Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-10-11
A Scientific
Experiment
hrs. VAN STYLERT heard her
secretary's foot on the stairs.
81 must keep it up" she said.
Tt Ia q duty owe her. |
IS|
By Robert c. v. Meyers
Copyright, 1904. by Robert c. v. Meyers

VseA@eY III lS uuty o"S hSi'
went to school with her mother"
That day she was specially hard with
the young lady, who for nearly three
months now had been coming an hour
each afternoon to write little notes and
cast ND troublesome accounts, an office
which she also undertook for several
of Mrs. Van Stylert's most intimate
friends.
It was on that same day that Mrs.
Van Stylert. noticing the neatness OF
the girls prim collar and cuffs, accused
her Of being cut out for an old maid.
The secretary smiled, as cheerfully ad-
mitting the impeachment. Also that
afternoon Tom Harroway stopped for
8 o'clock tea, as had been the case
many days Of late. AS he slipped the
cup that cheers, but not inebriates. his
hostess expanded upon the charms OF
Charlotte Templeton.
Harroway put his cup down laugh
ingly.
"You know enthusiasm has gone
out" he said.
"Aloug with a good many other hon.
est things" she grurubled. "girlishness
and all that sort Of thing. Everybody
Is too sophisticated nowadays; pretti-
ness is swamped by so called artistic
ideas, and so on. Look at this room.
Everything is pink that can be made
pink, and furbelowed and aouncy-not
a bit artistic. The low tones In the
furnishings Of some of my friends give
me the blues for q week after ! have
encountered them. l like brightness.
/ never will believe in hiding light un-
der a bushel of dingy rugs and dra-
peries which began their existence In
wretched oriental huts, half dwellings
and half camel stables"
"Yes," he laughed, 81 have rug that
was a prayer carpet, covered all over
with Syrian remarks in worsted that
/ am positive are wriggling expostula.
lions against the dull reds and blues
It is delicious"
"And look how young women dress,
she went on. ignoring him. THAT Is,
young women with ideas. For In
stance, Miss Seton. Pardon the per-
sonality, Amy, but you are such an
example. You come here day after
day looking like a masculine nun In
your severe tailor made black frock'
l like fiutfiness in the street In day
time as we'll as under the awful cleo
tries Of bathrooms at night. Electric
light! No complexion will stand it.
and yet girls today brave it as though
they intend some time to become un'
Christian martyrs"
The ormolu clock on the lace draped
mantelpiece struck 5. The secretary
closed her desk.
"There's another thing" Mrs. Van
Stylert continued. "You engage per
son for an hours work. On the stroke
of that hour the person vanishes-no
interest in the work, no appreciadve
gratitude"
The secretary's face flushed.
"Good EVENING" she said. moving
toward the door.
Tomorrow afternoon" her employer
said crisply, "at 4. sharp"
The girl left the room.
Don't you think" Harroway re
marked. "you are a trife-ah-severe
with the lady, Mrs. Van s."
81 am sick Of the status Of employed
people," retorted Mrs. Van Stylert
Everything nowadays Is respect fol
labor none for those who employ it
No, Miss Seton is alone in the world
She has imbibed too many lofty no
tions. l am treating her as my mother
might have treated secretary, If sec
retaries had been a part Of my moth
er's miseries."
He shrugged his shoulders.
81 know" she said. you do not ad
mire herr
Rather say" he interposed, 81 have
scarcely noticed her till the last month
or So"
when my severity as you call it
attracted your attention to her." she
responded. And she admitted only
yesterday that she had not noticed you
either"
He gave her quick look.
"Oh, yes" she pursued; 81 have told
her that 1t has been a year since you
left college and that now you are q
full fedged idle man Of fashion. She
curled her lip-they used to curl theil
lips In the stories l read when l was
young-and said the world is no plact
for idlers; that man should do bis
best to achieve a position not already
established for him by his father. Still
mother. and feel q sort Of responsi
bllity for her. That Is why ! am try
ing to make her realize her true posi-
ton. She can't afford to give me up
] have had her employed by my friend:
and could easily take that employment
from her. She was quite helpless wher
she came to me- She had nursed hel
mother for years. and her income dice
with her mother. l advised her to be
come a secretary. Hand me that fan
please: this heat is unbearable." though
the room was certainly not warm.
She continued to fan herself afte
Harroway had betaken himself Il
other scenes. mo wonder am hot,
she told herself. 81 am an advanced
woman, too, though I never discovered
that till recently. However. intent
to investigate the tendencies Of today
to find out If young men and youn!
women are the same as they used t
be in spite Of all their superiority t.
the little things of life. But how vul
gar scientific experiments make yol
feell All the same. Tom Harroway'
father was one Of my earliest beaus
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