JOSIE ENGAGES AN ASSISTANT
Josie regretted her job. Life was becoming complicated, what with
trying to organize a force of canvassers for household necessities and
jewel novelties when every moment of her waking hours must be spent
trying to find out the true inwardness of the affair concerning Peter
and Polly and their demented mother. Her boss was trusting her, so she
must make good. And had she not, as Josie O'Gorman, highly recommended
Miss Sally Blossom? It was doubly up to her to deliver the goods. So
she thought as she sat in her little hall bedroom and went over in her
mind all she had learned that day.
There was a tap on her door. It was Miss Chisholm coming to call.
"I thought you might be lonesome," she said. "The guests of this house
are not very friendly to 'outsiders,' as they designate everybody who
hasn't been living at Miss Denton's since the flood. I liked the way
you shut up Judge Tuttle about your family name. The folks here talk
all the time about who's who. Sometimes I try to switch them over to
what's what but I can't keep them long from their beloved genealogical
dope."
"I didn't mean to shut him up," laughed Josie. "I was rattled to beat
the band."
Josie looked keenly at her visitor. Honesty was written all over her
countenance--wide-open grey eyes, delicately tip-tilted nose and large,
frank mouth that laughed easily, and at the end of a laugh shut
decisively.
"I liked the way you spoke out concerning Chester Hunt and stood up for
the poor kiddies, too," said Josie earnestly.
"It got me in bad with old Lady Claiborne, but I am dead tired of these
people here blindly accepting that man just because he is so all-fired
handsome. I believe he is crooked, but he is mighty popular with the
general run of people. The stenographers all hate him and there are a
few business men who don't trust him but he seems to be able to
hoodwink the society set. He has beautiful manners and is gentle and
graceful until he forgets himself and then look out! I feel in my bones
he is double dealing and I can't think what the Wallers' friends are
thinking of to let him take their affairs in hand as he does without
ever investigating a thing."
"But he is executor of Mr. Waller's estate, is he not?"
"Oh, yes, he is all that and I reckon nobody has a right to say a word.
Now, he is guardian of the children. The idea of that old hag's saying
those children are so naughty they ran their mother crazy! It makes me
sick. They are precious kids."
"They certainly are," agreed Josie. Miss Chisholm looked at her in
astonishment.
"Do you know them?"
"Yes," said Josie, "I know them very well. Miss Chisholm, I'm going to
do a rather cheeky thing. I'm going to force my confidence on you and
make you party to a secret--that is, I am going to do it if you have no
objection. It won't implicate you in any way and won't involve any work
unless you choose to let it. I want your advice and I want your
outlook. I need hardly say that this is of a most confidential nature.
May I impose on you?"
"Yes, you may, but before you do, please tell me why you think I am
worthy," asked Miss Chisholm, her eyes shining with excitement.
"The way you shut your mouth and open your eyes," laughed Josie. "The
way you stood up for the kids and were not afraid to speak your mind
concerning a man who has in some way got the majority for him. Of
course I can't say I am never mistaken about people but I am pretty
safe to hit it right once in a while and I have a hunch I have hit it
right with you. I am rather meek just now concerning my powers of
reading character by countenance, because I am sure if I had not had a
preconceived idea of what Chester Hunt is I should have trusted him
because of his handsome face. He is one of the best-looking villains I
ever saw."
"Oh, you know him too, then?"
"No, I have only seen him. I haven't been in Atlanta long enough to
know him yet, but I saw him drive up in his car and enter the garage at
the Waller house."
"You knew all about who lived there all the time you were asking,
then," smiled Miss Chisholm.
"Not all about it but a little and I wanted to get the outlook of Miss
Denton's boarders."
"Heavens above! I believe you are a detective," cried Miss Chisholm.
Josie chuckled delightedly.
"Exactly! A detective but a very humble one. My father was a great
detective, one of the best the United States has had. O'Gorman was his
name."
"Of course I have heard of him. And you are his daughter and not Sally
Blossom. No wonder you had to cut Judge Tuttle off short. Oh me, oh my,
but I'm having a good time!"
"So am I, but I've bitten off more than I can chew. When I am at home I
go talk things over with the chief of police or one of my partners and
I seem mighty far off just now with a big thing on hand and no one to
go to. I'm not cry-babying, but just want to gas along on the subject
for a while. I have a kind of idea you can help me a lot."
