The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-01-28

Paper Read Before the ChdutGatQud Circle.
n n ARION WELLS was just "ne
Nn of the thousands of working
IV girls who struggle for a liveli-
hood in New York City. But
perhaps she was endowe with a little
more ambition than the average self
supporting girl. Born of honest, hard
working parents, who ad Rooseveltian
ideas of race suicide, it had fallen her
lot, at an early period of her life, to
enter the ranks of the working girls.
At the age of twelve she was employed
as a cash girl at Booster and SpIurge's
large department store. AS she ad-
vanced from cash girl to sa eslady,
Marion made valuable use of her spare
time. At first she attended public
night school, and later, when she had
saved enough money to defray her ex-
penses, a sun.down business college,
where she acquired Il art of stenogra-
ply and typewriting..
A little over month ago, on the eve
of her nineteenth birthday, She had
graduated from the business college.
Marion's search for employment as a
stenographer was attended with unu-
sual good fortune. Leirning from a
sun-down college chum that position
in the firm OF Roper, Turner and Co.,
stock brokers, would soon lie vacated
on account of the present incumbent's
marriage to gentleman who had
enough of this worlds goods for two,
she applied for the situation, and upon
it's vacancy, two weeks ago today, had
been accepted on trial. Today as one
of her employers handed Marion an
envelope con; aiming two weeks salary,
he comp imented her on her efficient
work.
AS Marion rode home on Broadway
car she reviewed the past seven years,
not without feeling of pride and
gratificati. n for what she hal accom-
pIished, unaided, by her own efforts.
AItho beset by all the temptations, and
short cuts to luxury and ease, a good
looking girl trying to advance herself
meets with in large city, she had
come thru with colors flying. She
thought of those weeks spent as cash
girl, and of the long nights of study
after hard days work. But it had
paid, she thought, as she felt of the
envelope in her handt ag cont aiming
her two weeks salary. Thirty dollars!
fifte sn dol ars week and one did not
have to be at work until haif-l asst
nne, quit at five O'Clock, and half.
holiday on Saturday the year round
Yes, today was Saturday. Booster and
Splurge kept open until nine O'clock
tonight. Altho Marion had resigned
from her position as he I'd saieswoman
at the ribbon counter, three weeks age
tonight, it seemed years ago, since she
asked: SHOW many yards, please!"
Thirty dollars sic thought, with an
other sly feel of the envelope. Let't
see now; she would give her mother
ten dollars, and she ut led pair ol
shoes, fall JACKIE, and must have {
tailor-made suit as they seem to be th'
style for business women. But sh'
realized, with little sigh, that sh'
could not get them all this week, bu
she would get pair of shoes and pa!
something down on jacket. Marion
vas aroused from her reverie. by th'
conductors fellow of ''Thirty -fourtl
street, change for east and west side.
This was where she transfers i to tn
crosstown cars as her home was Oh til
west side.
AS she arose from her seat Maricl
found that while she had been day
dreaming the car had become fille'
with passengers, some going hom
from work, others to a matinee o
some place of amusement. Forc,n
her way thru the crowded car to tn
rear platform she found that furthe
passage was blocked by number o
men who stood in the doorway, espe
cially by a well-dIessed young ma
who seemed to lie unue essarily clos
to her, altho it st emei thru no fault O
his own, but that tie men behind hir
we're crowding and pushing him. Til
he seemed trying to explain with hi
bold, laughing eyes and the little pal