The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-19
Eoening Story
The ]. N. p. Letters.

BY LAURA REID MONTGOMERY
Emma picked up a sheet of paper
and fitted it in her typewriter with
a half smile about her lips. The cylin-
der that she had left until the last was
the one she liked best. She had never
seen the correspondent who dictated
the letters into the dictaphone from
the complaint desk as he had never
given her any work personally, but
she liked his voice.
Voices tell SO much" she had said.
once to the girl next her.
They don't tell me much except a
lot of words that 1 hate to spell
Makes a girl tired to work all day.
I like to work in an office where there
isn't much to do. Then I'm fresh Tor
the evening snapped Maize adjust
ing her headpiece as the office man
ager glanced in her direction. -
Emma was already listening to the
voice that went On slowly and evenly
and her fingers flew over her ma
chine.
Il just wnow that he is a good tenn
pered man, his voice is always so
pleasant" she reflected as she fin
ished. A certain cadence in the mod
ulated tones had awakened old MEM
cries.
Back in her home town there had
been a red-haired, freckled boy, Fred
| Smith, whom she had always secretly
liked. The other girls had not cared
| for him. His shyness kept him out Of
many of the village affairs, but Emma.
! was always more pleased to have him
walk home with her from church than
shiny buggy. After Fred, who was
two years ahead CO her in school. had
gone to Chicago to get start in bust
| ness, Fenton had called twice on Sun
day nights, which, in that town, signi-
fled a very particular interest, but
Emma had not encouraged him.
| When she had in her turn gone to the
| big city to work she had dreamed of
| seeing Fred again, but after a few
weeks in the busting place. where one
hurries all thru the day to be ready
/ for the next days work, she speedily
gave up the pleasant hope.
Il could live here for years" she
thought, land we would never meet.
| I wonder if he ever thinks of that lit
tie house on the hill where he said
once he wanted to buy when he mar
1 ried?" The expression in the shy
freckled face had always remained in
| her memory; his eyes had told her
what his stumbling tongue had hesi-
! tated to say. She knew that at that
time she had been the girl he wanted
| smothered in tiny yellow roses.
Say Emma, my mother is sick
| and wants me to go home. Will you
finish my letters for me? I've fixed
some notes about the work so it won't
be hard. Jobs are getting so scarce
| that I'm afraid to leave a bit of work
over" Daisy's voice held a frightened
| note.
"of course I WILL" Emma respond
ed instantly, taking the notes and
cylinders over to her desk.
At o'clock Emma was called&nto
the I7riUlfa office haa o. va q
sudden throb; she had thought long
ingly of her home town, but she
couldn't afford to lose her work. Ow-
/ ing to the slack times many of the
employees had been dropped.
Miss Gordon?' The busy man at
! the desk glanced up sharply. You've
been taking the letters from the ]. U.
1 P. complaint desk ?"
"You also whote Daisy Morton's
letters today?"
Eyes, sir"
ibid she leave the copies or only
notes?" Mr.. Blatchford looked down
at the wire basket before him con-
tanning Enfma's pile of finished work.
Just the notes; her mother is ILL.,
Emma's forebodingsc were crystaliz-
i ing; there would be changes.
You have been doing the ]. U. P.
letters for some months, Miss Gordon
Do you think you could write those
in charge is going
''Going away" Emma interrupted
then stopped, what had possessed her
| to say 1t.
mo" The bushy gray eyebrows
were raised. He wondered at her
vehemence.. He is going to be pro-
NOTED, and 1 think I shall try you out
on his work. Your letters have been
satisfactory. You will get a raise in
salary. Want to try it?'
Yes" The relief in her voice was
palpable.
Every well.' he spoke cordially. Ego
up to the correspondents room on the
| fifth floor and he will show you the
work"
Emma went out toward the eleva-
| tor. She had worked hard and taken
pride in doing her wori>as well as she
was able, and yet, thru her relieved
| elatien at a raise and more RESPONSE
| Bile duties instead of being dropped as
I