Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-05

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 hel
Saturday afternoons. All the tact that
is necessary for her is to mind her OWL
business and hold her tongue. She ha.
her evenings to herself. and. if she likes
she can get extra work then so as Il
put by an extra sum to her ordinary
earnings for her summer holiday. 1t il
a fine life for wOman-there is no mis-
take about that.
The result of this chance meeting anG
conversation with an utter stranger wa:
that Mary went straight away to GER
tain school of typewriting and at once
entered herself as a 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
dashe> which seem so 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 a small firm of brokers at d
salary of Il shillings a week
1t was of course but a beginning.
Still it was Il beginning. and Mary had
accepted it gladly, both for what il
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 \. y. T. shop she went
off 70 the school and worked hard at her
shorthand
4 few months more saw her in differ
ent circumstances. for she left the firm
of brokers and engaged herself to a
lawyer of large practice. who paid heI
30 shillings week and treated her
pleasantly into the bargain. After near
ly year in this Office her employer sud
denly died, and she was thrown ont of
work
q Not that she was dcstitute-by no
means. She had lived carefully, almost
frugally. keeping always in mind the
possibility of rainy day in time to
come She took a weeks holiday and
spent it at Doyercuurt. 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 a 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 Creed
of Love.
1t is almost impossible for me TO tell
the effect that this story had upon Mary
Conway. 1t was Il story of passion pas
sionately written. 1t 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 it over again several times
during the rest of her week S 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.
Then she went back 10 London. She
was feeling stronger and more really