The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-19

though were exactly spoiled by pros
perity, do To-
We'll" he answered slowly, IT was
afraid you were in hard luck And to
tell you the truth I was sorry to see
you with that bunch tonight. It didn't
seem exactly right-a nice girl like you.
Why don't you-that is Well" he fin
ished, fioundering. Il don't quite I'M
derstand it."
7 don't understand it, either" Jim
said Nina sadly. Il know I'm not such
a bad actress. I did we'll that summer
was in Chicago and got some good
notices. But luck's been against me. /
can't get in a good company and what
can you do in a place like this? 1
often thought I'd give up and go home
but since mother died there's no home
to go to and don't know what else 1
could do. But I'm sick of it. I'd do
almost anything to get out of it,
Jim Ryan was the cheerful sort and
optimistic There must be something
else" he said. There are so many
CRAFTS, nowadays. OF course I know
it's different with a woman but a man
can always find something that suits
him and pays pretty well. I don't blame
you for being Disguised with this sort
of thing. 1t must be awful And I
know it's hard to start out on any
thing new when you're not" he hesi-
tated, embarrassed.
yes. 1 know it," said Nina Farley
I'm not young. / was thirty-nine in
November and I've been in this bust
ness for fourteen years. Do you Won
der look twice my age?'
But you don't" Ryan assured her.
That's just what I was going to say.
You re mighty good looking and young
looking woman and you're a smart wo-
man. too and it's too bad for you to
be starving yourself to death in a job
like this. Now If you cared for bust
ness-but I don't suppose you do
there's a woman with our house, one
of the smartest commercial travellers in
the west Yes, ma'am; sells reapers
and binders and hay rakes and the like.
She's business through and through.
And / know other women who manage
ranches and are presidents of banks
| and others who are doctors and law
yers. There's lots of things for a wo-
man besides marriage. That's what
tell Mrs. Ryan when she wonders why
some of the girls she Knows prefer
working for their living to marrying
and settling down Every woman can't
cook and keep house and like it. But
don't know just what you would like.
[ suppose what you want is good
position in a good company but then
couldn't help you to get that and you
say you've tried time and again. I'm
could help you to get"
There's where you're mistaken
said Nina Farley. 81 don't really want
any kind of a position in any kind of
kind of work and all my ambition has
left me. If I had my choice I'd leave
the stage tomorrow and the biggest
manager in this country couldn't tempt
me to go back at the highest salary
But what can I do? I can't starve.''
mo" said Jim Ryan. And he sat
thinking in silence a while. Say he
spoke up presently. why don't you
get a, job teaching elocution and dra-
matte art in a girls school or some
thing?"
But Nina Farley shook her head sad
''wen, then" he said. there's the
women's clubs. You might lecture or
something
But Nina Farley had jumped to her
feet and clapped her hands together ex-
citedly- Jim. you're a dear!" she
cried. why did I never think of it
before? It's just because I'd gotten in
such hopeless rut and I'd have staid
forever If I hadn't met you. No, it's
not lecturing-but you made me think
of it. Can [? Yes, 1 believe can. Jim,
I'll quit the company tomorrow and I'll
go back to Peoria and stay with my
brother Terrence a while and work up
my scheme. You'll hear from me again
about this and if I make a good thing
out of it I'll give you a commission"
well" said Jim as he made ready to
go, "if the new scheme needs any funds
and I can do anything for you don't
hesitate to call on me-
The fad among the women at the
hotels at the lake resorts up around
Chicago last summer was Mrs. Farqu
har-Bruce of New York city and her
classes in artistic expression 1t is
a sort of physical culture fad, embrac
ing voice culture and elocution and
elegancies of pronunciation and kin
bred accomplishments which, in her in
troductory lectures" at the biggest
and most fashionable hotel at each re-
sort Mrs. Farquhar-Bruce explained,
mark the woman of good birth and Gull
tivated associations everywhere. Mrs.
Farquhar-Bruce herself, all the ladies
from Springfield, Quincy, Rock Island,
st. Louis, Omaha and Kansas City
agreed, was just too perfectly cultured
and delightful for anything. They were
in great haste to join her classes espe-
cially when it was announced that
Mrs Astor had been one of her New
York pupils and Mrs. Potter Palmer
had subscribed for her course of lee
lures in Chicago the following winter
and her charges were only fifty dol
lars for a term of twelve lessons She
made the round of the resorts, her fame
following her from Petoskey to Wauke-
sha and from Waukesha to Lake
Geneva. She was feted, courted, fol-
lowed and made much of every place
she went and her classes taxed the ca
pacities of the hotel parlors three or
four mornings out of the week. She
| was always exquisitely groomed and
faultlessly gowned. Her fingers
sparkled with costly rings and she had