The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-11-05
Daily Short Story
AT Y

When the fOorman Of the big de-
pailInent store PASSED the paw en-
Neiopes that Tuesday afternoon Hen
-l'ta Wiley opened hers slowly. she
Mas aIralQ-and she was right IN fear
lHS- u ueid With "a usual TWO weeks
pay the small printed slip. Your serv-
lc'S are no longer required" She read
~ dull!. crushed u m her hand and
vent on showing IN elderly woman
ne slock or black yelling There had
Zen tslk Tor a week of cutting down
ne sales force. business was poor.
All around the girls were pointing or
srumbiing. But they were girls: not
ured women OF fOrty-hve wears. who
had clerked for over two decades and
now we're too old 10 learn different
work. like herself.
refer Haynes. the timekeeuer. went
briskly by. She looked al MIN resent
July. He was a little. brisk old man
lhey a come into the store about
ne same time. many years before. Bu,
refer worked because he liked TO
u WASH exactly necessary. as boast
IuIly informed people. Yet. with the
usual perversity of fate. he would be-
kept and she would be laid on. She
wondered duly II he had laid much
stress In his reports on her three tardy
mornings in the last month. OF course
nc nad- There vas a tinge OF an ma
ture IN the twinkle Of his sharp black
US nut enc FtUltlt0 herself SfrufIN
lnAt ne, or course. had TO do his duty.
And II the firm cared much for her
services she wouldn't have been laid
on for so trifing a cause.
That night in her room. n lonesome
place on the third-story of a second
class fooming house. she reviewed her
!lie- gray, -ulled. so little re-
iieVed by JOY. Her mother had died
when she was nine. Her father. q
tired. inefficient man. married soon
again. The second Wife was a deli.
cate. likable. but inefficient woman.
Henrietta grew zap into a sober. hard
worked girl. and driftDl on into "a so
Der. hard-worked roman The younr.
er brothers n sisters had scattered
some We're dead. None had received
strong endowment Of health from
their parents. Father and delicate.
litable steUmothor had died Henri
eta Clerkod. she had never had the
opportunity 20 learn better more iJ.
c%rative work She had not the assert.
lN'n"-s OF character that hunts ou-
~nprfunIfN. She .u-f Iriftod from week.
tn week. from yea to wear. taking
d-ihnesS n trouble AS they came. re-
belliug mutely sometimes but af
night she was too tired Tor planning
too tired for % hing but supp"
and bed. IN the morning she had fa
hurry 20 get TO the store. All dan she
was busy.
Now az %fosty-hvo. she was out. with
less than $500 saved Some people.
Of course. might have thought that %
great deal might have schcmed "a
way tO max n more. But Henrietta
only thought fyarfully az how soon
10 would melt unless She got work
Immediately. And IL was not 'he
right time of the wear 20 get work
Moreover. ONE az forty.tye with
t.'d. sober faces and sober. ocorom
I.-' Earb are looked ar a-kauce ly
h.iness men wanting help. Women
who are efficient arc seldom laid oft
she lahored mechanically during
The days OF tho work remaining be-
fore the notice tooE effect. Some o.
'Ae younger girls changed pout- To-
smiles They had got other places
OF were going 20 stay a. home "a while
Ana Peter Haynes went around with
a smile so CHEEKY that her vague ra-
sentiment swelled Hs. with his thCu-
and, az dollars in the bank. wouldn't
have minded But flo-. who needn't
mind were the ones thar always were
kept u seemed queer to 40 ou- sat
uri1y u.-ht and know that 81 was for
fu- last time. almost like leayir.
home Sh" had worked thor. so long
ii,r eyes were NOT so gray a- l,-
race and - walked slowly.
Hur with sunday moirlr. courae.
came After aII. she wasn't ,o badly
off. She Got 20 newspaper and care