The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-08-24
IT WAS
STRICTLY
BUSINESS
ga by ID J. walsh.l

MI her glasses and looked
Nv / through them thoughtfully
at her third assistant. Ii
was not the first time that she had
looked at Jean Royce, but it was the
first time she had ever seen what she
saw now.
she cried before she came to the
office this morning." Hiss Barlow con-
Guided. "She is unhappy. Young
things shouldn't be unhappy. don't
like TO see it."
I 1t was fact that Jeans big, shell,
rim glasses did not cover up all the
tear-stain about her eyes. Her mouth,
too, had a respondent droop, and If
1t had not been closed so tightly Ii
might have trembled.
From the first Jean had been some
thing of mystery to Miss Barlow.
The senior member of the firm had
hired the girl direct from business
school and she had proved to be well
trained and willing. She lived at home
with her mother, and did not make
friends with pretty blond Miss Rhodes
or stylish, dark Miss Howe, both of
whom were serving their second year
under Miss Barlow. She did not even
make friends with Miss Barlow. al
though it might have seemed to her
interest to do so. She came by her.
self, went by herself, and ate her
lunch alone at noon out of a small
double basket with handles.
However, II was none of these
things that puzzled Miss Barlow; it
was, rather. the appearance of the
girl herself. She wore a black skirt, a
long sleeved, high-necked black pom.
gee blouse, black coat and a black
hat OF severe shape. Neither jew
elry, perfume, color nor makeup could
be discovered about her. Her soft
brown hair was dragged back from
her high forehead into an astonish-
ingly tight little wad at the wrong
angle of her head, and she wore large
size Shell-rim glasses which covered
up a third of her pretty pale con-.
plexion.
Most girls" thought Miss Barlow
glancing at the brilliant Miss Rowe
and the winning Miss Rhodes, ''mosi
girls try to make themselves look as
well as they can. This girl seems
trying to make herself look as bad
as she can. | can't fathom it, and
what's more, | haven't time to try
to today"
II was particularly busy day. The
third and youngest partner, Mark
Willard. who had succeeded to his
fathers place in the business, was in
times an hour, and each time he en-
tered the dark girl and the blond girl
showed that they were keenly aware
of him. But Jean Royce never lifted
her eyes, although Mark Willard was
an extremely persOnable young man
whom any girl might have taken an
interest in..-. 49, ,--
Once he had occasion to speak to
Jean, and Miss Barlow watched them
curiously, the other girls enviously.
HE could have told me and could
have told JEAN" Miss Barlow thought
She wondered if Mark, the much
sought after, found the girl some
thing of the same mystery that she
herself did. She was inclined to think
that he did
And nothing attracts mans fan
CIV more than mystery" Miss Barlow
found that she had let drop of ink
fall from the tip of her fountain pen
upon her new blue blOtter. 1t vexed
her, for she liked her desk to be
neat.
Miss Barlow was forty-five, and
twenty years in the business world
had taught her to sift the wheat from
the chaff. There was a quality about
Jean Royce that she had not hither-
to found among her office associates
The girl was fine, not coarse thread
in her. But in spite of all her pains.
taking she did not give promise OF
that efficiency which is necessary to
business success.
When the noon hour came Miss
Barlow went over to Jean Royce.
"Come to lunch with me, my dear,
she said. "It's such dreary day.
feel I'd like some company"
Jean looked up gratefully, flushed
and murmured an acceptance.
Miss Barrow lunched every day in
a favorite corner o. her favOrite res
taurant. Usually she had sand.
witches, salad and tea, but today she
went little farther and had cakes
and chicken to please her guest.
Immediately after they sat down
Jean removed her glasses, folded them
and laid them beside her plate.
My eyes feel little tired" she
explained.
Miss Barlow looked at the girl In
establishment. The removal of the
glasses made a striking difference in
her looks. Jean had beautiful eyes,
large, clear and of lovely blue-gray
with long lashes.
"Why do you wear them?" asked
Miss Barlow. They're not necessary.
are they?" she leaned forward conf.