The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-14
Ry Anne Hinrlt.llscn.
Copyright. 1911, by the Associated
Literary Press)

| (Copyright. 1911, by the Associated
. Literary Press)
AS Meredith entered her office Helen
Rayne's face changed. A happy light
| flashed into her tired eyes. the lines of
anxiety and nervousness about her
mouth disappeared in a smile and her
wan, white cheeks flushed to rosy
glow. V
Meredith looked euriously about the
room. The office and the duties of the
advice editor of Il newspaper seemed
always to have for him a strangeness
and reluctantly acknowledged in
terest.
Busy" he inquired. Any time for
! intruders?"
There IS no intruder present. l
see a welcome guest"
Meredith picked up pile OF type
write nsheets. What a lot OF stuff
| You write every day" he commented.
| And what waste OF talent. You
ought to do better work than this. :"
A little OF the new brightness faded
| from her eyes. but her lips smiled.
THE managing editor is satisfied. He
thinks l earn my salary"
advice to maidens.' Love, dress.
| business. social misunderstanding
What concerns damsels. Here is one
paragraph.
d" Poor little gir'. you have q real
/ heartache. The cure rests with your
self Resolve that this sorrow was
sent as a means of mental and moral
| development. II Is In your power to
| turn your misfortune into a blessing.
| Learn that by pain Is character made
| fine and true Regard this unhappi-
ness as a stepping stone to greater
/ self. let II make you a new girl.
/ No. dnr
lthies and higher ideals and standards
why do you write such things"
! Because there are girls and women
who tell their troubles TO me. They
find comfort in doing 1t and they want
my advice"
What sympathy can you have with
the woes of 'PerpIexed Polly Mig
nonette Marie and Little Bright
Eyes, What do you know of sor-
row that you can give help to an
aching heart ?"
'.Df co1trsesr know nothing Of sor-
row. A woman who is compelled to
work 70 he living in large city never
comes In contact with the cruel things
Of life She has no discouragements
no disillusions, no heart-aches. She
has no experiences that give her the
| desire and the ability to help other
women"
The bitterness OF her voice did not
reach the Scoffers consciousness.
II hate to think. Helen, that you
are satisfied to do this insincere and
vapid work You do no one any
freal good. You VIII become in time
writer OF silly drivel, unable to do
better things. A woman cannot do
any work long without receiving from
it an ineradicable stamp. You will
| become
The pain in her eyes stopped him
Il mean" he went on, that l wish
you would devote your time to rea
4 literature, to hard study, to the lines
of work that will tend to deepen
your character"
A smile OF satirieal amusement
| twitched her lips. She looked at
Meredith meditatively. He was six
feet of health, strength and good
looks perfectly groomed and expen-
sively tailored. He had the care
free look Of the man whom wealth
has protected from anxiety.
'I have to earn my living" she
reminded him.
Marry me and you will have every
thing you want You will have time
then to do things that are worth
while"
II cannot marry YOU" she said
tqufetIy. The tired lines had come
back to her face and the bright
color was gone. II cannot"
That afternoon Meredith, coming
from building in the poorest Sec
ton OF the city. saw Helen Rayne
| enter a house a block away. The
neighborhood was one which he Wis
tied only to verify his agents reports
of needed repairs on his property.
He hurried to this tenement Helen
had entered. In the hall a weary
looking woman motioned him up
stairs.
on the second floor he stopped
The partitions were thin and the
doors hung loosely on their hinges
He could hear a harsh, sobbing voice
interrupted occasionally by Helen'a
bclear, soft words.
Il can't stand things any longer"
a girl was crying. I've tried. Miss
Rayna. to be brave and good and work
hard as. you said / must. But I'm
worn out. What's the use of living
when there is never bit OF fun, no.
body to care about you and you've
lost your job. and are too sick to get
another? You've given me so. much
good. kind service through the paper.
But + never. thought OF your coming
down here to talk to me-"
He caught fragments Of what Helen