Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-29
THEEvEN|N|CSTORY,
At Forty-Five.
Copyright isls, By ". werner,

Copyright 1918. BY W. WefneRl
{ When the doorman Of the big de-
partmant store paused the pay en-
velopes that Tuesday afternoon Hen
rietta Wiley opened hers slowly. She
was afraid-and she was right In fear
Ing. 1t held with the usual two weeks
pay the small printed slip: ''Your serv.
ices are no longer required" She read
II DULY. crushed 1t in her hand. and went
on showing an elderly woman the stock
of black yelling. There had been talk
for a week Of cutting down the sales
force. Business was poor. All around
her girls were pouting or grumblins.
But-they were girls: not tired women OF
forty-five years. who had clerked for over
two decades and now were too old to
learn different work. like herself.
Peter Haynes. the timekeeper, went
briskly BY. She looked at him resent
fully. He was little. brisk old man
They had come into the store about the
same time. many years before. But Peter
exactly necessary. as he boastfully In
formed people. Yet, with the usual per-
versity of fate, he would be kept and she
would be laid off. She wondered DULY
If he had laid much stress in his repor g
on her three tardy mornings In the last
month. OF course, he had. There was
tnge of Ill nature in the twinkle Of his
| sharp black eyes. But she reminded her.
self stoutly that he. of course, had to do
his duty. And IL the firm cared much
for her services she wouldn't have been
laid off for SO trifiing cause.
That night In her room. q lonesome
place on the third story of a seconds class
rooming house. she reviewed her life
gray, toll filled. SO little relieved by 10y.
Her mother had died when she was nine
Her father. a tired. inefficient man, mar
| ried soon az ain. The second wife was a
delicate, nkable. but inefficient woman.
Henrietta grew up into a sober. hard
worked girl. and drifted on into a sober.
hard-worked woman. The younger broth
ers and sisters had scattered. Some were
dead None had received strong endow-
| ment of health from their parents. Father
| and delicate, likable stepmother had died.
Henrietta clerked. She had never had
the opportunity to learn better, more lu-
crative work She had not the assert've-
ness of character that hunts opportunity.
She just drifted from week to week, from
year to year. taking drabness and trouble
as they came. rebelling mutely sometimes
But at night she was too tired for plan
ning-too tired for anything but supper
and bed. In the morning she had to
hurry to get to the store All day she
was busy.
Now. at forty-five. she was out. with
less than $500 saved. Some people. Of
course, might have thought that q great
deal: might have -schemed a way to make
t more. But Henrietta only thought
fearfully of how soon 1t would melt un-
less. she got work Immediately. And 1t
was not the right time of the year to get
work. Moreover. women of forty-five
with tired, sober faces and sober. eco
nomical garb are looked at askance by
business men wanting help. Women who
are efficient are seldom laid off.
She labored mechanically during
the days of the work remaining before
the notice took effect. Some Of the young
er girls changed pouts to smiles. They
had got other places or were going to
stay at home while. And Peter Haynes
| went around with smile SO CHEEKY that