The Baltimore County union, the Towson news., 1909-12-25
Loves Aftermath.
written for The Union-News)

(written for The Union-News.)
Dear Miss Taylor:
This is to notify you that after December
"a your services will not be required until
further notice. The management has
no fault to find with your work, but is
merely pursuing its usual policy of re-
ducing its force of salespeople after the
holiday shopping.
Yours very respectfully,
THE Bon Ton STORE.
Coldly, cruelty polite was the brief
note and Lucy Taylor read it with
feelings akin to those ofthe sailor who
feels his vessel sinking under his feet
in mid.ocean, orthe business man who
sees the results of his life's toll swept
away in financial crash. AS far as
she could see, her position at the lace
counter in the Bon Ton, although
humble and pitifully underpaid, was
all that stood between her and utter
want, perhaps starvation or freezing.
Lucy was not the only recipient of
such note. The boy in buttons who
Topped it down on the counter before
her had already delivered many SINH
lar missives and still had a large hand
full left, but Lucy saw that they were
being given to the extras, girls who
had only been employed for month
or so and who fully expected to be
dropped after Christmas, perhaps to
catch on' again for a period at
Easter and maybe in time get a per-
manent position in the Bon Ton or
elsewhere, being able to comply with
thu 9 requirement, experienced. !"
Even some of these were passed by
the boy, and Lucy noticed that the
| girl next her-a newcomer with an
enormous rat" snappy black eyes
and high color-was one of those
who escaped.
That is because she is young and
pretty, thought Lucy, bitterly, I am
dropped because my hair is turning
gray at the temples and little wrinkles
are beginning to show at the corners
of my eyes, What in the world shall
/ do?"
Panic-stricken and fighting bravely
to keep back the tears, she fell into a
purposeless reverie, wondering where
she could go when compelled to give
up her little third-story-back room
and how long she could keep soul and
body together on the very few dollars
she had laid by. For Lucy well
knew her limitations in the way of
making money. She remembered
vividly the difficulty she had in get
ting place ten years before, and she
knew that at forty-two she stood no
chance with the hordes of younger
girls who were swarming after every
vacant place that might offer. She
was brought back from the desert of
her thoughts by customer stopping
before her.
Not many men paused at the lace
counter, especially such men as this.
Tall and broad, with face and hands
bronzed by exposure to wind and sun,
hair and moustache heavily sprinkled
with frost. suggesting in every line
and movement the freedom and
healthfulness of the country, yet not
by any means a typical 'hayseed, :"
he was evidently far out ofhis element.
And his first words proved the correct
ness of Lucy's sub-conscious thought.
Il want to get something for a
present for an elderly lady-my moth
er-and I haven't any idea what she'd
like, although | know she loves laces.
Can't you suggest something ?"
Embarrassed by the vagueness OF
the demand, Lucy foundered into the
stereotyped, About what did you ex-
pect to payY'
"Oh! that doesn't matter so much
ten dollars-twenty dollars-ffty dol
lars-something like that. You see
she's the only one l have to give q
present to, so / can make it pretty
nice one."
Trying in her honest, sympathetic
heart to think of something really ap
propriate. Lucy said:
"Tell me about her? Is she large
or small, light or dark? Does she g
out much or does she spend most o
her time indoors ?"
"She's just little larger than yol
are," replied the customer with ;
kindly smile. Her hair is wavy ant
white as snow and she doesn't go ou
at all, but just wears black dres
and sits in an easy chair all day."
Then l think one of these lace set
would be just lovely for her. It.
collar and cuffs, you know. They'r
eleven ninety-eight, reduced from I'll
teen dollars because we haven't ha'
much cali for them"
And Lucy, to properly display tn
merchandise, draped the collar aroun
her neck and placed one of the film
cuffs on her left wrist.
Just the thing" said the MAJ
s. looking at the effect approvingly
, And something in his voice brough
, more strongly to Lucy vague reco
! lection of the long-ago-a memor
that was faint and elusive as the seen
of a faded flower, and one that refuse
: to take form or substance in her mer
tai vision. After she had sent th
purchase to the bundle wrapper and
twenty-dollar bill whirring away i
the cash carrier, Lucy took up
blank and prepared to fulfill an add
tional duty imposed upon the clerk
during the holiday season.
Twill you give your name and &C
dress, please? The management
making lists to use in sending ou
circulars"
Henry Russell, Fairfield"
And then the memory took form