The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-05
A Stenographer's
Romance
BY JANE PHELPS
A NEW INTEREST IN LIFE.


Chapter TO
Miss Jones left Mr.. Fallon alone ana
he at once remarked:
Miss Nellie. has Miss Jones told you
she is leaving us?'
.sWhyAno-Mr Fahon." The girls
heart sank. Would that mean she
might have to so. too?
"She leaves on Saturday. She is go
ing to be married. Would you like to
take her place. be my private secre-
tary?"
For moment Nellie could form no
reply, altho her lips moved.
L think you are capable She tells
me she has put a great deal of her
/ work upon you with this in view"
.'Oh, thank you, Mr.. Fallon. should
love to try to fill her place" Nellie
replied, her cheeks flaming. her eyes
shining. She was not to be sent away,
but given this wonderful chance-and
| she would be near Mr.. George. But
are you sure 1 can do the work? 1
should hate to make it harder for
you" Her naive reply caused him to
/ look at her queerly, before he an
swered:
Quite sure. 1 have intended to tell
you how much 1 appreciate your
flush and hesitate. Nellie could
scaycely believe she heard Alright. Was
George Fallon stumbling over a speech
to her-his stenographer?
When Miss Jones retuRned, she
smiled encoura gingiy at Nellie. And
when the girl tried to thank her. said:
You owe it entirely to your own
efforts, Nellie. You have always been
punctual, done your work well. Bot
now you also have developed an militia
tive, q knowledge of the business that
makes you invaluable to Mr.. Fallon.
You will not grow careless I am sure.
else I would not say this to you. I
hope you viii be as happy in the sit
uation as 1 have been. He tells mo
you will receive the same salary"
| Nellie knew that Miss Jones received
$40 a week. Could she, Nellie Riley,
the slavey of Hudson Corners be worth
as much? 1t was almost unbelievable,
almost too good to be true. 'Oh.
claimed. 'I'n just die if don't! But
1 will! Then I'll go back to The Cor
ners some day and show them Nellie
Riley is some good even if they didn't
think so and 1 had to run away from
Them
"Of course you WILL" Miss Jones
answered smiling. She had heard the
story of Nellie's life ut the-Corners,
and was always amused at any refer
ence to it.
All that week Nellie felt as if she
were walking on air. She had told no
one save Cora and Mrs. Roberts. In
fact she had no one eise to tell. but
she had been more her ora self, had
been full of happiness ana it haG
flowed over upon Donald Horne, even
on the acid-faced spinster-
Day after day she had realized more
keenly that George Falion meant ev-
erything to her; not that she dreamed
| of him as giving her the slightest
place in his thoughts, save that he
would give to any g1rl who attended
to his business in way to please him.
But to be so near him, 20 near every
morning his pleasant greeting, II
lrealize his consideration thru the day,
his goodnight, Miss Nellie, when
she left the office-this was happiness
indeed.
Occasionally she found herself won
dering what it would be like to be
loved by him? But she soon remem-
bered who she was, that they were of
different worlds. She must not allow
} herself to become foolish, 10 think of
the impossible. Hadn't she witnessed
enough unhappiness in the girls she
knew who had allowed themselves to
dream? He was miles and miles above
her.
"T'd have to take an aeropiane to
ever reach his level" she said grimly
to herself. Then, like az not, he'd
have a better one. one that could fly
higher"
Yet more than once that week he
set her heart beating.
| You have very lovely hair, he
said one day, apropos of nothing.
you wear it very becomingly."
That night Nellie's dreams were all
! of George Fallon. He had noticed
her hair had spoken of it. She seemed
to feel his fingers caress:ng it. and
woke to find her pillow wet with
tears.
Tomorrow-Nellie takes stock OF
her beauty.)
An Easy One.
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