Evening star., 1924-01-06
Waring, the Busy Man, and Vickers,
His Secretary, Study the Subject
Of Dictated Family Correspondence

darling and dearesti Then he got an
inspiration and grinned.
"s look here, old lady. Why
can't You be a good fellow and Just
let me have a chin with you like
this whenever I get the chance? If
you'd do that and then get a type
writer yourself and learn to work II,
so that I could read the letters you
wrote me, why, that would be almost
equal to coming home over Sunday.
] know what 1t Is that bothers you.
You don't like the idea of my young
cub of secretary sitting here and
taking down all I say to you and
writing 1t out on the typewriter.
Well, now, I'll tell you, He doesn't
hear word. 1t just goes into his
ears and out Of his pencil, and that's
all there is to it,
Nickers wrote a whole page of viva
cious details about Warnings Pittsburgh
trip, and then swung into the stretch.
you've no idea how excited I
am, waiting to see what you'll say
to all this. So write me a good
long letter and tell me you aren't
cross any more and that you have
fully forgiven your affectionate. but
busy husband, who wishes he weren't
SO busy, so that he could have more
chance to show how affectionate he
really is.
Always"
!: !; \ *
WHEN Waring came back from the
lately copied, lay on the desk, side by
side with the report to the executive
committee, both awaiting his signature.
He signed A. B. Waring at the bottom
Of the report and was about to repeat
the signature beneath vtckers' master
piece, when the secretary stopped him.
Better read that first, hadn't your
he suggested. See il it's all right?''
'I'll look it over afterward," said
the boss, and he twisted his mouth over
to one side Of his face-the regular pre-
liminary to his regular signature.
You don't want to sign it "a. B.
Waring,' do you?" ,Vickers protested.
Always A. B. Warlng' sounds kind
of funny. l should think
The boss agreed and signed it Bert,
instead. Then he thrust back his chair
and got up.
Look here" said Nickers. You'll
have to read that letter. you know. 1
may have put something in it that'll
give the whole thing dead away. And
then you'll have to go home"
That's So" said the boss. But the
telephone rang just then and the per-
son on the wire proved to be one OF
the Chicago directors who had stopped
off the train at Great Bend and thought
that he and Waring might spend the
evening together, talking things over
So Waring said he would come right
along in the company automobile. pick
him up at the station, and take him
out to the golf club. Then he hung
up the receiver and made for the door.
Vicbers headed him off.
You haven't read that yet he said
implacably.
It's all right. Send it off. l did
look it over when signing it. Sure
it's all right
Beginning about Wednesday morn
ing. Stanley Vickers began to be con-
scious, as he ran through the mail,
that he was looking for a feminine
envelope addressed in an illegibls
hand. His feeling about it was close
y akin to that Of a literary aspirant
who is waiting to hear from an editor.
1t was more than a week later that
he slit open a rather messy looking.
typewritten. stamped envelope, and
with an expression of distaste began
i 1t, ,o-I. 90
contained. He hated sloppy type
writing and this communication went
the limit. 1t wasn't margined nor
dated. 1t was unedually spaced, and
it began Dear Old Man
Obviously a touch from some seedy
down and out, who bad known the
boss in boyhood days. But he was a
conscientious secretary. and he would
read 1t through.
Dear Old Man
ITS very exciteing-I've found
1 don't know how to spell at all
when 1 have to write real letters
that show-But i've been practise
ing all the week and / can find
the right keys without hunting for
them hardly at ALL wish you
had told me what sort Of type
writer-I know that's spelled
wrong-to buy. but I'm sure this
one is all right-Its perfectly huge
and can add and subtract and
everything-and you can hear it
all over the house. You knew
why didn't answer sooner-didn't
you-That I couldn't buy a type
writer and learn to make It
writeall in q minute-and didn't.
think it was because ] was cross
and unforgiving-How could I be
about such a lovely-dear old
letter-Youve never sent me such
letter since-oh well-never
mind about that-But If that's the