The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-10
[Copyright. 1899, by the Author.

then open to her that Of typewriter.
The accounts which she gathered Of
/ this way Of making living were more
hopeful. She would pay 10 guineas to
be taught the trade, and six months
would see her in fair way Of earning
decent living She could, until she
was proficient, live very cheaply and
quietly in her modest little room, and
she would have every interest in forcing
herself ahead as quickly as possible.
There was nothing in the manipulation
! Of delicats and Intelligent machine
(this was tie way that o young girl
whose acquaintance she made in tea
shop, spoke Of her typewriter) which
could be in any way revolving to her,
Or which was in any sense beyond her
powers.
"And of course, said the girl, III
you 20 In for shorthand as well, you
just double your value from the very
start
SIS it difti ,ults" Mary asked, rather
diffidently..
eyes, it il difficult, - the girl replied,
"but by no means insurmountable. And
the advantages are enormous. Oh, it is
grand life for q woman. Any woman
Of average intelligence can make liv-
ing at it, and a woman whose intelli-
gence is above the average can do more
than make living. She can command
her own price. Then it is a free life! I
mean in this way. If a woman goes in.
for nursing, she needs years and years
Of training, and goodness only knows
whether she will prove herself a really
skilled nurse at the end of it. She needs
supefhuman strength, endless patience,
infinite tact, and for what To earn at
best 2 guineas a week, to be treated a,
little better than a servant, to be al
ways in position that is entirely tenn
porary. A typist, on the other hand, es-
pecially IL she is also stenographer,
can easily make e100 year, provided
that she is really good at her work. She
has her fixed hours, her fixed holidays
She has always her Sundays and her
Saturday afternoons All the tact that
is necessary for her is to mind her own
business and hold her tongue. She has
her evenings to herself, and, if she likes,
she can get extra work then so as to
put by an extra sum to her ordinary
earnings for her summer holiday. 1t is
fine life for woman-there is no mis-
take about that"
The result Of this chance meeting and
conversation with an utter stranger was
that Mary went straight away to GER
tain school of typewriting and at once
entered herself as pupil for the entire
course, and then she set herself to work.
She was an apt pupil. Her well bal
anced mind, tinged by disappointment
and trouble, but unruffied by the great
er passions of life, quickly grasped the
intricacies of the curious dots and
dashes which seem 80 mysterious and
confusing to the majority of mortals.
She made rapid progress and before the
six months which she had allowed her
self for her pupilage had come to an
end she found herself established in the
office Of small firm Of brokers at a
salary Of is shillings week.
1t was! Of course but beginning.
Still 1t was a beginning. and Mary had
accepted it gladly, both for what it
brought her and as an earnest of better
things to come. And each evening when
she had left the office and had had tea
at the nearest X Y z. shop she went
off to the school and worked hard at her
shorthand.
A few months more saw her in differ
ent circumstances, for she left the firm
of brokers and engaged herself to
lawyer Of large practice, who paid her
80 shillings week and treated her
pleasantly into the bargain. Afternear
ly year in this office her employer sud
denly died, and she was thrown out Of
work.
Not that she was destitute-by no
means. She had lived carefully, almost
frugally, keeping always in mind the
possibility of a rainy day in time to
come. She took weeks holiday and
spent it at Dovercourt, where she sat by
the glorious sea, basking in golden sun.
shine and the keen brisk air, reveling
in novels and drinking in full supply
Of health and strength which would
last her for at least year to come.
Among the books she had taken down
with her was one which had been lent
to her by her one intimate friend, the
girl Lucy Chalmers, who had first given
her information about the life and ca
reer Of typist. Mary had been three
golden days by the sea ere she began to
read it, 1t was called "A Lovers Greed
Of Love-
1t is almost impossible for me to tell
the effect that this story had upon Mary
Conway. It was story of passion pas
sionately written. It was fervid, full of
life and stir and color, and it was clean
and wholesome in tone withal. 1t was
Enthusiastically the, work Of man rich
in imagination who was yet full Of
common sense and sound judgment. 1t
fascinated, enthralled, amazed her. She
went to bed and dreamed Of it.
She read 1t over again several times
during the rest of her week holiday,
leaving the other books unread after the
first glance into their, to her. meaning
less pages During those few days she
lived with it.
TAen she went back to Lendcs. Sho
was feeling stronger and more really
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