Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-07-31
city's human traffic and wasF swept
along with il

! the picture was still on exhibition, and
/ there was the usual crowd in front
Of it.
She stopped again and looked hum
grily at it. 1t was like getting a
glimpse into the dear home circle in
the parsonage at Conrad.
1t was perhaps little strange thah
she had not entertained the idea OF
calling at Raleigh's studio and telling
him that she was the daughter of his
| subject in the picture. But Faith was
very shy in some ways, and she simply
never thought Of trying to meet the
artist.
AS she stood there this Saturday
night two men in the crowd were talk
ing about the picture. They stood 50
near her that she could not help hear
ing what they said.
ct seems too bad to take the picture
out Of the window"
eve can leave it there another
week" ,.s.
"When do you start west?,.a
s1The last Of next month";
"Better leave it here till them
81 think SO too. But what a force IL
l
has, Malcolm"
Faith started at the familiar name
and looked up.
The man who spoke was a middle
aged, gray bearded gentleman, and the
man whom he called "Malcom'' was
perhaps 25 years old, stalwart, fine
looking fellow, with something In his
| face that made Faith puzzle over
something foreign there. For an in
slant their eyes met. Then Faith
blushed and moved back out of the
crowd and went on. She did not look
| back, but she seemed to feel that the
two gentlemen We're looking after her. (
"They are the persons who have
bought the picture and will take it
away" she said as she walked along.
She was sad at the thought, for she!
had come to cherish the look at the
| fathers face which she had enjoyed
every day since she first saw it there.
| During the next few weeks Faith
had an experience that tried her as
she had never been tried
She visited scores of photographers.
studios to get piecework.s In some of
them she would find waiting a dozen
girls all on the same errand. She prov
ed the value Of her work on several oc-
casions, for she had learned to do the
retouching in a superior manner, and
still, work as hard as she WOULD thel
orders she could get did not eauaI her
expenses which she had red1Iced tol
the lowest possible figures.
1 She came back to her room one day
after an unsuccessful application for
orders in 20splaces thoroughly tired,
for she had walked a good many miles.
| and the streets We're running over with
! mud and snow.
She counted over her money and TOR
| the first time realized that she had
| reached the end She was determined
not to run in debt, although her land
| lady in the fiat had been very kind.
She went down to a little newsstand
| on the corner and bought an evening
paper and looked over the wilderness
of wants" and wondered how in q
\ city like that any one ever found any
| thing to do. She envied the butchers
| boy who was just coming out of mar
ket near by and thought of asking him
how he managed to get his position
while so many boys Were probably
| without any.
She took the paper to her room and
finally settled on one advertisement as
| offering possible chance for her.
| She had made UP her mind for sew
! eral weeks that she could not make 8
living by retouching.
9TH do it." she said, with a faint
flush of color in her face. 81 wonder
what mother would say!''
The advertisement was as follows:
| WANTED.-An American girl to do cooking and
| general homework. Wages satisfactory. Apply.
with references, to - Ellis avenue
| .'If l can get 81 a week with my
board, can save nearly every cent OF
it," said Faith resolutely. "And moth
er taught me how to cook. am sure
it is as honorable a way to earn liy-
ing as working in a store
There was a bit of adventure in it
| also that attracted her. The thought
Of Dorothy Gilberts daughter work.
] ing out as q hired girl" gave Faith
| something of surprise at herself, but
it was a part of her love of expert
! +.
ments that made possible the strange
| experience she was now about to know.
She went to the studio early Mon
day morning and secured good refers
ences. For the rest she said she would
frankly ask the people to try her for a
week at least and then employ her for
/ what she could do.
She took Cottage Grove avenue car
and went directly to the number on
Ellis avenue. 1t was large house,
| with a veranda on three sides. She
went around to the side entrance and,
mounting the steps. rang the bell her
heart trembling little as she did so
(To be Continued)
- fg55sr-l
Drifting wrecI- 4