Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1940-08-09
CHAPTER 1

To her own office desk, adjoining
that Of Cecilia Moore, came Sheila
Carscadden. II was half past five
o'clock on dark and heavy winter
day. Most Of the girls had gone
home: a few were still lingering un-
der the circles of light dropped by
green. dangling lamps above their
desks. The Office was lighted only
by these little, brilliant cases; out
side the night was already black.
Cecilia was the familiar Irish
American type: small, thin, eager,
with blue eyes and a very white
skin, with a curled cap Of black
hair. Her expression was one Of
constant suspicious watchfulness,
shrewdness and mirth. She was an
expert stenographer and typist at
twenty-three, and knew all about air
mails and steamer sailings and spe-
cial delivery, and most of the firms
business as well. Cecilia even had
a smattering Of Spanish, for Marks
and Mannheim dealt in South Ameri-
can table exports: such brands as
the Marks of Quality" fruit pastes,
avocados, bananas, guavas and CO.
conuts, and the wedding Feast"
pineapple and date specialties.
Sheila was younger than her office
neighbor, but she looked more than
her twenty-one years; Cecilia had
been "going with Sheila's older
brother Joe for some years, and the
two girls, were intimate. Sheila was
taller than Cecilia, and broader of
build; her white forehead was
broad, under her loose dark-red
hair; her slender shoulders were
broad. even her young, unframed
hands were square and boyish.
For the rest, Cecilia was more
boyish than Sheila, for Cecilia was
flat-built and thin, with nervous
hands and narrow hips, and Sheila
was rounded and generous in line:
her white throat fiawless, her chin
smooth curve and her whole body
vibrant with a sort of warmth and
light. -..
Even the fringe of coppery hair
that escaped in silky film over her
forehead, and the little rebel curls
that lay outside of the knot on her
neck were unconventional, different,
human. The touch of her square,
firm hand was human, as was the
look from her round, eternally sur
prised blue eyes. She had the daisy
white skin that sometimes goes with
blue eyes and reddish hair; her
mouth was large, her teeth were
Ior0n how vyain0 TO-
large and vibrant. Altogether she
did not fit into an Office whose man.
ager lived only to reduce the young
women employees to the status of
smooth-running machines, and to ig-
more their individual personalities as
much as possible.
This girl, introduced as Miss
Moore's friend" had been there for
seven months now, and they had
been stormy months. The heads did
not understand her. She was the
sort of person who is always trying
to change things; she had disturb
ing way of suggesting shortcuts, of
eliminating details. With the great
est simplicity and good humor she
threatened the firm fortress of in
efficiency that had supported the
business of Marks and Mannheim for
years and years. Sheila Carscadden
had entered the office knowing moth
ing; she knew little now. But she
upset everyone; at her innocent
questions time honored customs
shrank back into decent shadow.
Her expression tonight was rueful,
her surprised eyes more surprised
than ever.
"Call-down?" Cecilia asked, try
ing to read her face.
Sheila seated herself at her desk,
moved paper, looked at the other
girl unsmilingly and shrugged.
eye good old bounce act," she
stated simply.
And suddenly a delightful, broad
all-enveloping smile lighted her
face.
Don't look like that, Ceel." she
said.
"Firedl" Cecilia calculated, in a
whisper.
Sheila laughed joyously.
what do you know about that?"
she asked. Cecilia's expression re-
manned Mortified.
''Sheila-he didn'tl'
II tell you he did"
81 don't see," Cecilia commented.
after space during which they had
looked at each other; 81 must say
that don't see that it's so funny"
well, l think it's funny" Sheila
said. with faint accent on the pro-
noun.
ITO be fired7"
by old Drayton. / don't care!"
the younger girl added, after mo-
ment in q reckless voice.
Cecilia saw that she did care, that
she was shocked and Inundated.
After m, this was no year to be
fred. Jobs were scarce. There
were breadlines and unemployment
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