Show t t Girl Wanted By Sarah Estelle Balcom Copyright by W W. G. G Chapman Put that sign in the window directed directed di di- reeled old Abel Morse and anti he lie handed to to his nephew Cyril a n small square bit of of p. p pasteboard te ar bearing aring th the two VOIdS uin It was a gloomy disordered office Every Everything tIling poke spoke of age dust and grim The business of Abel Morse was the purchase and sale of seeds mainly the grains He lie had few visitors vhs vis Hors for all of his business was done doney b by y mail mall or wire He had a It warehouse at nt the edge of the city and there the theor or orders ers went and were filled For all the old fashioned and kept Ill-kept office ne nan a large trade trace ann anu was rich Old Abel had taken his spirited wide awake nephew Into the business a year previous It had been decidedly decided decided- I ly an un unsatisfactory experience Cyril ch chafed fed fretted even rebelled Send me out on the road uncle he tie had said Even get me a wagon and let Jet me go out and und pe peddle dle the stuff from bouse house to house but dont don't shut me in here Its It's like a bird In a cage I hate office work and Ive I've got to get out into the fresh air and meet people and feel as if I were really rahly alive All along the old oltI man had demurred He spoke e of taming turning down the restless spirit of his Ills relative for his Ills own good He pointed out how some time he must stead steady down If he be did the business would some day dar be his and a respectable fortune when Its present owner got through with It He even threatened to disown him to cut him himoff himoff of off with a ii penny penn All right Cyril had cheerfully an nn- I I I I 1 flounced Then I can cnn go my own wa way Instinctively He Dodged Aside a and nd believe me uncle I may not make mone money but I shall enjoy life lite In a rational rational ra ra- ra- ra rag t lonal way vay as It comes to me In vain the old man had iad striven to fix the attention of his recalcitrant n nephew ephew on the books Cyril detested fi figures gures As a correspondent he was a u dismal failure The old man was In desperation He finally decided that about all nIl Cyril was as good for was to collect bills bUls visit city clients go to he the t bank and show the sights to the country customers when they visited t the he city But nut even this variation did not give CyrIl Jyril the broad Independent freedom he longed for It finally came to a crisis when he announced definitely to his uncle that the first of the next month he should go out on the road for or or another eI grain house unless lIe he was allowed to tp perform the same duty for fOl Abel Morse Company Compan Youre missing fussing your chance declared declared de de- de- de deS his uncle Here m my e eyesight Is beginning to fail fall me I cannot pore i over yer the books as I used to Its It's your fit Into my shoes But nut Im I'm no bookkeeper remonstrated remon remon- Cyril Id have hac your whole business In a grand Inside of ofa of-a a week eek If I tried to run It Well anyway Ive I've got to have someone to take the clerical work off from me Insisted his uncle and the result was the crude card bearing the Inscription Girl Wanted Cyril read It smiled dallied but finally walked to the window an and stuck It where there was a loose space where the putty had fallen out He lie could not resist voicing his Ills sentiments however Uncle he said boldly you will stick to your our dust dry-as-dust ways I see Girl Wanted Why In the first place the up-to- up date up-to-date system Is to place an m mu u advertisement In the newspaper have hae the applicants respond by mall and thereby be able to take time to make niche nichea a selection Hm I I know my ray business after atter forty years years' experience in It I fancy growled Jed o the old man peevishly Wish oud oud brighten up and adopt modern methods submitted the graceless grace grace- less Cyril Maybe Mayle It would be more endurable around here then Another thing Girl Van Wanted ted as If you were looking for some young oung chit to tend office or run errands What you want Is 15 a young lady assistant and the card ought to say Bay so If youre you're determined d to advertise by card I I But nut Girl Wante Wanted was In the window win win- dow and there It stayed for the old i tyro was stubborn and self opinionated lie V t f 00 It was two hours later when Worth weary dispirited passe passed the window noticed the cur card hesitated ic- ic Ie-I Ie fleeted shut her lips Ups tightly and entered on en I the office and and thereby changed d the destiny of the Morses uncle and I nephew Just an nn