The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-15
TIE EVENING Story
NelIie's High-Brow Name.
(By Jane Osborne.)

knit his brows and held his large blue
PENCIL meditatively over the copy that
| lay before him on his desk.
But that is my name" said Nellie
! apologetically, rather timidly, as she
! drew her small feet tight together
under her chair and folded her brown
| gIoVed hands with a desire to be as
unobtrusive as possible in the presence
! of the stern editor.
But it isn't high-brow enough.
| The last time we had department in
genealogy it was written by fellow
! by the name of Archibold Montgom-
! cry Montague, signed in full. People
somehow feel as if a fellow with
name like that has a right to give
their pedigrees and their coats of
arms. Suppose you sign this article
and the rest in the series some such
name as that-one that sounds as if
your great-great-g great grandfather
might have been a duke or an earl, at
| least"
The editor paused, and Nellie, feel
ing as if it was her turn to say some
| thing, suggested the first "high-brow''
name she could concoct,
How would Sidney Montmorency
Delatreuve do?' she asked.
The editor began to sign the name
on Nellie's article that lay before him,
by way of approval, and then paused.
Sidney. That is girls name,
isn't it?''
ooh, yes" Nellie assured him, lever
so many dukes and things name their
daughters Sidney"
"Au right, Miss Sidney Montmor-
ency Delatreuve," said the editor,
with something that almost suggested
smile on his stern face, and Nellie
hurried from the room, to make way
for the next contributor.
Nellie had a fondness for this new
name of hers, and it was with a great
deal of pleasure that she opened the
letters addressed to Miss Delatreuve,
hot oT1O0 fO no Of of he
ing Express from readers who want
ed her to throw light on their family
histories.
When she took the department in
ancestry, the nominal remuneration
Of seven dollars for bi-weekly col
umn, which Nellie dug out of old local
histories and family genealogies and
libraries at much trouble, it was with
the understanding that she could keep
the proceeds" People, seeing her ar
ticles, would write to her to get her
to give them an account of their fam
lilies, the editor assured her. and she
for this service and keep it. This
sounded good, and people did occa-
sionally request her services, but, as
Miss McLain soon discovered, people |
who take an interest in their ancestors |
are quito frequently lean-pursed, and |
accordingly her earnings were meager. |
Here is one of the letters she re- |
ceived from a far away Western fruit |
ranch LnaL Sne never IOrSOp.
Dear Sidney Montmorency Della |
st have been reading your articles
in the Morning Express" which |
reaches us out here four days late. 1t |
is not SO much because 1 care about |
ancestors, for I don't, but because I |
am a Delatreuve, and I am interested |
in anything that the Delatreuves do. |
There are SO few of US in this country. |
Can you give me an account of the |
family with the P03f nf rToS2 Yours |
truly,
VIVIAN DELATREUvE."
Sidney had some difficulty in an
swering because she did not know
addressed as Mrs" or Miss but ,
she finally solved the difficulty as
her correspondent had done by sim
ply beginning:
was not, as Sidney knew, the correct
form, but no doubt Vivian discounted /
the formalities. No doubt the life on
western fruit ranch had that effect
on people. Sidney went on to say:
81 should be glad to forward you
a typewriter account of the Della
treuve family. 1t is such a small fam
lily that it isn't of enough general in
terest to be published in the columns
of the Morning Express but l will
be glad to forward you the equivalent
of a colmn article on receipt of So"
The money came promptly and
Nellie naSCeneQ TO write up the family. !
Then came this letter:
Dear Sidney Delatreuve-I am
very much obliged for the fine write
up of our family. Why didn't you
mention yourself as one of the Della
trevuerS who have done something
worth while or show which branch of
of the family you belong to. Enclosed
is cheek FOR $40 which doesn't pay
for the work you did. Times must be
pretty hard in that big city of yours
if the kind of work you put on that
write-up goes for So. Seriously if you
want a better position let me know.
We are looking for some one like you
out here on the fruit ranch to keep
the records and answer the letters.
keep track of the help and make the
pay rolls
Sidney didn't know anything about
pay rolls, but the offer sounded good
and the check looked even better. 1t
was not long after this that the editor
of the Morning Express had little
talk with Nellie.
II guess that ancestry dope will
have to be cut out he said. Moth
ing against the way it is done, but
the subscribers don't read it. Elec-
ton is coming, and they want more
politics. I don't know of any other
work for you at the moment, but if
you drop in from time to time some
thing may turn up.
This was sad blow for Nellie. for
Nellie was poor indeed, but she re-
membered her friend Vivian Della
treuve in the west. She had enough
money in the bank to pay her passage
out there, it was five days away, and
she was sure from the tone of Vivian's
letter that it would be agreeable
Sidney wrote, saying that she would
like the position, and promptly came ,
a letter from Vivian, this time begin ,
ming simply, Dear Sidney 1t gave
full details for the coming. Vivian.
Or one of Vivian's brothers, would .