Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-08-11
THE DIARY Of
Merry ETHEL

1 gan W tHlHh 1t udu DB6H NOTkEQ over
time, so it went back on me to-day /
wanted something mild to take the
taste Of that chorus girl stunt out OF
my mouth
After being turned down at about
dozen places / was glad to get any
old thing. My job is to palm bunch
Of literature off on to as many marks
as l can find. Most of to-day was taken
up in rehearsing my little spiel
can say 1t off by heart when I'm alone,
but I'm afraid III lose my place when
the other fellow butts in. | practiced
1t over with a guy in the Office this
afternoon, and | could feel my heart
thump every time he fired a question
at me. He said that was cinch COM
pared to what the women folks would
put me up against It's something
fierce to learn new part every week.
If it wasn't for my rep for nerve
believe I'd get stage fright and
| throw up the job before / ever start
in.
Tuesday-Geel this don't pay! I
didn't get an ord er the whole day long,
and if I'm on commission I'd like to
see where | get off at--digging up car
fare besides, to say nothing Of the
wear and tear on shoe leather If all
the stairs I've climbed to-day were
piled into one flight, ! bet they'd
reach as high as-Td ever get
At several places | didn't even get
beyond the front door, and more than
once some old crouch would slam it
in my face as soon as they spotted me
for an agent They didn't SO much
as wait to see what | had to sell.
The first place | got so ratified l near
ly lost my nerve. The spiel | had
learned began with Madam, and as
soon as the door opened l started off.
All at once noticed that was talking
to an old, whiskered geezer, who stood
there laughing at me. l hadn't count
ed on that, and, of course, / forgot my
cue. ! stammered and sputtered away
for minute, and that grinning idiot
wouldn't help me out a bit. / was
so mad l turned away and ran down
the steps and he's chuckling yet for all
| know
ednesday-Better luck to-day |
landed two marks this trip and soaked
them for all there was in it, I've
caught on to this, that it's the young
mothers that bite. They haven't had
kids long enough to make them cool.
They feel their responsibility some
thing terrible, and when you play on
that string they're more apt to give
in. talked grand about the duty they
owe to their children to give them a
good education, and I'd pat few tow
headed brats on the head and then it
was all off AS soon as I'd get them
to listen I'd haul out the "stretcher"
and show the pictures and read here
and there and talk as If | knew the
thing from "kiver to kiver." Oh, I'm
learning fast, but l tell you it doesn't
work every time by long shot.
Thursday-lt's me to the dippy-
dump if l have many more days like
this didn't think there were as many
fiery-tongued women in the world az
/ came across to-day. The fellow at
the Office said I'd go nutty at the crazy
questions they'd ask. | can stand
their questions, but | draw the line
at their back talk. At one place |
went to-day little girl let me in and
| was glad to sit down and rest a
minute. AS soon as her mother came
in / knew she was an old cat, and |
b gan talking about the weather She,
stood glazing at me and looked me
up and down.
All of sudden she said Il believe
- ire an agent" She couldn't have.
acted more fierce if she had said |
was thief. / started to say some
thing, but she grabbed me by the
shoulder and said: you march out
of here as fast as you can walk" Gee!
but ! was mad
Friday-My calldown came little
late this week, but of course ii had
to come. l wonder how it would seem
to go a whole week without having
some smart aleck who has better Job
than you have rake you over the Goals
and threaten to fire you if you don't
work yourself to the bone The boss
of the local agents got me to-day for
not selling more goods. | asked him
if he expected me to bind, gag and
tHtll NiIOhG MS nlQ bDQh QOWA the p6O-
pie that l called on. l told him /
thought it was up to me if | didn't
make anything.
couldn't see where he lost out. He
said it was bum agents like me that
queered the whole business. ! felt
like telling him what | thought of the
book and the business and him. too,
but / changed my mind
Saturday-Im too excited tonight to
write Charlie popped the question,
and, of course, said Yes" I've sus-
picioned it for some time, but it
seemed too good to be true. He came
tonight, and, as usual, went ur In
the air over my peddling, as he called
it. Before l could get sore at his
butting in again he said he was sick
Of seeing me work so hard and that
he wanted to do the working for both
of us ! nearly fell off my chair, and
was just tired enough and happy