The true northerner., 1899-08-16
W!LKELMINA.

well-educated woman must be over 80
years of age
isn't il mean. | don't seem TO fit in
anywhere. Young girls and old women
are in demand hut a girl of % is
neither young nor old: drug in the
MARKET Wilhelmina Thurston looked
disgusted.
You would just fit in there, WILL"
said her sister. reflectively.
Wilhelmina went to the mirror and
took the pins from her luXuriant hair,
which was rolled back loosely from
her luxuriant hair, which was rolled
her face and coiled on the crown Of
her head. She parted the hair down
the middle and drew it back plain.
braiding il and dressing it low. 1t was
unbecoming. for her rather severe type
of beauty was rendered stern by the
change
Il have made up my mind" said
Wilhelmina. going to the closet and
taking therefrom her darkest gown, n
dull gray, "tO apply for that position.
With stiff collar and no color to
brighten me up. | shall look antiquated
enough to escape detection. 1t will in
jure no one but myself and | want
work badly enough to add eight years
to my age. | shall claim to be 81"
Alice ThurstOn laughed, you are
desperate, viii. and no wonder; but l
fear one lie will not suffice; you are
not an adept in deceving."
You wait was the answer.
Sidney Spencer sat in his private
office, with bored look on his face
and a pile of manuscript at his elbow.
Outside in the main office the clerks
nudged each other and Uttered. as
young men will when the proprietor
is out of sight.
Another antiquated femaler' whis-
pered John StanwOod to his neighbor,
as a light step on the stair was heard.
A moment later Wilhelmina was ush-
cred into Spencer's Office.
'How old are you?' was the first
query.
"Thirty-one," she said, bravely.
what eXperienceY
''Ten years in newspaper Office"
This was true, for while mere child
she had assisted her father on the
Daily Bulletin, now among the miss
ing journals. Spencer looked intently
at the applicant. She seemed more
promising than the rest. "Are you
sure you are 81? You look young very
young"
Wilhelmna rose to the occasion. Her
assumption Of offended dignity would
have deceived keener man than
Spencer.
I'm sorry, sir. to have troubled YOU:
perhaps you require a certificate Of
birth. Unfortunately | have none
Good afternoon"
wait a moment. Pardon me. You
do not understand why | am so par
ticular in regard to age. There are
dozen young idiots in my employ who
waste their time in attentions to
younger woman. Harmless enough
I'll admit, but this is not a courting
school, and the work requires undi-
~vided attention.
II understand. I was young once
myself" she sighed. There was an
awkward silence.
Ger encouragingly. at only seems old
to fellows in the twenties."
'Thirty-one is respectable age and
needs no apology" was the tart reply.
Her gray eyes snapped and she looked
fierce.
She'll do" said Spencer to himself;
"there will be no flirting" Aloud he
said: "Can you stay this morning and
help me out with this? indicating the
pile Of manuscript.
Il shall be glad to begin at once"
was her reply. A half-dozen times
during the morning Wilhelmina caught
her employer looking curiously at her;
she wondered if he suspected her de-
ceit. At night he said pleasantly: II
am we'll satisfied with what you have
DONE" so she was engaged.
Much as she longed to appear her
own pretty self Wilhelmina dared not
put aside her dark unornamented gown
and tightly drawn back hair. With
these she assumed dignified, old-fash-
loned manner Of speech and action that
kept her youthful coworkers at dis
tance.
Her desk being in Spencer's office,
and the fact that much of their work
was done Jointly. placed them on a ia
miliar footing. II was agreeable work.
and had she not been acting a part
Wilhelmina would have thoroughly en-
1oyed 1t. A date in an article one day
led Spencer to ,ell his age, %. After
this she felt stl more uncomfortable,
saying to Alice II wonder how he