The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-10-21
tCopyright. 1918, by W. Werner.

copyright. 1918. by w. Wcrner.>
Lcrel,a. walked slowly up the steps
OF the IL" station nearest her home.
She was agErievcd when the train.
for some reason, fingered until she
had boarded it. She wanted to he
late; she wanted very much not to
s" to work at all. Through the crowd
OF heads i'll the aisle of the coach she
caught sight of an orange feather
that belonged to Il girl in her depart
nent. She pushed through. Meta
was seated. When I.orena paused
and the girls greeted each other "a
young man seated beside Meta Sot
up II gave Lorena his seat. Then
he tool hold of the arr, Of the seat
to steady himself. and with his other
land held Il newspaper up for peru
sal. I.orena thanked him and sank
into tho seat. And Immediately she
and Meta rehashed their onS
for both two days before had been
transferred from the checking de-
partment of tho wholesale house,
where work was comparatively light.
to the auditing department.. where in
,rica1e rows of figures almost icored
them. And it was not the increased
work they minded, but that they and
several other girls had been cut $3.50
a week.
IF it wasn't summer wouldn't
mind that SO much.' walled l.orena.
lin winter you're glad to scoot home
to your and stay in cold nights.
Fut in summer-well. it's knocked
any idea OF vacation for me. I could
have managed a week In Michigan.
but now I'll just have to stay here.
Delightful vacation it'll be. Cocped in
a. bedroom. same as the year round"
Its perfectly outrageous" Meta
declared. They say the new nan
aser is so close he'd save a p%unctured
cent and send it into the mint to he
he had to work for IS a week and had
i, cut to $3.50 it would do him good
Netta's tone was agsrteved, but it
lacked the poignant bitterness of
Lorena's. And Metals eyes gazed
placidly cut the window. Meta lived
at nome and. moreover. would be
married in June. SO a few dollars lost
was 10 So important as to Lorena.
whose family-mother. father. and
sistcr-lay in a corner Of the grave.
yard that the IL" whirled her past
every morning on her way to work.
1.trena "roomed" and ate mostly at
ready the curve of her cheek held
that indefinable impress Of WEAKNESS
which is the f%orerunner of age.
Netta's eyes continued to look III
dreaming placidity out the window.
She was thinking of June. only three
weeks away. Lorena folded her
hands. shabhily gloved in black cot
ton, in her lap, and her mouth. which
was red and we'll curved. dropped.
She could quit. Of curse, but sum-
mer in A city is dull.
You look peaked. Lorena," Meta
brought her eyes back from their
dreaming journey and looked pity
ingly at her friend. Haven't YOU
got some relations that live in the
country that YOU could invite your
self to for a few weeks" She laugh
ed gayly. That's what Elsa's going
to do. She says her aunt doesn't
want her ands she knows it. but she
doesn't care.
She says she'll eat humble pie. she'll
gorge herself with it, if she a only
stay two weeks in the country"
I'm. not that kind" said LofGna
shortly. Anyway. ] haven't 4 feia.
tive in the world"
Dear me-" said. Meta 'pityingly.
Don't YOU feel terrible"
oh. I'm used to it," Lorena re-
turned dispiritedly. oh"
II beg your pardon" cried the
young man who had given her his
seat. One page of the outspread pa