ordinary working girl Nella Neila Worth would have d described herself never thinking of her simple simpie beauty and her exactness fidelity aH and Intelligence as liS an office employee ee She I had lost Jost a u goo good position through the failure of the house employing Ing her hr The grimy Morse lorse office ollice was not Inviting lag ing the crude crud clumsy Girl Wanted si sign n was not reassuring but Nella hud bud been out of work for a u month her Uttie littIe little lit Ut- lit lit- tie tle stock of money was running low and employment she must have huye The low wa wages es offered b. b by calc calculating lt ing paring cheese-paring Abel Morse did nt not encourage e her He lie looked pleased however as fully engaged she set about her duties quietly and s system stem He was all business The shrewd old olt fellow at once realized that she was the same and C Cyril ril coming In was likewise attracted b by her ladylike ladylike ladylike lady lady- like manner an and her manifest em- em clency And Anti the sensation of f benefi benefi- a new cent element Clement in tile tee routine grew grow upon him strongly as a n week pass passed eel b by There seemed to be infused infuse a new token of comfort and briskness n in nier her ier odd moments Nella had tidied up She induced oJ old Abel to buy a new desk and aud a rug She had the windows cleaned In fact womanly tact an and neatness seemed to transform tho the dreary den Into a certain homelike haven huven Even old Abel noticed this He was homesick for two days When he returned he lIe was so pleased with the administration of business during his llis absence that he actually commended her for It an and raised her wages two dollars a week Cyril CyrU began to take a new Interest In n his work His grim old uncle never md lied taken Into account the fact that hat lie he le had bad never gone to the pains of tin im- parting to C Cyril the details of the he business he himself knew so well jut Miss Worth ma marie made e the path clear clearsy c sy and actually attractive for him Wise Vise old Abel watched craftily He marked the time change In his nephew an and shrewdly t traced raced Its source One day Cyril was alone In the of- of lb Ice fice l He had just returned from the b ank bank and Miss Worth had gone to the p post ost office to register some mail mull His u uncle was over on the time exchange Cyril was counting a package df of f bills when a shadow fell across the desk It was s sudden udden and menacing and Instinctive Instinctive- l Jy y he dodged aside A blunt hard hartI h heavy eavy object grazed his head hend and anti s struck truck his ear half stunning him C Cyril turned to face a n brawn ruffian H He lIe e was directing a second blow with witha a loaded billy Cyril half arose to his f feet staggering He could not have haye e evaded this second blow Looking p past ast the ruffian ruman Cyril saw Nella enter t he the room In an nn instant her quick eye took In inthe t he the situation She noiselessly glided t to o where a chair stood raised It s swung wung It and dropped It Jt directly on t he the head of the unsuspecting Intruder wIth w ith crushing force The man went d down own like a shot and lay Inert AUb All AU b business Miss Worth went to the telephone telephone tele tele- p phone hone and anti summoned the police Cyril was half dazed as he staggered stag stag- g ered to a chair and anti dropped into It S Still till he smiled gratefully admiringly admiring admiring- l ly y at nt this bright and anti sparkling heroine a aha always s 's doing the right thing at the r right ight time Now she came cume up to him hirn scanning canning s him anxiously You iou ou are hurt she asked with s solicitude Just a grazing blow blow It It will amount t to o nothing declared Cyril Let me send for a n doctor It maye may maybe b be e more serious than you ou think i 1 t cion-t want a doctor said saul Cyril a and nd then his e eye e fell upon a u pigeon pigeonhole pigeonhole h hole ole In the desk before him out of w which protruded the lie card that lint had b rought brought this this- angel of beauty and order t to o the now renovated renovate precincts of business busi busi- n ness ess What I want Is Is- Is He looked her In ia the eyes with ar ar- ar- ar d dor r. r The critical moment had lied come S She he hn lied had cured his roving disposition S She he read love hove In his eyes as he lie lef ed t towards her she blushed and thrilled d das a as s he lie Indicated his needs In a practical practical heal way for he held towards her heL the l little ittle card card Girl Girl Wanted and m she shenew k knew new that she was the girl In ques ion tion t |