temper or tame
the untameable, do your"
Mr.. Stone Is a stranger, and not very
young, nor in exceptionally good
health. and possibly a little slow In
some respects-for she is especially
impatient Of slowness-that she might
treat him with gentleness. We decid-
ed before you got to the meeting that
someone would better suggest this to
her and for reasons we decided that
you would best be able to do IT.
"But l have so little business as
ISOLATION with Miss Drew" protested
Rodney.
"That Is one Of the reasons why we
thought you could undertake the mat
ter. Then you are young"
Mr.. Stewart paused and kindly
smile came into his eyes. Really she
is not III natured When she has
called me down, as 1t were, have
always deserved 1t. When | have
been playing better golf than business,
I feel like a small boy who has been
playing hooky. She is the sharp
tongued schoolma'am. Yet | believe
she Is barely twenty-one. 81 don't
care how you 90 about 1t, Blaine"
said Mr.. Stewart with an air of final
Ity, but 4 depend on you to breach
the matter and know you won't fall
down"
This was the hardest assignment
that Blaine had ever had I'm his as
socIation with Mr.. Stewart. The fact
that he always did. and did promptly
what he was asked by his chief, was
the cause of his rapid advancement
In the firm.
Rodney had never taken much no.
tice of her before, but now he DELHI
erately studied her face and her car
rage when she was not looking He
had made UP his mind that the only
way to go about 1t was to become
friendly with her. to get her conf
dence and then to make an honest
breast Of the matter. So Rodney
Blaine cultivated Miss Drew's ac-
0uaintance. He was unsuccessful In
the usual wedge Of an invitation to