El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-15
Married Lies Troubles
Helen Finally Engages n Young Irish
Girl, Clean and Willing, but
inexperienced.
= by Mabel Herbert Urner

I
! - by Mabel Herbert Urner -
IT. HE upswept steps and ding9
! doorway proclaimed the cheap
Il rooming house as loudly as did
the sign. FURNISHED Room for Rent
/ in the window.
The door was opened by a strange
! looking creature tall, thin, wild.
4 eyed woman, with yellow, shrlVeIIeu
) skin and frowsy black hair.
| 81 called to see the young woman
| who advertised for homework" fall
/ tered Helen.
! 'T am the young woman gIarlng at
Helen definantly. 4 advertised
] "Oh. II see" murmured Helen
! longing to turn and run down the
! steps. for there was something weird
! and uncanny about this woman.
! Her matted black hair was only a
| wig. which did not hide the closely
| shaved gray hair around her ears. She
1 had closed the door and stood with
/ her clawlike hand on the knob: ana
| for a moment Helen felt a thrill of fear
as she found herself alone with her
] in the darkened hall.
! u hope you amt Ike those two
! men who were just here" she began
| eXcitedly. "They asked me to go up
stairs to get my references, and when
I came back they were gone! No good
will ever come to anybody" menaclng-
| ", who treats a hard working girl
like that"
Had she been drinking, or was she
under in influence of some drug? Helen
was almost afraid of her.
Self Praise.
Now what kind of a girl did you
want. ma ramp" she demanded shrilly-
Just a young girl-quite a young
girl for general homework" answered
Helen nervously, edging toward the
door.
well. there isn't any kind of house
work that I can't do. I'm lookin' for
nice. quiet place, where somebody
will appreciate a hardwOrkin' girl 1
kept house for Mrs. Eldridge-may be
you've heard of the Eldridges of
Brooklyn? Well. ma'am, you could
have wiped your handkerchief over her
kitchen floor and you wouldn't have
found any dirt"
well, there are several other girls
I want to see before I engage any
one" murmured Helen, thinking only
of how she could get away. I'll let
you know if p
You'll let me know" wildly. That's
what they all say. and I never hear
from 'em. Why can't you decide now
I'm ready to go back with you, if you
want me-"
But II really wanted a younger
girl" Helen felt that she was brutal
in saying this, but she had to get
away.
ooh. a YOUNGER girl. is it? They
all say that, too. It's the YOUNG girls
they want advertised myself as a
young woman-not a young girl I'm
not younS-and I'm not old. But I can
do your work a lot better than any OF
those giddy young girls her wild eyes
fairly glared.
Through the glass in the door Helen
saw postman coming up the steps
He rang the Janglng bell, the woman
opened the door to take the mail and
in flash Helen had slipped out
SO you want young girl, eh?" she
called shrilly after her. We'll I hope
you get One-a giddy rattlebraln thing.
No good comes to people who won't
give an honest girl a chance to earn
her livin. You're just like the rest"
and she turned back into the house
and slammed the door.
Helen flew down the steps and al
most ran around the corner to the next
block. She wanted to get as far away
from that house as she could
The next advertisement she had
marked was of Young Irish girl, !
lately landed"
Helen's heart sank when she saw
that this too, was a rOoming house,
but it was plainly a better class house.
The steps, the entrance and the win I
dows had the appearance of being well |
kept.
However, when she rang the bell, |
Helen was careful not to enter the yes
thule. She would not chance a repeti- /
ton of that last experience.
But this time the door was opened !
by a clean. wholesome looking Irish !
girl She wore a blue Bingham dress, |
very short, a ruffled white apron and /
a neat white collar.
Some one from this place advertised /
for homework" said Helen.
ooh, yes; it was me. miss Won't /
you come upstairs. miss?"
UnhesitatingIy Helen followed the |
girl up to the large front room on the !
second floor. 1t was a typical fur
nished room" Evidently it was not (
rented, for the dresser and mantel were /
bare and a half opened closet showed |
empty shelves and hooks.
The girl stood at the foot Of the bed, |
smiling awkwardly, while Helen took !
the cheap rocker by the window.
you've had some experience at gen.
eral houseWork2" asked Helen kindly /
tdying to put the girl at ease, for she
had liked her at once.
I'm the old country, miss; but not
here" in thick Irish brOgue. I've got
a reference from a lady I worked for
in Londonderry. Shall I get it miss?"
NO; tell me about yourself first !
How long have you been in this COun-
lust two weeks next Saturday.
Then you're not working in this
house?'
''Oh, no, miss. Ny uncle rooms here
and I'm just stayin' here till I get a
place I've got a little room at the
top; but my uncle's got the ballroom
next to this" proudly.
Helen Confident.
Helen had heard the door bell jan
gle a moment before and now ! voice
called from below: Nora! A lady to
see your
viii you excuse me minute. miss?"
and she hurried down.
Even without seeing her reference