The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-16
A Stenographer's
Romance &
nv ,..,r 1,yrr ne
BY JANE PHELPS
AN AMUSING EPISODE.
CHAPTER Sc


Take a good look at me, Gladys"
Nellie said when she came in one
afternoon Can You see wings sprout-
ing2"
passed her hand over Nellie's shoulder.
pin feathers ?"
what are you talking about. Nellie
Riley?"
"some men in the subway called me
eyes at me. and tried to flirt with me.
I wondered il I had wings or pin
feathers SO looked simple"
Cora and Gladys laughed. but they
soon sobered. Nellie's lovely piquant
face, SO young and innocent, was al
ways attracting attention. Often even
when with them, men passed remarks
about her.
You'd have thought the subway
was a barn yard-like Miss Carriers.
chickenr and the other wouldn't bet
with him because he said he knew he'd
lose. I wish he had--but had the
laugh on them both! They had to
leave the car people laughed so.'
What did you do?''
Nothing much! Just told them if
they'd look in the lookfng-glass they'd
know that not even a rooster, let alone
chicken would be caught by them.
Then the folks all around just howled,
anu Olle IIldu SasO-a nice looking man
who had a young girl with him:
That's right. young lady. Men of that
kind are beneath the notice even of a
rooster" Then the two of them got
awfully red. and squirmed out of their
seats. and got out the next stop. oh.
it was rich!''
When the girls stopped laughing.
Gladys said:
Whatever we should do without
you I don't know. How do you think
r.f n
things that make people behave too?"
at ALL"
All these little happenings in each
others lives were of intense interest
to the girls. Nellie often thought of
what Gladys had said Girls need
someone to talk to, a home of some
kind that is their own" This may
have been Nellie's salvation, this haV-
ing someone to talk to, someone in
terested in her. She was irrepressible,
and would have been in danger of
making undesirable acquaintance had
she not known the girls were waiting
for her; interested in all she did, or
that happened to her.
Since the very beginning. of her
work in the offices of Fallon and Son,
bthere had been slight, yet obvious
change in Nellie. She seemed to be
trying to act refined in manner and
speech. She had gradually left off
using much of the slang with which
she had punctuated her remarks, and
was growing more studious, more anx-
iouS to learn.
She also. took greater pains with
her clothes and her person. She al
ways had been dainty, now she was
immaculate She rose earlier in the
| morning that she might have time to
attend to her finger nails. When
Hilda laughed at her, she said:
I've got a fine position, I'm not
going to disgrace the office by look
ing sloppy" But to Cora and Gladys
she said:
'Tve~been watching Miss Dorothy
Fallon whenever she comes in. OF
course I can't have clothes like hers,
but can keep my hands nice, and try
to look as well as can"
Nellie often talked of Miss Dorothy,
and Cora noticed that at such times
most of her gayety disappeared. She
Invariably connected her name with
| that of her cousin, Mr.. George Fallon,
and would speculate as to whether
they cared for each other. would ever
get married-unconsci9u that she
her employer, that there was a tingc
of sadness in her voice when she
spoke of him and his cousin.
If Nellie Riley had been pretty
when she left Miss Carter's-a poor
half starved little nobody-now at 20,
with good clothes and wholesome
food she had become really beautiful.
Her fine skin, devoid of any makeup.
her heavy curling hair. her dainty
features, made her ore of the prettiest
of working girls. TOO pretty" Miss
Jones told Mr.. George Failon one day,
after Nellie had been in the room.
she is far too lovely for an I'M
protected working girl" the secretary
went on to say, "and If 1t were not for
Miss Bakers care of her 1 should be
uneasy about her, altho she has good
principles"
Mr.. Fal1on made no reply, but his
brow knit, and for days whenever he
saw Nellie he furtively studied her.
she is beautiful" he murmured.
'and-fine. I'd stake my life on
that"