The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-25
E0ening Story
He Made Love to His
StenOgrapher.
BY FRANK II. WILLIAMS

! Glenn Stogdill looked up from his
desk and glanced thu the glass parti-
| ton which separated him from the
main office of the Acme Manufa ctur-
| ing Company. His glance took in the
big work-room where over a hundred
! girls were bNSily engaged in tipping
and in working at car records.
| But Glen saw the girls only as a
| mass. and not as individuals, for he
was looking for a particular girl, Alice
Blake, his stenographer.
Alice was not at her desk. a short
| distance from the partition where
! Glenn could see her easily, and Glenn
missed her. He wondered If she was
taking dictation from Oliver J. Evans.
| the boss of Clems department, and
the only man, outside of Glen, who
made use of her services as a stem
! ographer.
At the thought that Alice might be
in divers private office, which was
entirely screened by wooden partitions
from the view of the workroom, Glen
/ became restless. AS the minutes wore
| on and Alice did not return to her
desk Clem's restIessness turned into
Jealousy. What if Evans was making
love to Alice!
This last thought was too much for
Glenn. He rose and began pacing nerv-
! ously back and forth in his tiny office
He noticed some of the girls in the
Workroom glance up and covertly
smile at him. He knew they had his
nervousness properly diagnosed as
jealousy but Glenn didn't care. He was
deeply in love with Alice And he
| thoroly hated the idea of Alice taking
dlctation from any one but himself
For some minutes Glen paced up
ana down. Then his will asserted itself
and he reSeated himself at his desk
I've got to cut this out" he told
himself. Til have the whole office
wise to me If I don't. And I can't do
any work when I'm like this I better
get a grip on myself once and for all"
Following this little conversation
with himself Glenn applied himself
assiduously to the work on his desk.
For fifteen minutes he didn't look up
once.
And then, when he did finally look
thru the glass partition into the work
| room again, his patience was reward
| ed. Alice was back at her desk
With something like a sigh of relief
Glenn gazed at her for a moment or so.
How pretty she was. Her black hair
shone in the sunlight as she bent
over her typewriter. The roses in her
eks-and they were natural, too
tantalized him. He felt like rushing
thru the door out into the workroom,
and clasping her in his arms right be-
fore the whole crowd.
But Glen contented himself with
pushing the little buzzer that called
her to his office.
He pretended to be very busy as
Alice entered the room. Then he
looked up at her with q stern, bust
nesslike expression on his face.
Take this dictation, please" he
said. trying desperately to make his
voice solemn, but failing entirely to
do so.
Glenn was looking straight at Alice
as he said this. and he noted the
laughter in her eyes and the smile
that came to her face at his words.
More dictation?" queried Alice.
That's seven times todayi''
Glenn flushed guilty..
Il don't care il it's seventy-seven
times" declared Glen. at makes me
raving mad every time you go into
Evans's office. Did he try to make
love to you AGAIN."
yes" said Alice. "That seems to
be quite habit with the men 1 take
dictation from"
But I'm different" said Glenn.
Not SO awfully different" said
Alice. s'You started making~fove to
me the day I started working here.
Mr.. Evans waited only a week longer
than that"
IT wish you'd slap his face the next
time he tries to get mushy with you"
exclaimed Glenn.
And lose my Job?" cried Alice.
That would me a fine mess, wouldn't
it Besides, he isn't mushy-he just
talks about my eyes and hair and
cheeks and-and tries to hold my
hands once in a while"
Glenn clinched his hands angrily at
this Then he leaned over and caught
Alice's hands in his.
When he does that" said Glen,
''you-7you scream for help-or-or
get up and beat it; or-or something
like that"
Alice laughed a bit at this
You're SO practical" she exclaimed,
and squeezed Clem's hands.
Then she leaned a bit closer as
tho she was going to kiss him.
But at this moment a shadow
gloomed over them. Glen glanced up.
o. ]. Evans, his boss, was standing in
the doorway. Glenn snatched his hands
away from Alice at once. Making love
TO the stenographers during office
hours was strictly prohibited in the
rules and regulations of the Acme
Manufacturing Company.
For moment or so Evans stood in
the doorway glowering down at Glen.
Then Evans motioned to Alice to de-
part. She did so with a sly, roguish
glance at Glen. Evans seated himself
heavily in the chair Alice had vacated.
Mr.. Stogdin,' said Evans soIemnly.
(He vas a large, solemn man, and
dignity ROBBED him like a cloak). Mr.
Stogdill, have felt for some time that
1 should speak to you upon an impor-
tant matter You must not make love
to Miss Blake during office hours.
Any further infractions of this rule
will result in your instant dismissal"
He arose slowly. DO You under
stand? ?"
YES said Glenn meekft.
But tho Glenn was meek enough
in appearance he was a raging vol
cano of fire inside. The old hypocrites
II was all right for him to make love
to Alice IN the seclusion of his private
office, but it was all wrong for Glenn
to do so. What an unfair advantage
for a boss to take of an employee. He
wouldn't stand for it. He'd
But what could Glenn do? Jobs