The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-08-23
Darkest Just Before DaWn
BY Matt Heating

Her father was dead-haa been |
killed in the railroad yards while cou-
ping cars at $50 per month. Her
mother also was dead-baving spent
the small life insurance money In a
Misunderstanding dressmaking venture
for which she was eminently unified,
and then succumbed to pneumonia.
So Nina was left alone to work out
the problem of life--and in Its work.
ing out she had finally landed in a de-
partment store as "saleslady." True,
the salary was not much-only four
dollars per week--but to her 1t was
untold riches, especially when she re-
Elected upon the status of the other
girls-Jessie, Maud and Ethel and
countless others who were getting only
three dollars for work much more alb
horrent. For be 1t known Nina was
in the stationery department on the
first floor, which was comparatively
we'll ventilated, and she served people
who had some sort of an idea as to
what they wanted, while Jennie and
Maud were in the bargain notion de-
partment in the stuffy, ill-smelling
basement, where women shoppers,
knowing not what they wanted, ell
bowed and fought for vantage
ground from which to paw over the
stock; and Ethel was under the side
walk in sort of tunnel which the
store lad stolen from under the street,
where she mechanically handed out
Ill Nd IL, 80, ,,vl... lp1
sued them TO this grewsome lair.
In the meantime Nina was living
with half-sister whose husband re-
ceived $50 per month for mailing COW
ers on boxes in the shipping depart
ment of a great wholesale house. On
this income he supported his wife and
four rallid children, who never had
seen green things grow nor smelled
fresh country air.
They charged Nina two dollars 6
week for her board and cot under the
stairway-and thought 1t was great
| luck to get it. Then she paid 60 cents
week car fare, ten cents a week fol
her dues to the Salesladies' Union ant
ten cents per week to the Medical Ait
| anu IDul ldt doSOCldllDn dso u SOTI vi III
surance against sickness or death. Sh,
was driven TO this latter extravaganza,
by the gloomy forebodings of her half
sister and her husband regarding he
possible, indeed probable impending
sickness and death, the query being
Where's the money coming from t,
take care OF you and bury your"
The astute mathematician can easil.
figure that Nina had S110 per weel
with which to clothe herself and bu.
ice cream sodas and chewing gum.
was not hilarious life.
In the meantime she was growing
thinner and paler and more tired ever.
week 1t would have been plain to an.
intelligent person, were such interest
ed in her, that she would not last lon
in such environments. About thi
time there was another addition to he
sisters family, and her brother-in-law
being pressed to extremities, informe
Nina that he would have to raise tn
price of her board to three dollars pc
week. This was staggering blow +
the girl, already carrying far NOR
than her fair share of burdens.
All day long in the hot, sitting stor
she brooded over it, wondering vaguel
how in the world she was to get alon
at all If she handed three precious do
lars 10 her brother-in-law each weel
And then there was that muslin dres
she had been ooyeting so fiercely for S
many nonths-and nearly attained, TO,
or course that must be given up, an
all the other nice things of life. Sh
must hereafter toll on enduringly wit
, only the hope of paying her brother
in-law for her board and lodging an
, money enough over to pay car fare.
Communing thus, heart-broken an
sick with fear, she staggered fort
, from the store TO catch her car home
home, oh! what trayesty on the wor
"a dismal, squalid cottage, filled wit
, the walls of neglected children. II
complninings OF an Overworked wifi
and the sordid demands of an incon
petent master. Her cup indeed WI
full.
Tse gong of street car clangt
! flercely just before her, and awakent
her from her reverie. She steppt
! quickly back and found herself direct
in the path of an approaching spiritt
} team of blacks, the control of who
the driver seemed to have lost. To |
forward was to meet certain death Vi
der the iron wheels of the street ca
, to remain was to fall beneath the hoo
of the horses. On top OF all her sire
o uous mental strain Nina collapsed al
: sank 10 the ground in swoon.
/. A cry of horror went up from Il
passengers on he electric car al