She said, “I have one system with Bertha. I do all the work she hands me. When I’ve finished, I leave the office. I don’t try to be friendly with her. I don’t want her to be friendly with me. I’m just as much a part of this typewriter as the keyboard. I’m a machine — and I try to be a good one.”
“What’s all that correspondence you keep hammering away at?” I asked.
“Letters she sends out to lawyers from time to time soliciting business, and correspondence dealing with her investments.”
“Many investments?”
“Lots of them. She goes to two extremes. Most of the time she’s wanting something that’s as safe as a government bond, but paying about twice as much interest. Then there’s another side to her — the plunger. She’s a great gambler.”
I said, “Well, the way this office is going to be run you’re not to be overburdened with work. Go down to the news-stand in the lobby, pick up a couple of motion picture magazines, and a chew of gum. Put a magazine in the top drawer of your desk. Open the drawer, and sit there chewing gum and reading the magazine. When anyone comes in, close the drawer; but not until after they’ve seen what you’re doing.”
She said, “I’ve always wanted a job like that. Other girls seem to get them. I’ve never been able to.”
“This’ll probably not last longer than a couple of days, but it’s the sort of job you’re going to have.”
“Bertha will switch. She’ll get you some girl from an employment office and take me back to the mill.”
“I won’t let her. I’ll tell her that I need someone I can trust. She can get lots of girls to do typing; it might be a good idea to let her see just how hard it is to fill your place.”