The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-12-02

IamlIy as calmly as though she were
discussing an affair ut the Antipodes;
and though Bob lad looked puzzled,
and Martha had wept, and the twins, al
ways ready to do their part, and scent
ing possible loss of bon-bons in the
calamity they family understood,
walled bitterly, Nancy had laughed air.
lily, and had gone that evening to a
dance in her prettiest gown, and flirted
and danced so desperately that Martha
had brought her home in disgrace.
Then came the feverish round of
1bsen, philanthropy and gayety; and
now had come this new desire for
something to d." though Nancy had
done everything but the right thing,
and wouldn't have done that to save
her proud young soul, for Jerry had
made no sign; and though Nancy had
danced with whom she pleased, and as
many times as she pleased, and the VIC
Tins of her bow and spear had been
many, still time had dragged heavily
somehow, and so through the thorny
paths of unrest she had reached her
new resolution, and now held it with
a grasp that had in it something of
desperation.
Lord Bateman, growing impatient,
shook the paper in his tiny teeth, and
Nancy went back to her "Help' COL
umn.
"As for fretting for Jerry Dennison,"
she said, "that's perfect nonsense! 1
shall never get over congratulating my
self on my escape from the horrid,
tyrannical husband he would have
made. Fretting, indeed" Nancy lifted
up her voice and laughed; but Lord
Bateman, on her lap, wriggled uneas-
lily; for something warm and wet
dropped down on his ear, and he dis
approved of it.
At two o'clock Nancy, booted and
gloved, extricated Martha from the
clutches of the twins, and babe her a
brisk and business-like farewell.
"Behold my situation!" she said, with
flourish of divers clippings. "There
are some gorgeous ones here! Listen:
Observation-Disclosures young woman
(They evidently had me in mind, Mar
thai Must have good education and
business ability. Apply 81 Broad
street. That sounds bookkeeperish,
doesn't it? And here's another: Want
ed-young woman under 30, for office
work. and"
"You needn't read ME any more, l
won't listen to them," said Martha.
Its not proper, Nancy, for you to go
poking about those strange offices, and
talking to men you never set eyes on
before, and don't know what Bob is
thinking of to simply laugh, as he does,
instead of forbidding it, You are max
ing me miserable with this whim, and
beg of you to give it up"
Nancy considered a moment, with
her dark eyebrows close together.
II don't see why you are SO anxious
about it," she said IF you are going
to fret so when the twins get old
enough to earn their daily bread in
stead of devouring it from morning to
night, you'll turn them into a perfect
pair OF 'hoboes.' However, III compro-
mise. This is Friday. If 1 haven't a
situation by Saturday evening, I will
give up the whole thing, and dance and
prance and be useless all the rest of
my life. Will that satisfy your
1T will have to, suppose" said Mar
tina; and Nancy kissed her and de-
parted.
She came in as the family were sit
ting down to dinner, and accepted with
composure Bob's gift of huge button
with Il want a situation" printed
across it.
"Thank you," she said. "Ill pin it
on my jacket when go out tomorrow,
and surrender gracefully to the high
est bidder"
'Then you haven't succeeded to-
day." said Martha. I'm delighted to
hear it. What did all those beautiful
Ads turn out to be?"
Nancy looked at her demurely, with
a little smile tucked in the corner of
her mouth. Book agents, all four of
them," she said. II foresee that shall
be driven into the trade at last. Pre-
pare yourself, Bob! If I ever do turn
my intellect in that direction, shall
come to your office every morning and
sell you The Life of Lincoln or The
War of 1872 or some other of those ex
citing works saw this afternoon, for
practice"
"Thank goodness, there is only one
more day of it," said Martha. "You
didn't meet anyone you knew, hope"
mot one," said Nancy. every ac-
quaintance I possess must have soul
above Twentythird street. There
wasn't familiar thing downtown.
But like it, I really do. You needn't
laugh, Bob. I'm going to start early to-
morrow
The next day it rained drearily.
Nancy spent the morning in a shower
of newspapers, and in the afternoon
donned her macintosh and goloshes.
and went forth bravely, with de-
termination in her heart. This dav
she would find something to do or per-
ish in the attempt! Her life shouldn't
be made miserable by Bob's ridicule
and Martha's Il told you sos" If
there was an Office in the entire city
that wanted bookkeeper and wanted
her Immediately, she would attach her.
self to it like barnacle.
But alas! Nancy was wanted for
everything that day but what she
wanted. Suave, mustached gentlemen,
admiration in their eyes and business
Oh their lips, offered her volumes the
percentage upon whose prospective
sales would have filled a Rothschild
with glee. She was wanted to polish
jewelry; to make paper flowers; to be
tho hiph Driestass of +vno,,,r;+,