Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-08-16

Things is going too smooth for that"
The smoothness Of things" brought
Miss Conifce back to mind; and, after
a moments forced hopeful cOnsidera-
ton. he spoke of her to his family.
/ "Now, take Miss COnlfee-"
| Who's she?" Nanine demanded.
"Thats his stenographer," Eldreda
explained
"She is more than that, Eldreda,"
| he patiently corrected her: Miss Con-
| flee is a good half Of our business
| She's been with me now for fourteen
| years. and in the first month after
| got her she near to paid for all she's
+ had since. Taste! That's where she's
! valuable. that's what she is; we're a
small house, but tell you our works
been complmented by big people. We
are going. not coming. What l am
getting AT is this and / know" he
hesitatpd shortly, and then began
again with a rush. 81 know you'll
both back me mp. Miss Conlfee's been
with me- MS, for fourteen years now.
and she's a part Of the place. The truth
is she can't work any more without
me than I can her. IF anything hap.
pcned TO that she'd he gone It's 1er
mother and her honesty both together;
her mothers got kind Of expensive
sickness and Miss Conifee won't take
anything from me but doggOned mod.
crate salary. She won't have a penny
more, after all she's given us; but with
your help, with your approval. I've
thought Of way to make her safe,
when pass on to my California. It's
this-we will give her an interest In
the business, make her a small partner
like"
He waited, on the mark Of an 90.
timlstlc Interrogation, through tho
deep silence that followed, a silence
finally shattered with an unqualified
derIson.
Partner" said Nanine, partner,
her, a stenographer? You're mad,
amt you"
His mOmentary unwarranted expec-
tations, like glass, fell swiftly, shat.
tering, on the hard ground of reality.
Eldreda giggled:
you don't know the best, because
yuu haven't seen hpr-why, she's q
million and looks like an old wisk
broom with most of the straWs out,
III tell the street Pas got some taste
himself, I'll say So"
you ought to be ashamed of YOUR
self" Lewis Beitleman'S wife told him,
trying that on us. You must think
we never see anything of life. What
makes me mad Is your speaking II
right out to us, before your daughter
"What do you mean?" he demanded
vaguely trying to face them both.
"Take it to the firepIug," this was
Eldreda.
'How long has this been going on?'
Nanine asked.
Drawn rlgidly upon the edge of his
chair, with his face burning, he was,
at first, unable to reply to either
When he spoke It was in repressed,
hard tone. II told YOU" he said, ~
told you Miss COnifee had been with
me fourteen years, and l told you, too,
that we had her to thank for q half
of our success. What was trying to
find out was could she hope for little
kindness from YOU SOS she could look
easy at any future DO you under
stand-whlle Eldreda and you have
been setting, sitting, ut home reading
moving picture magazines, Miss, Con-
flee and l were in 1t with our last
and wondering where we'd all be next
year. She's helped to make every deal
we've pulled out on-those nights
was so late we were sitting up figuring
in dimes"
A desolating feeling of the useless
ness of any attempted explanation
smothered his determined effort, and
a fresh silence fell upon them
Don't you give her Christmas
present" Nanine asked. 81 said, don't
You give her a present at Chrlstmas?
"Yes," he replied, finally.
"Well, them
Lewis Beitleman laughed, sorry
variety of mirth. "Tli tell what" he
proclaimed to the dark: "I'm going to
bring Miss Conifee right home to sup
per and let you see for yourselves"
He was doubtful about the wisdom
of this later; going to the Office he
revolved it again and again in his
mind. but, confident that Miss Conf
fees splendid qualities must be clear
even to his family, he asked her, very
formally, to supper at his home. She
vas obviously startled, almost dis
tressed, and instinctively she declined
the invitation. Nonsense" he replied.
back on his customary footing with
her: "of course you'll come. My wife
said very particularly" That latter,
Well, she'd think; Miss Conifee
didn't have a thing suitable to wear !:
the gray wolfe That was Thurs
day. and, finally, 1t was arranged that
she should go out with Lewis Bette
man. for an evening at his home, on
Monday.
isn't 1t ridiculous we never thought
OF this beforeT' he said to her on the
train.
Neither his wife nor Eldreda was
visible when, with Miss Conifee, he
reached the porch of his home. Nan
me-" he called through the open door,
Here we are" There was no answer.
and he was placing Miss Conifee in a
comfortable chair when Eldreda an
peared Her manner, he recognized.
was that Of the earl's daughter greet
ing the faithful retainers from the
castle terrace-there was a quick
smile, widening Of the notable eyes,