The Romance of a Business Girl.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 17 October 1912, Page 2

The Romance of a Business Girl.

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CKAiTEiI 11.1. (Continued.) "i ii.-vi.i- <\\r;.-vt;N'i to see you, Mr Carllm:. 1 '•'»' hoping that- it was some one else." ''Some one i-i.'v!"' cried Jim jeabu:-'-ly. "Well, shako hands with mo, at any rale, and pack mo off if I'm in the way. You lost your ornp!oyni-,;i:. througti my .\iiipidity. and ] just li.ul to seo you—ilmt's all.'' "t knrr.v—l understand," she stammered, "and I thoroughly appreciate wlnut you did—what you are I 'hould have left, tlje Corner Shop, anyway; I aimyly ecu Id not endure some of the customers." The color leaped, into dier face again. "J don't mean that you are unwelcome, h;.i I have been advertising for a ;-ituatiou, and I hoped that someone h.-ui I called —perhaps to give me work." j "Oh, that alters the'complexion <:f things," he .beamed. "I. thought t'v.U : you wort* annoyed at my presumption, Miss Fleming. I supple- 1 may j sit down." "Now you arc talking nonsense." I She blushed and laughed. "J haven't j had an opportunity until now of —of thanking you for " "I wish I had broken his blessed jneck'. Muss "Gilders, the cashier — jolly sort of girl —told me alxuit the lord chancellor's cub —his vindictive meanness, I mean." "Did Miss Gilders send you here?" "I insisted upon having your address —'because if you haven't got a job yet —I can put you m the way of j a decent thing." Her face lighted up at once. "How very kind of you, Mr Curling . I —T hardly know what to do." She debated -within herself for a few moments, then looked up. frankly, and Jim's .brain reeled. "I had better tell you the truth. "You couldn't lie. Miss Fleming—not with such eyes as yours. Excuse I my bin n til ess; I am not gifted with '• easy glibne.ss. I am plain Jim Cavling—junior partner in Carting and Son, the Birmingham Nut and Bolt Works, and our firm is known all over the world. Now what wore you going to say?" | lUiew were looking at each other as I only young people can look. j "I must tell you, Mr Oarling, that I am not altogether friendless, but T j am a very independent young woman. ] I came to London from Amreica about a, year since." "I have heard a lot about the beauty and vivacity of American girls," he broke in. j ■*'T ,was bom in America,:.hut both I my father and mother were English. I don't remember my mother, and j my father died in the spring of last 1 year. It was always his wish that 11 should come to England, where hewas confident that I should be warmly ■welcomed by his brother, a prosper-1 ous lawyer in Cannon Street. Ti came, but my undo disapproved of me ! in every way." "Whata'fooll". ' | Miss Serena Fleming laughed outright. "You see, Mr Carhng, ho has halfa dozen grown up daughters of his own—and I am poor. I was deter- | nmined not to add to his burdens, and through his influence J found employment at the Corner Shop; but ho washed his hands of me. The disgrace of it was too much for him. J. had serious thoughts of going back to America—l have saved enough money to take me there ——" "But you won't go, Miss Fleming?' Jim interrupted, with much concern. "No; at least not yet a while. I have made one or two good friends here, and I had a letter from my uncle this morning offering me ladylike work in his office. Ladylike is the term he used". Mr Gibbs thought that it was his duty to inform my uncle that I had left the Corner Shop. But I prefer to have no favors from relations; and when you came I was ■hoping that someone had called in answer to my advertisement. I don't think that I need tell you anything more." "I could listen to you for a week." he said truthfully, "You are rather original," she laughed. "I don't remembor meeting anybody quite like you before, Mr Carting. We Americans are direct speaking people, and you are refreshing." "Just what Mayhew says about mo." !AJ startled ilook sprang; into her eyes, and her brows contracted. ■"ls lie —is Captain Mayhew a friend of yours?" "Yes, and a very decent fellow." "I don't like him; he is a coldhearted, cruel man. Selfish, domineering,"

BY F, L. DACRE Author of "A Fleet of I) reams," "Silar Dennington's Money," "The Shadow of Shame," "A Phantom of the Past," Hv'.'A in etc.

"Srne trouble about his wife? Rle told n:e that she had left hi:a. Hut that is no business of mine. He«-ay:: thai she is—or was—a- chum of yours?" "IViy Hp?; are sealed," the girl said, in a ball whisper.. "We will dii.p th:' .subject, if you please." ".V; liusine- of mine.'' re-pea too; Jim. "Lefc us get back to yourself. V\e vt'iint a. secretary in our London Office. Our old confidential man is past, the work, lie won't use e. type-writer—-writes a beautiful copperplate hand, but is as slow as rnoM.'-s.'s in a frost. That is an American'illustration, as old as the hills. [ thought it would sound homely to you. Well, what do you think of the ( idea?" I "I don't. know that lam capable iof the work. Would tho old gentleman suffer " "Oh, no; we shall put him on the [ road." j Jim got up to hide his confusion. Tie was lying, and doing it badly. J Ho had formed a swift resolution that j Serena Fleming should never enter his office in the capacity of a worker. Such a tiring was unthinkable. He was in love -with, her, and the knowledge had flashed upon him with the suddenness of a lightening stroke. "You can play upon the typewriter, of course?" ho went on. "Quite well. My father was a lawyer in Now York, and I copied all his letters, briefs, claims, and that sort of thing." "Fine, and no mistake! Can you ba ready in a month?" ) "Amonth ? I am'ready now." "But I must give Mr —ah—onr secretary—the usual notice." "If it is certain — quite certain," tho girl murmured. "I've got about twenty pounds saved up, and I must draw vycm that." ( "My goodness!" exclaimed Jim. "I hope yon don't doubt me, Mi:;s Fleming. The job is yours at a man's ■wages. I don't believe in' women being underpaid because -they are women. Two guineas a week. We employ fifty women at the Birmingham factory, and every one of them are paid on the same basis as tho men." ( Their eyes met, and in that instant their lives were to bo iwterwoven in some wonderful way. MI feel as though I had known you all my life," Jim said. "May I call here occasionally in the evenings, to give you a few hints about the work you will have to do." "If it is necessary—yos." She looked at him with that level gaze of hers, and against her will the ; blood dyed her face and neck. "Thank you. Miss Fleming." irTo took her hand in his great fist'. and held it fast for ten seconds longer than was necessary, "Gond night. Mr Carting," Serena said. 1 (To bo Continued.) I