PAGE 13
Her Boss
by
McQuiston raised his hand warningly.
“That will do, young lady. But when you get another place, remember this: it is never your duty to entertain or to provide amusement for your employer.”
He gave Annie a look which she did not clearly understand, although she pronounced him a nasty old man as she hustled on her hat and jacket.
When Annie reached home she found Willy Steen sitting with her mother and sister at the dining-room table. This was the first day that Annie had gone to the office since Wanning’s death, and her family awaited her return with suspense.
“Hello yourself,” Annie called as she came in and threw her handbag into an empty armchair.
“You’re off early, Annie,” said her mother gravely. “Has the will been read?”
“I guess so. Yes, I know it has. Miss Wilson got it out of the safe for them. The son came in. He’s a pill.”
“Was nothing said to you, daughter?”
“Yes, a lot. Please give me some tea, mother.” Annie felt that her swagger was failing.
“Don’t tantalize us, Ann,” her sister broke in. “Didn’t you get anything?”
“I got the mit, all right. And some back talk from the old man that I’m awful sore about.”
Annie dashed away the tears and gulped her tea.
Gradually her mother and Willy drew the story from her. Willy offered at once to go to the office building and take his stand outside the door and never leave it until he had punched old Mr. McQuiston’s face. He rose as if to attend to it at once, but Mrs. Wooley drew him to his chair again and patted his arm.
“It would only start talk and get the girl in trouble, Willy. When it’s lawyers, folks in our station is helpless. I certainly believed that man when he sat here; you heard him yourself. Such a gentleman as he looked.”
Willy thumped his great fist, still in punching position, down on his knee.
“Never you be fooled again, Mama Wooley. You’ll never get anything out of a rich guy that he ain’t signed up in the courts for. Rich is tight. There’s no exceptions.”
Annie shook her head.
“I didn’t want anything out of him. He was a nice, kind man, and he had his troubles, I guess. He wasn’t tight.”
“Still,” said Mrs. Wooley sadly, “Mr. Wanning had no call to hold out promises. I hate to be disappointed in a gentleman. You’ve had confining work for some time, daughter; a rest will do you good.”
Smart Set, October 1919