The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-01
TIE EVENING STORY
EIizabe"- Position.
(By Carl Williams.)

(By Carl Williams)
Elizabeth found the town forrnidabla
a. sne emerged from the station to face
times she had come to the city with a
party, or she had been met by the people
she came alone to face the new life which
graduation and determination to make
career had opened I'D to her
In her pocketbook was $5O a card with
tne nome address upon it in case of ac-
ci1dent, ana clipping from the Moreton
buckler in the fight she was to make for
success. The money would keen her 90
ing n1is until she obtained position and the
in the editors best style and ran:
Miss Elizabeth Cady. whose Eradua-
ton essay on The Wider Scope Of Wo-
mans Sphere was the Sensation Of the
high school exercises, will leave for the
city Monday to become a valued recruit
dict that it will not be long before our
accomplished townswoman leaves the
ranks to assume an important position of
With such an augury for her future
Elizabeth could not turn back Her
mother had sent marked copies to all
sake as well as her own. Elizabeth felt
that she must succeed.
her throat and headed for the street
car In other days she had always taken
a cab. but now she felt that she could
not aftord the expense. 1t was at the
time when toilers were returning to their
homes and the cars were crowded to the
rails. but she bravely climbed aboard and
thankfully accepted a strap with the feel
ing 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 accommodations
to which she was accustomed. The tiny
room with its two iron cots and its duplf-
cation of bureaus and rockers sharply
marked the line that separated the two
girls domiciled together.
Inere was hOmelika air about the
place, and the chill atmosphere of the
alnlng room found responsive chill in
ner neart, She went to bed early, feel
ing that she must stifle 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.
II she had listened to Joe Trenton she
time when She ana Joe would have 'ii a
home of their own.
A score of times Joe had proposed, but
Ehzabeth had made the career of woman
her fetish and she would not sacrifice her
freedom. Joe's last effort rad been i'll
timed. for he had SPOKEN on the night Of
her graduation, when the plardits of the
audience still rang, in her ears, and bits
of the essay echoed loud and clear.
"Perhaps-when I have found my ca
reer,' the girl had promised gently. but
don't you see that to turn book now
upon my own principles would be false
too
WHAT II they dldF 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 sacrifice"
In the citation OF the moment she had
pictured herself leader of her sex. She
did not hold with the extremists who ar
gued that woman should vote and rule the
nation, but she had given herself heart
and soul to the theory that a woman had
right to career and she was her own
most enthusiastic convert.
NOW she regretted her stand. she
choked back her sobs; but when morn
ing came she was again strong in her re-
solve. She sailed forth with a list of
addresses. Toward evening she returned.
The list had proved unfruitful. and the
kindly faced woman at the desk offered
words of encouragement that fell upon
ears too tired to grasp their meaning.
YEARLY she trudged from place to place,
but the demand was for skilled workers.
Some seemed willing to give her trial
if she would serve for varying periods
without pay, but this was out of the
question. She must have a position by
the time her slender resources were ex-
hausted or she must return home and
confess failure.
The thought preyed upon her mind. and
daily she grew thinner and more worried
until the little woman at the desk. whose
big, motherly heart was great enough to
embrace her whole brood, sighed to see
her. With a beaming face she came to
Elizabeth's room during the sixth week OF
her stay and announced a visitor. Eliza
beth thinking that one Of the many men
who had taken her address had come to
announced the reconsideration of his re-
fusal. made herself tidy and with uncer-
tain tread hurried to the parlor, where a
callers. With a little gasping cry she
stumbled toward Joe Trenton, who sprang
forward to greet her.
IT didn't know that you were in town, "
she cried. when the greeting was over
and they were we're sitting in the secI I5a S o.
fha atr geu were h eSom GlGn you ie me Nn0"
mo time" explained the man. Il had
| q sudden call to town, and thought that
and iG set some fresh sT and I'll II 4e You
all the gossip that the Century hasn't
Elizabeth hurried for her hat, and pres
emily they were making for the tiny park
near the home. Elizabeth had seen it only
in passing, for there was no energy Ie1t
Now the soft grasses reminded her OF
home, and it was a wistful face that she
turned to Joe when they had found
Tell me about Morton" she command
ed. but Joe shook his head.
"All in its turn; Tell me about your
mot yet" Elizabeth was glad that the
dark concealed her flaming cheeks. Il
think I shall have a position in day or
two but. things are very dull here just at
present"
psteasS Comment 9@n was looking around
a bit today. Don't you think, Bess. that
you ought to leave the loos 70 the glr Is
few"
to be a chance to get back home without
appearing to surrender.
iWhat do you mean?" she asked tense
i"There are lots more girls than there
are jobs he explained. Now some Of
them Will have to get left If the girls
whe are clever but who don't really need
to work. get their places.
you'll be tickled to death to land this
position you have in mind, but maybe
some girl who might have had it II
YOU had not come will be crying her eyes
out because she was not as clever as
YOU and is still hunting a place. You
have a father to support you. Maybe the
girl who might have had the job has 9TH
ers to support.
E1izabeth's hands clasped so tightly to-
gether that her rings bit into the sort