The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-12-31

OLD SILL.
after all the interest and kindness you
have shown"
Mrs. Darnley saw tears rush to the
girls eyes and picked up her maya
zine with seeming unconsciousness.
run and take nice bath, my dear.
There is half an hour before dinner.
You needn't dress-come In your XII
mono. l wouldn't worry if l did fail
on a civil service examination. Lots
Of well educated people have got so
ratified they wanted to spell cat with
two u.s."
The girl wiped her eyes furtively as
she started from the room.
There was a horrid woman sitting
next to me during the exam She
she-added every blessed one of those
figures-in aloud whisper" and Flea
nor, ashamed of her tears, made
rush for the door of her own little
hall bedroom.
When her father after an attack of
pneumonia had been left with a lung
trouble that his physician said would
be fatal unless he at once left for a
southern climate, the girl had reso-
lutely insisted upon his using the great
er part of their small bank account to
start for Arizona. Then, deprived of
her fathers salary, she had been fore
ed to leave college with the determi-
nation to seek work. Her aunt's letter
advising her to come to Washington to
try the examination advertised by the
civil service to secure $50 clerks for a
years work on an extra rush had
caused the motherless girl to invest
her little money in the chance that she
might be one of the fortunate ones
She settled down in her aunt's tiny fiat
to await in suspense the two or three
months necessary to hear the results
of her examination.
Mrs. Darnley came home one after
noon much elated.
81 met John Dabney on the street,
my dear You don't know who John
is, of course. but that doesn't make
any difference. He's the incest man In
town. He's been out west for three
months and just got back. He's dear,
and he knows one of the powers that
be-or is-down at the civil service
commission. He offered to go down
and find out just where you stand on
the list Of eligibles."
When John Dabney arrived that
evening he looked at the slender girl
in amazement.
Miss Wynn, | have to congratulate
you. Eighteen hundred people took
that examination. and only ten of them
made higher average than you. There
is no doubt about your getting an ap
pointment. but" turning to her aunt,
"it seems pity for mere girl to be
shut up in an Office adding figures all
day."
But it's only for year." the girl
said, with the youthful enthusiasm Of
one who never worked for a living and
knew nothing of how long and tedious
year may seem.
When the official appointment finally
arrived, it was John Dabney who ac-
companied the girl when she reported
to take the oath of office. Later he
often made the excuse that she was a
stranger and needed plotting home aft
er office.
One hot afternoon in August he met
her on the stone steps near the main
entrance of the large government
building
"Your aunt is waiting for us at the
iusction," he said, raising her red
parasol and after the manner Of men,
holding 1t at an angle that let In all
the sun and gave occasional digs at her
nat I'VE three are going to run
down to Chesapeake bay for dinner
and cool breeze. We will get back
by - O'Clock tonight"
After dinner they left Mrs. Darnley
with book and strolled down the
beach until they came to an old pier,
used only occasionally by small boys
with their fishing tackle.
Lets walk to the end of this. 1t
gives feeling of being in the middle
of the ocean Except for the narrow
strip of boards reaching back to the
beach we can imagine we are strand
cd on desert island"
He settled her comfortably In an old
sill lying across the end of the pier
and took out his cigar case "Now
tell me how you like Office life and If
you want permanent appointment"
She shrugged her shoulders in the
darkness.
"I'd rather stay home and wash
dishes all my life than accept per-
manent appointment" she said intense
ly. 'It's bearable when think that
it's only for a short time-father is
getting well rapidly, you know-but
could not be brave enough to face the
thought that l was there for life.
There are more brave, discontented
women In Washington than | ever
dreamed of-all ages, from twenty to
seventy. Did you ever hear of the
office face?"
81 don't think 1 ever did," laughed
Dabney. rs it worth looking att"
Its pitiful," she said, watching the
waves, fleclzed with moonlight, dash
and break against the logs of the pier.
Whenever new girl comes in, fresh
from the outside world, she creates
sensation. Her fresh complexion, her
hopeful ambition, are interesting and
enjoyable to the clerks who have been