The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-10
A Stenogrdpher's
Romance
BY JANE PHELPS
A TILT WITH ONE OF THE GIRLS

CHAPTER IA
AS perhaps was natural in an office
where a number of girls were en-
ployed. there was considerable 5eal-
ousy because of Nellie's promotion.
She was one of the youngest or the
girls and some # them had been with
the firm much longer than she. They
did not stop to think that II IS neither
age nor length of service that makes
an employee valuable, but what that
employe does-is capable OF doing.
And not one among the girls mad ever
thrown themselves into their work
with the determination to make good
that Nellie had Naturally Miss Jones
help had been of aid, but even without
it Nellie would probably have been the
one selected to act as Mr.. George Fall
Ions secretary. Her brightness, her
quick grasp of the work. had been no
ticeable when she was with the elder
Mr.. Fallon.
Lena Danforth, a girl-several years
older than Nellie. had shown her re-
sentiment. more plainly than any OF the
! others.
/ ''It wasn't fair to pass us girls, who
have been here a long time, and put
| that Riley girl in Miss Jones' place.,
Nellie heard her say one rainy noon
as she passed the cloakroom. Every
one can see she's making up to Mr..
! George / saw it long ago. She's so
| bold about 1t, too. 1 had to go into
his room the other day and when she
looked at him!-just talk about goo
goo eyesi"
| You are lying, Lena Danforth.''
way. TITS dirty lie. You never saw
me try to attract any mans attention.
| Never WIFI
Nellie turned away. angry, tears fill
ing her eyes and right back of her
! stood George Fallon.
Thof Mo- bn n
Nellie flushed crimson with en-
barra ssment. Had he only heard her
unladylike retort; or had he also
heard what Lena Danforth said? 1t
would be bad enough to have him
| hear her coarse language: it would
be unbearahle to have him know what
caused it.
Nellie trembled with anger and en-
barrassment. She could scarcely raise
! her eyes when Mr.. Fallon spoke:
What is it, young ladies?" he asked
quietly. He looked from one to the
. other waiting an answer.
"I told Miss Riley something.
Rather l said something to the girls
and she butted in and told me 1 lied"
Lena replied. a sheer on her lips. She
felt safe. Nellie would never tell him
) just what had been said.
| Il am sorry to have any trouble
: among our employees. I wish you
would apologize if you have hurt Miss
Riley by anything you have said; that
she will apologize to you for the lam
guage she used
Nellie spoke quickly:
Il am sorry, Miss Danforth, for the
language i used and 1 apologize for
that; am thoroughly ashamed of nv
self. But you were absolutely wrong
in your statement and / can't apologize
for denying it,
That's no apology" Lena sneered.
at is all that 1 can give" Nellie
replied, then she turned to Mr.. Fallon.
: Il am very sorry, Mr.. Fallon, that you
should have overheard me so forget
;, myself. 1t shall not happen again
| Tears filled her eyes. e-l-
Il am sure you had provocation.' -
he said SO low Lena could not hear
y IT surely did-but that doesn't ex-
cuse me-"
All that evening Nellie was very
quiet. She refused to go out for a
| walk with Donald; even declined Mrs
! Roberts invitation to come to heI
room. She could not dismiss from her
mind the idea that Mr.. Fallen had
heard what Lena had said; that he
knew the girls thought she was maxi
= ing "goo-goo eyes" at him. Her hui
initiation made her almost i'll.
HE never will respect me again 20
she said aloud she sat by the win
= dow in her darkened room. Never
That awful language, the kind / used
t to use when / lived at the Corners
with Miss Carteri / thought / had
learned better. But I guess once you're
q nobody il crops out. no matter how
hard you try 1 don't see why God
didn't let ine-be born right-insteao
of having TO make myself and-fail-
ing.
Nellie seldom cried. but that might
her pillow was wet with tears and In
the morning her eyes showed the
| effect of her grief. After all the bath
ing she had time to give them she
knew Mr.. George would see she had
been weeping. Che hoped he wouIdn't
mention it; hoped the other girls
r would not observe il.
(Tomorrow-Mr. Fallon Reassure.
Nellie. }