The Meeker herald., 1906-09-22
Darkest Just Before DasDn
By Matt Ksafins

Hsr father was dead-had besn
killed b the railroad yards while oou-
piiag cars n 80 per month. Hsf
nsothse also was dead-having spsut
IL small life Insurance. money in .
hsa1t-heeaking dressmAking venturo
for which she was eminently united.
and thsn succumbed to pneumonia. :
So Nina was left alone to work out
the problem OF lifs-and in it, work
ing oat shs had finally landed In . de-
.partmsnt store ~ ''saleslady." True.
the salary was not much-only four
dollafs per week-but to her It was
untold riches. especially when she re-
nsctsd upon the status OF tho other
girls-Jessis, Maud and Ethel and
countless others who were getting only
three dollars for work much more alb
hoffent. For b. 1t known Nina was
Ia the stationery department on the
nrst noor. which was comparatively
we'll ventilated. and she served people
who BAD some sort Of an idea - to
what they wanted, while Jennie and
Maud were in the bargain notion de-
partment in the stu6y. ill-smelling
basement where women shoppers,
knowing not what they wanted. ell
bowed and fought for 4 vantage
ground from which to paw over the
stock: and Ethel was under the side
walk in sort Of tunnel which the
store had stolen from under the street.
where she mechanically handed out
tacks and nails TO people who had pur-
sued them to this grewsome lair.
In the meantime Nina was living
with . half-sistsr whose husband re-
ceivsd 70 pr month for mailing COW
~ % boxss IN he shipping depart
tAts incoms - supported his wife and
Soar railid children. who never had
sssa green things grow nor smsllsd
fresh country air.
They charged Nina two dollars q
week for her board and cot under the
stairway-and thought 1t was great
luck tn get It Then she paid 60 cents
week car faro, ten cents q week for
her dues to the Saiesladies' Union and
ten cents per week to the Medical Aid
and Burial association as sort Of in
surance against sickness or death. She
was driven to this latter extravagance
by the gloomy forebodings OF her half
sister and her husband regarding her
possible. indeed probable impending
sickness and DEATH. the query being.
where's the money coming from to
take care Of you and bury you!"
The astute mathematician can easily
figure that Nina had $1.1O per week
with which to clothe herself and buy
tcs cream sodas and chewing gum. 1t
was rOt . hilarious life.
In the meantime she was growing
thinner and paler and more tired every
intelligent person, were such interest
cd In her. that she would not last long
in such environments. About this
time there was another addition to her
sisters family. and her brother-ln-law,
being pressed to extremitieA. informed
Nina that he would have to raise the
price OF her BOARD to three dollars per
week. This was q staggering blow to
the girl. already carrying far more
than her fair ahare OF burdens.
All day ionx In the hot, stifiing store
she brooded over 1t, wondering vaguely
how in the world she was to get along
at all II she handed three precious dol
lars to her brother-in-law each week.
And then there was that muslin dress
she had been coveting 80 nercely for 50
many c,onth1-and nearly attained, too.
OF course that must be given up, and
all the other nice things Of life. She
must hereafter toll on enduringly with
only the hope of paying her brother
in-law for her board and lodging and
money enough over to pay car fare.
Communing thus. heart-broken and
sick with fear. she staggered forth
from the store 10 catch her car home
home. oh! what \ travesty on the word
"a dismal. sQualid cottage. filled with
the walls Of neglected children. the
complaining Of an overworked wife.
? and the sordid demands Of an incom-
t1t1nt mister. Her cup indeed wns
full.
The gong Of 4 street car changed
nercely just before her. and awakened
her from her reverie. She stepped
quickly back and found herself directly
In the path OF an approaching spirited
team Of blacks. the control OF whom
the driver seemed to have lost. To 70
forward was 10 meet certain death un-
de- he iron wheels Of the street car:
70 remain was b fall beneath the hoofs
o. the horses. On top OF all her strsn-
soas Dasntal' strain Nina collapsed and
sk. " ~ lHFc3Ad In . svoon.
A 0y OF Ao9Rof went up from the
K Saassss % The slsctric car and