The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-29
iction
Patty S Business Experience
BY MAUD HUMPHREYS.

/
haps $500 and the furniture"
Dear me-" thought Mrs. Wilson,
"and every one thought Mr.. Norris
was such n fine business man." But
she did not express the thought. She
knew the girls loyalty to her dead
| father.
Patty" she finally exclaimed In tri-
umph, "there are the Van Allen girls
! going abroad. Their father Is a wild
over. He wants companion for
them You know the continent like a
! gudebook, and you'd be useful They
are new to this sort of thing, you
! know"
Patricia Norris drew herself up very
| straight.
Connie, don't suggest impossible
things. positively refuse to take
! position that savors of charity. I'm
going straight into the business world
and work-really work"
Mrs. Wilson affected n cheerful ac-
! quiescence which she did not feel.
"I'm going home now, my dear. and
think this over. You'll hear from me
| lOlllOIEON. anu VI Atu IL
ceed, whatever you undertake."
| Mrs. Wilson had been Patty's gov
erness In the days when such a thing
as financial uncertainty seemed far re-
moved from the Norris mansion Now
she was manuscript reader for big
publishing concern When she reached
| her dimly lighted bedroom, third story,
] a.. L. Ia. ,I..
drew forth small bank book and stud
led 1t carefully. AS a result Of long re-
! Election she dispatched the following
note to Patty:
My Dear Girl-Before we do anything
! else we must find home. l am sick
unto death of boarding Shall we have
| little HAT together a cunning apartment
with what you want of your dear old
things as furnishings? Then Wen find
you the position. But first a home, for
your sake and mine. Save me from the
fate of hall bedroom, my dear 1t is
the chance have dreamed of for years.
Three weeks later Mrs. Wilson
caught Patty frownlng at her across
dinner table that was homelike and
dainty.
Connie, there's absolutely nothing
left for me to do. The tins are hung
straight in the kitchen, and I've tried
the bricy-bracy In every conceivable
position. I'm not to be put off any
| longer | want job"
There was mirth I'm the tone, but II
rang false. "Job" from the lips of Pa
tricia Norris! Nevertheless that same
evening they faced the situation to-
gether. Mrs. Wilson had seen this
coming and was prepared.
"There is absolutely nothing open in
our offices, as | had hoped, Patty, and
! the only schools where / would have
influence are supplied with teachers
that never marry or die" She sur
veyed the girl through veil of un-
shed tears. you've a regular Gibson
! figure, dear, and such lovely fluffy
hair She broke off disconnectedly.
Patty laughed.
Connie, do stick to the text. Shall
! go forth as an artists modelT
Mrs. Wilson clasped her hands tight.
! ly.
"Not exactly that, but l heard of
something today, Patty, that you could
do-so we'll"
"Name It," responded Patty. but
with an odd sinking sensation In her
heart.
"At Schermerhorn's they want--a--a
model to show Off their imported suits,
and you're the very oh, Patty, don't
look at me like that. I've tried so hard
to get something betterr
In IA second the girls soft arms were
round her neck.
Connie behave yourself! OF course
l shall take 1t and be properly crate
! full. How much"
only $3.50 week, but you
wouldn't have got that much only that
| told the head of the department what
IA beauty you were"
"Flattererr' answered Patty, with q
! laugh that sounded more like sob.
So did Patricia Norris make her en-
| try into the business world. II was
not hard work, and she never wearied
of handling the beautiful wraps and
| frocks. Her statuesque beauty set
them off to perfection, and the head of
the department approved of her be-
cause she "never got gay" nor wasted
the time OF other employees by chat
ting with them, as her predecessor
had done. In fact, she held herself
aloof from the other girls In the shop.
| II was an odd, unreasoning pride that
they could not understand. If the girls
who thought her proud had known
how she envied them they might have
! felt differently. They worked with
their hands, and she-just posed 1t
was not brain that earned, her salary,
but mere bauble Of physical perfec-
tion.
And she resented most of all the
quiet, searching glances of a young fel-
| low who seemed to be In the cashiers
| department. Once when she went to
draw her salary he stood near the
window and handed forth the envelope
without even asking her name She
flushed slightly, and after that his
compelling glance called forth a stiff
little bow when they came face to
| face.
One noon when she was threading
her way through stream OF cars and
drays she was almost run down, and
| the gray eyed young man from the