"Well, cut loose," commanded Miss Chisholm. "By the way, my name is
Alice--Alice Chisholm."
"All right, Alice Chisholm. Mine is Josie O'Gorman, but I'd better be
Sally Blossom for a while yet."
Then Josie told her new friend all about the Children's Home Society of
Dorfield and her friend Mary Louise Dexter's donation to the Home and
how the little Polly and Peter had come to the office with the person
known as Cousin Dink. She told of finding the letters in the grate at
Mrs. Pete's, of all the children had let drop concerning their home
life and their sad wanderings with Cousin Dink.
"And now I am on the war path to see if there isn't something to be
done for those poor kiddies. If they stay at the Home they will have to
be adopted sooner or later--maybe separated and that would be a tragedy
indeed."
She showed the letters from Chester Hunt to the cousin.
"Whew! Wouldn't some of these society girls throw fits if they knew
about this Dink person?" laughed Alice. "But what is it you want me to
do? I am crazy about helping but how can I?"
Then Josie told of the job she had as a canvasser and her feeling that
the detective work was going to take all her time. "I thought I'd find
out things as a canvasser and never dreamed of how easy it was to get
boarders to talking and find out that way. Now I hear that Chester Hunt
is advertising for white servants and of course my stunt would be to
apply at once for the place of housemaid or even cook."
"How funny! Would you really do that?"
"Sure I I've done it before, and under my father's orders, but that is
another story. But I must make good with my boss on this canvassing. He
has trusted me and it is up to me to deliver the goods."
"Why don't you get an assistant?"
"That is what I mean to do, but where?"
"I'm open to inducements," declared Alice seriously. "You see I am a
free-lance in business. My job is doing publicity work for any and
every concern that feels like paying me. I have nothing on hand just
now, but am expecting a deal to come my way to-morrow. I don't have to
take it if they are in a hurry, but can turn it down and take up your
canvassing business. I have an office of my own--nothing but a tiny
hole in the wall but it will serve as headquarters. I can get in touch
with plenty of women to canvass for you in a little or no time. The
office next to mine is that of the Vocational Bureau for Women. They
fly higher than this kind of job usually but I reckon there are enough
unemployed females on their books who would jump at the chance to earn
a few dollars."
"Good! I am a fortunate person. My supplies will be along to-morrow. I
shall have them sent to your office and you can get busy as fast as you
can."
The girls then had a serious business talk. The question of
remuneration was satisfactorily settled.
"I wonder, now, if you could write me a reference for his nibs, Chester
Hunt. I want to apply for the job of housemaid this very night. It
isn't too late, do you think?"
"I'll do it immediately," laughed Alice. "What must I say?"
"That I am honest and willing and capable. I am all those things, I can
assure you. Perhaps you won't think so when you see me get back to
normalcy. I must change my make-up if I want a job as house servant. I
think I'll be a Swede. Josie Larson will be a good name. I must say I
feel better if I'm Josie. I'm always afraid I'll forget to answer as
Sally."
Alice Chisholm's eyes danced merrily as she watched Josie O'Gorman make
herself ready to apply for a housemaid's position. First the henna wig
was pulled off and Josie brushed out her neat sandy braids that had
been tightly coiled around her head. She parted her hair in the middle
and then pulled it tightly back in a hard knot, carefully disclosing
her ears, something no person of any breeding was supposed to do at
that time. The knot was placed at exactly the wrong angle, giving a
strangely comic look to her profile. The georgette dinner dress was
discarded for the tweed suit but the suit was so put on that all
semblance of natty cut was lost. The skirt was on slightly askew and
pulled up in front and down in the back. The belt to the Norfolk jacket
was drawn too tight and the effect was blousy from the rear and what
Alice called "a poor white folk's tuck" in the fore. Josie's sailor hat
she placed on the back of her head, carefully pulling it down so that
one ear was pushed down by the crown. The despised rouge was wiped from
her cheeks and artistically applied to her nose--not much, but just a
suspicion.
"Splendid! Splendid!" cried Alice. "I don't believe you will need a
reference. You would have to be honest to look like that."
The reference was written, however, and signed A. Chisholm. With it
tightly clasped in a hand upon which Josie had drawn a large white
cotton glove, a finishing touch to her costume, the would-be housemaid
silently crept from the Elberta Inn and, with an extra dull look in her
eyes, rang the front door bell at the Waller house.