Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-17

as she emerged from the station to
At other times she had come to the
city with party or she had been met
by the people whose guest she was to
be. This time she came alone to face
the new life which graduation and a
to make a career had
opened up to her.
In her pocketbook was $50, card
with the home address upon it in case
of accident and clipping from the
Moreton Century. These were the
shield and buckler in the fight she
was to make for success. The money
would keep her going until she OBJ
tanned a position and the clipping
would cheer her. 1t was written in
the editors best style and ran:
Miss Elizabeth Cady. whose graduation
essay on THE Wider Scope of Womans
Sphere was the sensation of the high
school exercises, will leave for the city
Monday to become a valued recruit IN the
great army of commerce. We predict
that 1t will not be long before our ac-
complished townswoman leaves the ranks
to assume an important position OF COM
mand.
With such an augury for her future
Elizabeth could not turn back. Her
mother had sent marked copies to all
their relatives, and, for her mothers
sake as we'll as her own. Elizabeth
felt that she must succeed.
She swallowed the lump that came
into her throat and headed for the
street car. In other days she had al
ways taken cab, but now she felt
that she could not afford the expense.
1t was at the time when toilerS We're
returning to their homes and the cars
were crowded to the rails, but she
bravely climbed aboard and thankfully
accepted a strap with the feeling that
she was already one of the workers.
The Home For Self Supporting Girls,
to which she had been recommended,
was vastly different from the accom-
modationS to which she was accuS-
toned. The tiny room with its two
iron cots and it's duplication of bureaus
and rockers sharply marked the line
that separated the two girls domiciled
together.
There was no homelike air about the
place, and the chill atmosphere of the
dining room found n responsive chill
in her heart She went to bed early.
feeling that she must stifie her SobS to
avoid annoying her roommate.
She lay in the narrow bed thinking
of the dainty room at home, with its
white dimity hangings and its great
white bed. If she had listened to Joe
Trenton she would be there tonight,
dreaming of the time when she and
Joe would have Il home of their own.
A score of times Joe had proposed
but Elizabeth had made the career of
| woman her fetch and she would not
sacrifice her freedom Joe's last effort
had been i'll timed. for he had spoken
on the night of her graduation, when
the plaudits of the audience still rang
in her ears and bits of the essay echoed
loud and clear
"Perhaps-whenI have found my ca
reer," the girl had promised gently
! "but don't you see that to turn bach
now upon my own principles would bt
false to myself? Others, looking to me
for example, might be tempted to turn
5 back too"
What if they did," argued the man
"Do you have to put happiness from
you just to practice what you preach?'
| "Of course" she cried. I'VE who
would lead must be prepared to sacri
fee
In the elation of the moment she ha(
pictured herself leader of her sex
She did not hold with the extremist!
who argued that woman should vot
and rule the nation, but she had givel
herself heart and soul to the theor.
that a woman had right to career
and she was her own most enthusias
tic convert
Now she regretted her stand as sh
chOked back her sobs, but when morn
ing came she was again strong in he
resolve. She sailed forth with lis
Of addresses. Toward evening she re
turned. The list had proved unfruii
full, and the kindly faced woman a
the desk offered words of encourage
ment that fell upon ears too tired t
grasp their meaning.
That day was but the first of man!
YEARLY she trudged from place t
place, but the demand was for skille
! workers. Some seemed willing to Civ
/ her trial If she would serve for vary
ing periods without pay, but this wa
out of the question. She must have
position by the time her slender r,
sources were exhausted or she mus
return home and confess failure.
The thought preyed upon her mine
and daily she grew thinner and MOI
| worried until the little woman at til
| desk, whose big, motherly heart wa
| great enough to embrace her who
brood. sighed to see her. With bean
| ing face she came to Elizabeth's ROO
| during the sixth week of her stay an
announced visitor. Elizabeth, thin
ing that one of the many men who ha
taken her address had come to a
nounce the reconsideration of his r
fusal, made herself tidy and with u
certain tread hurried to the parlo
where half dozen other girls we
entertaining callers. With little gas
i ing cry she stumbled toward Joe Ire
ton, who sprang forward to greet her