The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1926-11-11
When He Did
Reply
By FRANK WALL

By FRANK WALL
There were times when Lawson
Mccormick, head Of the wholesale
lumber house of that name, felt
strongly inclined to break the rule
OF his firm that no employee must
he fired except for murder or some
thing desperate like that. He
glanced at Miss Beggs and sighed.
Well, there are other ways. Miss
Beggs," he said gently.
His secretary reused herself from
pleasant day-dream. Eyes, dearie,"
she murmured absent mindedly.
,Please take a letter." snapped
Mccormick. ITO Iamstalevich BAN.
goozlum, 1884 Ornitherinchus Build
Ing. Eusopoedia, Pa" he said bland
". "While psyche analysis is not,
metaphorically speaking, an integral
part of our activities, we are
pleased to elucidate your query.
Psycho-analysis Is a kind of vivi-
section of the subjective faculties,
which circumnambulates about nom
existent distractions.
LET me have that right away,
Miss Beggs," he added.
Gee r. murmured Miss Beggs re.
proachfully as she went to her desk.
Thereafter for about five minutes
there was an intermittent tapping
on her typewriter, broken by periods
OF eloquent silence; but at last she
brought the letter to her chief.
you're very slow" he said sharp
ly. 81 wanted this right away"
"Bit peeved, aren't your" said
Miss Beggs mildly. "Don't mind me-"
Mccormick was reading the let
ter. "Yamskill O'Witch Bamboozles,
1884 Onerywinkus Building, Usea-
poodle, Pa. While sikonallisis la
not metterferically speaking an in
teggeral part of our activities we
are pleased to lucydate your queery.
Sikonallisis Is a kind of vivisuction
Of the subjective faculters, whereas
metterfssics is the science which
shirks a perambulater about nom
existent substractions."
"There isn't mistake you could
have made that you haven't made"
growled Mccormick.
"Kind of thorough" said Miss
Beggs, and she faded away into one
of the day dreams.
Mccormick regarded her thought
fully. She was plain in every way
In which girl can be plain, but her
face usually had look of good-hu-
mored shrewdness which made him
like her In spite of herself. Just at
present though her expression was
one of rapt foolishness.
Mccormick tore the letter fifty
ways at once and threw 1t into his
wastepaper basket. Miss Beggs I"
he said sharply.
Her head turned slowly, but she
did not speak. She was too far gone
In dreamland to come back all at
once.
Miss Beggs" he shouted. "Oh,
Miss Beggs p
And just when the attention Of
every one in the Office had been at
tracted she looked up at him. Eyes,
loveyY she murmured.
Mccormick tore his hair. Take
this away and drown it!" he NUT
done to deserve this?"
take another letter." he said ex-
plosively. .'I'll give you the name
and address presently"
He sat drumming with his fin
gers for moment and then: 81 re-
gret to have to inform you," he die
tated in level voice, "that your
work recently has been character
lied by sheer stupidity. It is I'M
fortunately the rule Of this house
not to dismiss employees for stu
pidity. -
Miss Beggs was wide awake now.
She rose, gathered her notebook
and pencil, and looked him straight
in the eyes. I'm sorry, Mr.. Nc
C0rmick," she said in a low voice.
You got me on lot of unusual
words that time and I've
been day-dreaming a lot, too. =
And then, man like, and perhaps
because he'd always had kind Of
liking for this queer little secretary
Of his, he rushed to the other ex-
treme. I'D no right to speak that
way" he said. Suppose we both
forget, will you? haven't any more
letters just now. Will you tell my
son I'd like to see him?'
'1'm leaving on Saturday" she
said wistfully.
"Ah," said McC ormick, and In that
monosyllable he expressed whole
dictionary of joy and relief. "Er-
I hope your decision isn't final. Miss
BeggsY'
"Well l got married last
weekend. !"
I wouldn't try to dissuade you
for the world" he said hastily: IT
you've made up your mind to go,
we'll have to manage somehow. I'll
never have secretary like you
again. he said earnestly.
And she gave him that queer lit
tie likeable smile that made her
homely face so charming at times.
It's very nice of you to say that"
she murmured.
TIL tell you one thing" he said,
and he really meant this: Il may
have a more efficient secretary,
since we're trying to be frank to
each other, but I'll never have one
who'll stand my moods and temperS
30 splendidly as you have. AS a
private secretary, you're the best
tempered girl In the office"
And this time she fairly beamed
at him. San even temper is a good
quality for a wife to have" she
said thoughtfully.
"You bet it isl
It's pretty good quality for
Ia MISUNDERSTANDING FOO fSn,f n y,