The Prescott daily news., 1912-10-31
GIRLS HELPING HAND
By AMELIA GRANT.

"Do you really want to help" began the young woman artist.
 "Emphatically no," interrupted the young woman stenographer. T don't care how worthy the object is, I'll never again lend helping hand only cold cash propositions appeal to me-"
 The artist dried her brushes, folded her hands and waited. GO ahead and tell it." she commanded.
 You know of Mrs. Vanderskipper? asked the stenographer.
 President of the Humanity Uplift- CTS society? Yes, why7"
 She Is a friend of cousin of mine -I never did like that cousin, either. One hot evening Mrs. Vanderskipper's automobile stopped in front of our boarding house, and I had visions of a ride in the park Mrs. .Vanderskip- per didn't carry the same thought. I learned that prize of s100 had been offered to the member of the Uplift- ers' society who would write the best essay on "A Helping Hand to Self Supporting Women.' Mrs. Wander skipper wanted to have me help her write the essay"
 The artist grinned.
 T wanted to laugh. too," said the stenographer, but I left the comfort able porch and for three solid hours we sweltered over the notes she had written. Then we rearranged them for me to copy after office hours. Mrs. Vanderskipper accepted some of my suggestions, but refused to cut out some sentimental ideas-"
 And your suggestions won her the prize!" The artist spoke as if she knew all about winning prizes.
 Exactly But that is only the first chapter.
 "On the strength of the $100 check" went on the stenographer, "Mrs. Van. derskipper wished to give me what she called real treat. If she had paid me at space rates for copying her essay I would have been satisfied, but she could not think of money in connection with services rendered, She invited me to concert to which she had free tickets. I apologetically refused, as do not care for music. Anyway, I wanted the treat to be on her, not on the management of the concert had seen all the good plays in town and I refused to waste an evening on poor one"
 You are rather particular" "Oh, am I? We'll, anyway, Mrs, Vanderskipper invited me to table d'hote dinner at the Hotel Caroline. She had once lived there and she recommended the dinners as really better than any $5 banquet she ever attended I have never been to s5 feed, and anyway I was willing to ex' pertinent. She had invited several other self-supporting women to din. ner also. She said that some of the servants might still be at the hotel who knew her when she lived there and they might recognize her, so it would be a source of great mortifica' tion to her if her guests were not properly attired."
 The artist grinned.
 "I caught the idea, so that night l told the boarders that I'd have to buy a new dress, just because I had been indiscreet enough to lend a helping hand to a poor society woman. One man suggested that I go at once to Mrs. vanderskipper and say, Madam, that dinner will cost you s1-give me 75 cents and I'll stay at home.' An other man advised me to make 1t 90 cents-said even then she, would be saving money. Miss Bosely said she would be glad to lend me her evening dress for the occasion, but the cousin who gave it to her had once lived at the Hotel Caroline and the servants might recognize 1t.
 Every day that week during the noon hour I bought a dress or took one back. The last afternoon at 4 o'clock I had cream wool skirt. two
 MODERNIzING