The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-12-06

man. superintendent VI ifotN
coat. whilc walking between tho
glass,ladcn tnhles noticed Bertha.
lie hesitated. stopped. and came
back % her. lie stared at her face,
her hair. and especially nj her fig
urc.
How long have you been down
here7"
six months" she answered. and
was almost suffocated by the beat
Ing OF her heart. lie looked sur
/ prised.
Report for work In tho dress.
making department in the morn
Ing"
She rushed home. with glowing
eyes she entered the flat and found
her mother In tho kitchen calmly
peellng potatoes.
Mother. I'm 20 go into the dress
making department. /, means nine
dollars week."
Her mother dropped the potatoes.
which rolled about on the floor,
[ The two women embraced. there
were even tears IN their eyes. Their
supper was an event Tho whole
flat seemed all at once more cheer
full. and they spent the evening
planning a thousand little projects
of Improvement. now and thon
dreaming In silence OF the possibil.
tiles OF the future.
In the morning Bertha became
salesgirl In the dressmaking do
partment
Here Bertha. tntorcd By her new
/ companions. learned 20 flatter. 10
cajole. to tell untruths about her
wares and still. while doing SO. 10
appear frank and honest sho
learned the names OF tho women
who came 10 shop. their affairs. the
scandals In tho lives OF some OF
them. evolved In exact detail no one
knew from what source. but never.
theless implicitly believed by eager
audiences Her eyes were opened
to 4 strange world: things which
| befor. she had heard through
hints alone. hero were recounted 20
her In plain language. and with tho
so-called principals OF disrcputablc
histories she came In actual con.
tact. serving them. Curiously she
! would watch them. meanwhile won.
I dering AZ tho calmnesH OF their
agreeable faces. their beauty. their
I prosperity. Was this. then. the way
that ylciousness was served
/ One day. at some prepos,erors
story related by the forewoman-a
ruthless gossip-Bertha rc,orted nj.
most in evaporation;
One would think there wcren's
any good people Mt all IN a bis
city"
My dear" said the sorewoman,
looking at her intently. those you
hear nothing about are the clever
ones"
Ten months passed: Bertha was
nearly % years old. Her life In the
store continued In its outward de
tails as before. Day after day. with
fluent praise and flattery. she ex
hIblted costumes OF silk. OF velvet
OF diaphanous tissue--perfshabls
masterpieces OF dressmaking on
each OF which n dozen working
women somewhere had used NJ
their wits. stiffened their fingers
and worn out their eyes. Non
chalantiy she mentioned to tho GUS
toners the extravagant prices oi
these things. amazed no longer Of
the thought that here were women
who could pay for bail dress what
would keep her and her mother for
almost a year.
On her way home at night. walk
ing for choice along the fine ave
nues as far as possible. through q
dusk gemmed with golden lights
clustered before the porticoes ot
great hotels and restaurants. she
was tormented constantly with
jealousy. She saw. before canopied
doorways, ladies' descending from
their carriages. climbing the carp
eted steps. their long trains trailing
after them like tumbling foam
Doors opened to them. disclosing
the interiors OF splendid houses
and shut while she looked long
ingly. Beyond the deserted ter
races OF restaurants, she perceived
through long windows, by the aid oil
candles III on the snowy tables
white shoulders. flowers. strands oil
pearls. outstretched fingers glitter
ing with rings-vague people NOV
ing In another world.
She observed also the men who
accompanied these fortunate won
en-. From observing them. and from
the perusal OF stories in magazines
and In novels which she borrowed
she made more dreams dreams nc
less personal. dreams OF the sori
which young girls have From act
ual perception and from fiction shs
constructed the young hero. the In
eyitable Prince-handsome, debon
air. aristocratlc. always dressed
for the evening In glistenIng ha
and pumps and n fur-llned great
coat. always. at the end OF the ad
ventures In which she perceive,
him. taking her in his arms.
And yet. walking with burning
hungry eyes in that fair region
craving Intensely all IT'S rare allure
ments. into her mind crept stealth
ily speculative thoughts that sh.
would not. a year before. have tol
Grated.
Each night. ar she opened N,
door OF the fiat. she knew exactl,
what 70 expect In the little kiich
en-. the kettle boiled on the stove
the tin clock licked resonantly OF
the cupboard shelf: her mother. fl
a Bingham apron. stood there pro
pairing supper Looking into N,
parlor.' she could see the tidy oI
the table. the work.bnsket. IN,
earthenware shepherdebs on tn
mantelpiece, the broad brown stall
on the ceiling where the water IN,