Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-04-18
DOkA'S DECISION.
BY MAY B. BROWN.


~Yes," grumbled Henry Carter, cast
ing whitening glance at his sister,
''that's always the way with woman.
She starts out SO brash, sure that she
can do man'n work; but before long
she comes back, all broken down, to be
taken care of. / told you how it would
be when you went away.
Dora Carter, sitting pale and defect
ed in the wooden armchair, raised her
head and shot an indignant glance at
her brother.
E'But, Henry, you know it wasn't
cierking that broke me down. The doc
tor said that my health was under
mined when / came back and helped
nurse your children through the scar
let fever, and that working right along
after that, without rest, was too much
for me. He says it is no wonder women
fail in business so often, since they al
ways go into it exhausted from doing
so many other kinds of work"
"Stuff and nonsense!" snorted her
brother. "Just like a woman to
blame some one else for her own fail
ings! / helped nurse the children, too,
and my health wasn't undermined. But
no matter about your notions; you are
here, and have you to take care of, and
1 only hope you will appreciate what it
is to be supported when times are as
hard as they are now. And you might
lend me hand with the milking, since
that doctor you're so fond of quoting
has ordered outdoor exercise for you"
And Dora, meekness in her bearing,
but rebellion in her heart, followed her
brother to the corral, where the COWS
were shut up for the night. She
thought of much that was past. She re-
membered that her brother had Sc.
cured deed of the large farm he owned
from their father on promise that he
would always take care of Dora; and
how, after the old man had died, she had
endured life with him and his pale,
detected wife, as dependent upon him
financially as she was herself, to whom
never penny went except grudgingly;
how she had worked at all kinds Of
work, indoors and out, veritable pau
per, and how, at last, in an unusual
burst of Indignation, through the in
fluence of the circuit minister, she had
secured a position as clerk in a large
dry goods store in Big Bend, the nearest
large town-a good-sized one, indeed,
for Kansas.
Her eagerness to master the details Of
the business, her quickness, and absorb
ton in her work, soon advanced her,
until she was in charge of two or three
departments. Then her brothers chill
,dren were attacked with scarlet fever,
and he had summoned her back to the
farm to help, from which nursing she
had gone back to work broken down in
health, and long illness ensued, during
which her brother had not troubled
himself to inquire what might be her
chances for life. When she was able to
leave her room, the doctor issued an
edict to the effect that she must not re-
turn to the store for year, and that at
least two-thir(ls of her waking time
should be spent outdoors.
So, against her will, she had been
forced to go back to her brother, who
had at once taken the opportunity to
use her case as proof of all his argu-
1Gents against women in business life,
or, indeed, women who thought for
themselves at all.
But Dora, since her entry into the
business world, had learned to think
for herself, and was quite different
from the meek, cowed little drudge
that she had been. AS she seated her
self on the milking stool, and gave the
sleek cow pat, there was rebellion
in her blue eyes and a defiant curve
about her lips that said Henry Carriers
ascendancy was over, so far as one WON
an was concerned in it.
Il can't stay here" she said to her
self. L know my own place in the
world too well to be the servant that
was once. Between now and morning
I must think out another way of living
for the next year."
And while Dora was thinking out"
her problem that night. her brother, in
the room below, gave his wife economi-
cal counsel.
"Now that Dora's come back, Marcia,
/ want her made use of, for we can't
have any ladyfied airs around here. She