Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-16

| " gence. This conun-
| drum reads:
| What Is the best suggestion whereby a
| woman with capital of 500 can embark IN
| business to earn spending money assist
her husband"
My observation is that If it were mere
| question of assisting husband large num-
| Der of wives couldn't do better than buy a
| divorce. What with bicycles and boomers
| and a prediction for boarding house life
| no expansion of income can. to my mind
| furnish any adequate means of ameliorat-
| ing the condition of men afflicted with fin
| de steele wives. But the church universally
| and the law pretty generally declining to
| consider divorces for worthless women in
| the light of charity to their husbands, this
| is clearly rot practical suggestion l have
therefore cast about for Others with the re-
| suit that am now able to present to women
| with capital of 500 not vain theories. but
| actually existing opportunities for helping
| their husbands or earning spending money.
Last week advertised: "A woman having
| 500 to invest would like to learn of some
| business opportunity in which she may en-
| gage her capital and her services to advan-
tage."
| the only chances for an American woman
| with money to succeed in life that failed to
| respond to this advertisement. Millinery
| stores, meat markets. corner groceries, a
| 6ill-distributing agency furniture-moving
| institution, man with system for playing
| the races. five widows and two orphans with
! experience in managing boarding house
are few of the good things that were
| placed at my disposal. Several employment
| bureaus We're willing to offer me anything
| I wanted which afforded them a ghost of
| an excuse for absorbing my one hundred
| dollars
Some of these people went to see, and
| some I did not. Their letters were SO sug-
gestiye of what they might be 1 fum,gated
and fnrfr
Partner In n BAR Room.
The first man l called on was real gent
| as his clothes went to show His shirt front
| was wildly striped as the Tammany
| tiger. and the diamond stud he wore in a
flaming necktie was like the sun. except
| that 1t had no spots on it. His checked
| trousers were creased sharp enough to kill
| and his box coat was so English, indeed, I
strongly suspected him of being either a
duke or Rudyard Kipling in disguise.
His first remark was disheartening
Sorry you amt younger" ne said. About
eighteen is what would like as to age, but
| mebhe you look UP under gaslight."
| L assured MIN that do, yet we We're forced
| TO play brief-very brief-enga cement
| His plan was to oren a bar room on nv
capital with me to help him at the bar.
| Inc next person l called on wrote from
| 1aShloEable apartment house on paper
bearing crest. l was ushercd into the
| presence of woman who was in that age
| she had passed her youth, and prettily de-
| clined any further relationship with time
| othef than as means of avoiding eternity
| Her face, that somehow reminded me of a
yellow pansy, was stamped by that inno-
| cence which Gautier describes as being of
the knowing sort" She was gowned in
| black, with simpicity-the simplicity that
| is the aim and end of perfect art. As she
| greeted me, she locked at me with pair
of mournful violet eyes, which made me
| vibrate through ard through with SYM
| affitnfiOnS " ,ybnIa che
| was plainly too clever ever to have suffer
| ed.
She asked me IL could do typewritirg
| and she asked about the degree of educa-
| ton l have received-whether l could pass
| an examination not too severe. Then she
asked would l like a place in Office
l answered, Very much" adding that
had supposed, however. an office was i'm
| possible to obtain.
Nothing is impossible with a woman
who makes up her mind to succeed" she
| replied and proceeded to show that she
! knew what she was talking about.
An Office Brokers Terms.
'If you care to pay me 500 as retainer"
she began Il will agree to procure you
place in office inside of two or three months
on the condition that for place paying you
sixty dollars per month you will pay me
| ten dollars a month as long as you are 1e-
| tained and pay me fifty per cent of every
| raise in salary l may be able to get YOU -
l expressed delight at this suggestion, and
she went on: Il am not proposing this to you
| as speculation. l have followed this office
| commission business since the last change
| of administration, and can satisfy you that
l have been not half bad at it. OF course,
| was able to do more at the beginning of
| the administration, when there Were many
| more vacancies tnan at present. I was led
| into the business by curiosity about the
personal advertisements which almost con-
| stantly appear in the papers in Washing
10 for 7
| suggested to you to any one able to secure
| a position in the departments. l have a
| circle OF friends that is not extensive, but
| is peculiarly influential. so 1 answered some
| of these advertisements to see what l could
| do. The result was l was very soon able to
| enjoy nice addition to my income with no
exertion on my part other than is perfectly
compatible with my social position. 1 can
| show you some papers to prove that this is
| no idle boast
Accordingly, from the inner recesses of sn
| exquisite inlaid escra orr. she produced
| a bundle of documents. from which sh, Sc
| lected several letters and gave them to me
| to read. In different FORM each expressed
| gratitude to her for services rendered in
| securing the writer place in office. Then
she showed me a number of contracts IN
| which different persons formally agreed
| to pay Mrs. - different sums per month
| during continuance in Office in consideration
| of holding the office on the strength of Mrs
IS influence.
You see." said she, II am perfectly open
| with you; you are welcome to go see these
| people if you like. I am quite safe In tho
| matter. for the reason that all proofs of
| my business are in my own hands, and If
| you or any of the others chose to talk my
| social position is such nobody would be-
| lieve YOU
Great Self Assurance.
| The self-assurance with which this was
| delivered was simply diabolical-dellciouslS
diabolical utterly without a flaw of con-
science to mar it's serene front, and her
great. mournful eyes the while confusing
and deluding one with a pathetic contradic-
| ton of her words.
LAS have said" she resumed, this is q
| dull season for vacancies. But If / should
| be unable at once to secure a position In
which you might engage your services l
would be able to have you attached to
| some department in a mental capacity,
with the understanding that you would not
| have to do the work. In that case your
pay would be considerably less than 500 a
north. What do you think of my plan?"
| 1 visited these persons she claimed to
| have installed in office, and in no instance
| was I able to acquire direct assent from
| them of what she had told me. Indirectly
four Of the five 1 visited satisfied me per
| fectly that the woman had told the truth