Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1927-09-30
A Girl Who Had
Brains
NNNNNNNNNNN~~
BY JANE OSBORN
(Copyrisht.l


ness hours to say "Please," but the
pleasant, rather impersonal smile he
bestowed upon the trim little ste
nographer at the other side Of his
desk took any possible rudeness out
Of his abrupt speech.
"One cake soap, one can peas, one
can pineapple, one box matches, one
loaf of bread, some curry powder"
he ratified off, looking at the Hero
giyphics jotted on the margin Of his
morning paper. usual thing" he In
structed and had turned to the bust
ness letters that Alice had opened and
placed on his desk.
Excuse me-" she said, "but at this
time of the year green peas are as
cheap as canned. Wouldn't you like
to buy a dozen bars Of soapf At the
P. & L. stores they sell them cheaper
that way, and you've ordered cake
day for several weeksf"
Mr.. Henderson looked at the girl
for the first time In a rather personal
way. "Well," he remarked approx
ingly, you've got brains. Change the
canned things to fresh ones. Safety
matches, I suppose. But can't get
anything In Quantity-they're such
thieves up at the house."
II see," she said, and made to go,
but Mr.. Henderson told her to sit
down.
you've got a lot Of sense. I may
as well tell you. Being a widower I
am left to the none-too-tender mer-
cies Of servants. They did their own
ordering-did until the grocer-an
honest fellow-drew my attention to
the fact that they were using dozens
of cakes of soap day and had fifty
cans of peas in one week. Now
have q new set of servants and, lest
they might fall into evil ways, have
arranged with them to tell me what
they want every morning at breakfast.
jot It down on the margin Of my pa
per as I eat and-you know the rest.
You give the list to an office boy, who
carries 1t around to the store. That
is better than having you telephone It
because from your carbon copy you
check up the monthly statement when
It comes and they have been instruct
ed to keep their copies--in case Of an
error thought you went through
with 1t merely mechanically. But
see you have a brain and have been
using It, Keep 1t working-apply the
same sort Of sense to the business
here and you won't always be ste
n0grapher."
II don't believe I'd have any sense
about business said the trim little
stenographer. "Only l am always in-
terested In everything pertaining to
household affairs"
"Then you intend to get marriedT
asked Mr.. Henderson seriously.
1T suppose so, eventually" Alice
blushed In spite of her best efforts not
to. AT any rate. like keeping house
and keeping down expenses"
Mr.. Henderson was forty-two-a
widower Of fifteen years. His twenty
year-old son was at college and It was
part Of Mr.. Henderson's plans for the
wy W Ste Lhub nc Wub huIIlcu tHC
next year after his graduation. His
own early marriage hadn't been en-
tlrely successful but 1t seemed to Mr..
Henderson that he could induce his
son to marry a really sensible girl
It was part OF Mr.. Henderson's pc
cullar genius to make up his mind
what he wanted and then to 90 about
1t with a dlrectness and simplicity Of
method that would have seemed amaz-
ing in any other man. He was now
thinking Of Alice as a possible daugh-
ter-in-law. He even thought Of per-
suading his son. after the prellmi-
naries OF an engagement and mar.
rIage had been arranged, to consider
the possibilities Of living In the old
home. Alice-fOr Of course II would
be Alice-would then be able to keep
her eye on the servants and there
need be no thought Of living expenses
for the young people until Bill got a
good start In business. Bill was TO
be home from college on summer va
cation within few days, and Mr..
Henderson made plans to Introduce
the young couple at luncheon.
Billy Henderson was an entirely
llkeable lad-not quite so purposeless
or so wild as his father feared. Not
quite so susceptible either. But that
day when he met Alice In his fathers
office he knew in few minutes that
the girl whom his father had chosen
as his future wife was very charming
It was Billy himself who kept the
luncheon from being automatically,
and not his father, who seemed to
have the whip hand In the whole af
fair. After luncheon Alice insisted
on going right back to her desk
though the Hendersons, father and
son, urged her to spend an hour mo
tOring and sightseeing before she re
turned.
"She's all right" said Billy when
he was alone with his father that
night. II could like a girl like that
a whole lot-we need her-you and I.
The fact is, Dad, think she likes
you. I was watching her. Why don't
you marry her yourself? I have half
a mind to join an engineering expedi-
ton for a year after I'm through at
college. II you'll let me, and I'd feel
a whole lot better about going II
thought you had some one to look
after you at home. Go on, Dad
know she likes you"
Late that summer Mr.. Henderson
and Alice Dilworth were married
With Bill Henderson acting as his
fathers best man-but neither father
nor son ever told Alice the object OF
that first luncheon together.