Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-12-14
HOW HE BETRAYED HER.
A Sad Chapter from the Dark Side
Of Washington Life.

Washington Correspondents Detroit News.l
Posted conspicuously along the
corridors of the interior depart
ment is the following notice
"There are no vacancies in this
department. Applicants cannot be
seen. Applications in writing will
be received and placed on file for
future examination"
called the attention of the ven
cradle clerk, who was showing me
around and giving me lessons in
civil service reform, to this notice,
and remarked:
81 suppose this is another device
got up to deceive the people?"
"Yes, it serves the purpose of
deceiving applicants to a limited
extent, but 1t was originally got up
for the benefit of one person alone.
The history of that notice is some
what romantic, and would be a
good subject for 'yaller kiyer. T"
urged him to give me the story,
which he did in nearly the follow
ing language:
"Some years ago there was a
young clerk occupying a desk near
the entrance to the building. He
was rather reckless in his character,
fond Of a joke, and loved an adyen-
ture better than he loved wine,
which is saying a good deal. One
day young girl, well dressed, and
aged about sixteen, entered his
room and asked il he was the secre.
tary of the interior. He saw at 8
glance that she was simple.
minded country girl, and wonder.
ing what she could want with the
secretary, determined to find out
all about it, and promptly replied
in the affirmative. She thereupon
told him that she had recently beer
left an orphan and among strang
ers; that her fathers estate, which
was considerable before the war
had been swept away, and that sh,
was penniless and obliged to sup
port herself. She had a good edu'
cation and wrote q fair hand, anC
! hearing that situations in the de
partments were frequently filled b,
ladies she had determined to appl,
for one herself.
"The clerk ascertained that sh,
( had no backing, but that in he
!. simplicity Of mind had come her
= thinking that no such thing wa
necessary. He therefore decided
: upon a line of action, infamous il
design and disastrous in its conse
; Quences, Still carrying the i1e
: that he was the secretary, he ascer
tanned her stopping place, AM
agreed TO consider her application
aud call that evening to inform ne
. of the result. He also cautione
;, her on some specious pretext againS
talking with others on the subjeC
, Of her business. He called at tn
n time appointed, and, telling he
= that there weFs no vacancies
: present, advised her to take lodl
iggs somewhere and wait, rromll
: ing her the first place when a VI
cancy occurred, She took his az
J. advice, and the resplt can be easiI
4 imagined. 1t was the el9, ol
story. OF course she never got II
n situation promised, but was put 0
" from day to day and month
month on various pretexts, unt
: finally, by a change Of administer
F lion, he lost his own situation.
Overwhelmed by the loss of h
J position and the consciousness
s' The infamy Of his conduct towa,
ri the poor girl, he shrank from telliI
her the truth and fearing che co
sequences if his guilt should becou
N. known, he resolved to conceal /
crime by still further aeceptio
lk To this end he wrote her q no
telling her that he bad sudden
he been called to Europe on importa
business connected with mis- depa
! ment, but that he had left ord,