The Topeka state journal., 1922-09-18
A Stenogrdpher's
Romance
BY JANE PHELPS
NELLIE WORKS IN MIR. GEORGES
ROOM.
CHAPTER 55.

CHAPTER 55.
The elder Mr.. Fallon had gone
away. . He was beloved by the entire
staff of the office, and his i'll health
saddened them. But while regretting
his indisposition, as did the other
and older employees. Nellie felt a thrill
of delight when Mr.. George said:
miss Jones has suggested, Miss Ri
ley. that you take your desk into my
room while father is away. 1t will
save time"
And even tho the suggestion came
from Miss Jones, Nellie's happiness
was not dampened. She would be in
the same room, hear him talk, see
him. She did now consciously own to
herself that she was beginning to care
ferent from the feeling she had for his
father-that of an employe for an
employer who was kind and thought
full. She felt the delight without
analyzing it.
But in her talks with Cora she
showed the older girl more than she
knew, and it worried Cora. 1t meant
keen distress perhaps for the young
girl she loved; the bright happy crea-
ture who had frightened her dull life.
Cora tried tactfully to talk of his
(Mr. George's) marriage some day to
she spoke of the foolishness of girls
who allowed themselves to care for
their employers. But Nellie never
seemed to realize she was meant, that
she was in danger.
She did her work happily. and well,
delighted Miss Jones, as well as Mr..
George.
"she's wonderful" Miss Jones said,
and altho he made no answer, Mr..
George Fa1lon thoroly agreed with
her. That it was from a different
$50 ~ 1rn nfY7x 4
Cora's office had done wonderfully
well, really far exceeding her expecta-
tions-for the length of time she had
tried it. She knew that Fallon &
Sons business had been a great help,
But gradually she had acquired other
clients, and her work, so well and
promptly done, caused them to recon-
mend her until she had felt it neces-
sary to have two girls to help her.
She now refused to allow either
Nellie or Gladys to help her in the
evening as they had been doing.
81 don't need you now" she said.
81 can send mother Just what I have
been sending, and still have more for
myself than before"
Gladys. too, had a small raise, so the
three girls were very comfortable, even
feeling able to have Mrs. Dugan clean
the apartment occasionally for them.
''If Miss Carter could see me in my
own apartment with a woman doing
the work, wouldn't she have fits!'
Nellie exclaimed. Gee! I'll bet it
would be the end of her. And the
way she used to pile all the work over
onto me. I didn't know enough to be
sorry for myself then, but now I'm
terribly sorry for that little scrub,
Nellie Riley, that used to work SO
nothing but kicks and hard words.
Some day I'm going back to the Cor
ners to stay over night-stay at Miss
Carter's when get a lot of swell
clothes. It's a good thing I sent that
old suit case back or she'd have me
pinched."
Don't envy. Miss Carter" GLADYS
said, 'I'll bet she d change places with
you now If she could. 1t must be
awful to run a boarding house year
after year, thinking all the time about
what to give people to eat. 1t has
always seemed to me the hardest way
in the world to earn a living"
''She didn't think SO much of what
to give them to eat, as how little. They
used to kick something awful at timess
even when didn't snitch half of whaC
was on their plates. She liked keeping
boarders, know she did, because she
loved to gossip, and they talked some
thing scandalous.' But honest, girls, I
am going back some day just for mean
ness. She always said 1 wouldn't
amount to anything. I'd like to show
her have-I'm not so much, but I'm
not anybody's slavey any more"
Il should say you weren't! A chit
like you getting $50 a week." Gladys
returned
'I guess earn It or wouldn't get
it-that's what Cora always says. I
try to anyway"
Il know, dear. I was only Joking.
I am sure you earn evory cent you
get. Men don't pay stenogs any more
than we are worth. There are too
many of US, too many waiting for good
jobs"
you've said a mouthfulI" Nellie re-
turned slangily.
(Tomorrow-Dorothy Fallon visits
the office.)