Show Daily Short I Fiction Story BETTYS BETTY'S SUCCESS By LOUISE OLIVER Copyright 1915 by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate Betty looked up fr front nr her her r news newspaper hews hews- paper and frowned out of the win win win- dow The jerking of the car was ln 1 bad had enough without ut the distracting con con- conversation I of ot two men in the Satah seat scat ah ahead Her lIer frown deepened as she heard one say Im Tm tired laced of the whole business No more female stenographers in In my office Not that they are not not competent com com- the the last one was a dandy dandy- but they demoralize the whole office force because tit they e are attractive The time is coming when people wont won't say as pretty as as a picture or she looks like an actress There will be a new symbol of beauty It U will be be disgustedly she she he is as s I I I beautiful as a stenographer His companion laughed Your fair certainly have not demoralized demoralized demoralized de de- moralized yo you yop yo you flint hearted old bachelor What's Vh What's ls l's the matter with t the e bookkeeper taking Mabel out to lunch or the chief clerk exhibiting two pink tickets for the show when h he passes her desk The I lunches liches you speak of of take nearer two hours than one and the pink theatre tickets and a supper after mean a a. a half hour late the next morning If U I could land an ugly i ione one it would be he different but they j dont don't grow Im I'm blessed if I ever saw law sawa lawa a stenographer who ho didn't look like a frontispiece in in a dollar and a half novel no Im I'm going to advertise in the morning for a man main Betty had become thoughtful She had Just finished a course in the art artof artof artof of shorthand and typewriting and it was up to her to get work Mab l was painting and Lillian was teaching but it was now necessary for tor Baby Betty as the family called her to contribute to the general exchequer But if It today was a sample positions Were not growing along the curbstones curbstones curbstones curb curb- stones waiting to be he plucked and now I she was doubly discouraged When the car stopped at her corner corner corner cor cor- ner she flew home to talk things over with the girls and their indignation over her recent experience was very soothing The next morning Albert Trowbridge Trowbridge Trowbridge Trow- Trow bridge was scarcely seated at his desk when the boy anno announced with agrin a agrin agrin grin that a lady wished to see him Mr Ill Trowbridge frowned but gave a grudging consent Show her in A person soon appeared in the doorway who caused that gentleman to gasp But suddenly remembering his manners he sprang to his hia feet Good morning Miss 1 curtly Heck she supplied He surveyed the round shiny face and ste steel 1 spectacles a decade old hat perched on top of a coiffure so flat that it looked like paint and the doorbell knot twisted so tight it pulled her eyes aslant Sit down Miss Heck Beck please The lady deposited herself with a flop upon the chair indicated and tugged uneasily at the short coat sleeves that left a hiatus between cuff cult and glove She looked up half halt defiantly at the gentleman who seemed to behaving be behaving behaving having trouble with his breathing I 1 heard that you wanted a stenographer stenographer stenographer and thought maybe I would do Im I'm one Mr Trowbridge opened his mouth to toBay say Bay som something thIng but it closed without without without with with- out producing a sound Im one repeated the lady Indeed 7 gasped Mr Trowbridge Yes You'll find Im I'm businesslike quick and competent And fixing him with an owlish look over her glasses she added Besides I dont don't bother about men nor they me You will save time and times time's money these days You are quite right he agree politely Time Is money A whimsical look c came me into his face which slowly broadened into a agrin agrin grin as he thoughtfully tapped his pencil against his deskI desk I I believe Ill I'll try you Miss Heck he exclaimed suddenly I have had hada a great deal of trouble with with with-with- with undesirable young ladles and I believe believe believe be be- be- be lieve you are Just what I am looking fu for I As she took her place at the typewriter typewriter typewriter type type- i writer in the outer office a painful hush fell over the room The chief i clerk whose duty It was to initiate new stenographers made madea a a wry face behind his hand and the young oung lady I caught something about souring cream MISs Heck proved to be all aU she claimed for tor herself She was businesslike busi busi- quiet and quick The best of all aU was the time gained by the Inattention in inattention inattention In- In attention of the office men Mr Trowbridge himself at the end of a week confided his Joy to his companion companion companion com com- panion of the car Ive found a perfect perfect perfect per per- lemon of a stenographer She isso is II isso so ugly she is fascinating I dictate twice as many letters as I used to Just to convince myself of my luck One day Miss Heck was away She sent word that she was ill which worried Mr Trowbridge very much Poor thing They had worked herto h her herto r to death and to pay up for it he would hire one of the fronti frontispiece kind and td it would be bathe the same thing all over again In the meantime meantime meantime mean mean- time it would pay to be kind to the lady He hunted up her lter address and tools took down the receiver to ord order r flowers Then he hung up He would take them himself on his way home The middle house hous In a suburban row runt bore the number he was ads hunt hunt- in ing The bell was answered by a ai i 11 Petty city girl who turned d a fairest red the instant she opened the door and saw the caller caUer The visitor was mystified mystified mys mys- Where had he seen her before before before be be- fore Something about her was y very rY familiar indeed R Recovering he lie handed in the box with a polite inquiry for Miss 1 Hecks Heck's health Learning that she was improving and hoped to be at work in a few days pays he without backward departed not departed not a glance as as as' he left Monday did not return Miss Heck to her duties which a afforded Albert Trowbridge another opportunity for inquiry at the house and a possible chance of seeing the same girl again He lIe was was gratified when wh n the young lady of Saturday answered the bell ben This time she demurely asked sk d him in Sister was better and w would uld wish to see him and thank him for the flow flow- ers Would he please be seated and allow her to take his hat He did not hear th the giggling and fussing in Mabs Mab's studio where wayward wayward wayward way way- ward curls were b being heing brushed flat and pulled back into a hard bard knot and aid |