Evening star., 1914-05-04
THE EVENING STORY.
A Shifted Viewpoint.
Copyright. 1914. by W. wener)


Rissa Jordan stood looking into a
show window when she should have
been on her way to Mrs. Cassidy's,
where she had a room up three flights
of stairs with a peek-a-boo window
squirting out OF the roof 1t was a
show window, too. in the department
store where she sold petticoats
Whether you wore silk or cotton you
could find your JOY at Rissa's coun-
ter and smile too. In consequence
OF that smile most people thought
that Rissa Jordan was a happy girl.
with nothing to ask for. but they
were far wrong. There were two
things in the world which she want
ed with all the want" that was in
her. one of these things was willow
plume!
4 great bouquet of willow plumes
formed the chief attraction of the
brilliantly lighted window and it was
colorcd even as the rainbow. But
only one of these plumes enchanted
Rissa- What her eyes saw and saw
only was the magnificent pink one
that topped the whole cluster. II
came 10 her that if she had that
plume on a black velvet hat the new
hoorwalker must look at her instead
of over around her as he had a
way of doing.
..I'd be pretty in that pink willow.
! know / would" Rissa sighed.
1t was raw evening and R1ssa
shivered. She turned away reluctantly
at last and entered the side street
which led toward Mrs. Cassidys, nine
blocks off.
Rissa Jordan had been nine months
in the city, and for seven months she
had sold petticoats The hrst two
months she had acted as an extra"
but her cleverness had soon promoted
her to a counter of her own. 1t was
the ftrst work she had ever done IN
her life. and she had never expected
TO do that but when her father died
suddenly. leaving her as his only as.
set and a host of liabilities. she had
resolved TO be something more than
q poor relation. and had straightway
set forth on her quest for a livelihood
Her nine months in the city had
been lonely ones. for she was shy and
did not make friends easily. she
found people different and not
altogether trustworthy. She was in
deed learning all the time. She kept
10 herself and put every cent she
could spare in the savings pahk
against that rainy day which MISS
Pride. the high nosed, spectacled
pcsite counter, told her was fea-
cure of city working girls exist
-nce. The savings bank is the best
,rlerd you can have" Miss Pride said.
sold corsets in this store six years.
and before that l was eleven years in
,tW York. I've seen a lot of COM
Iags and goings and a lot of rainy
days catch people when they weren't
prepared I've had my own, too Miss
Pride added. quietly.
RisSa liked Miss Pride. She was
certain that Miss Pride would not ap-
prove of her yearning for the willow
plume. or her admiration for the new
fioorwalker. All the girls were
crushed" on him and made no secret
of it. Some of them were such pretty
girls. too.
IF were pretty-if had that pink
willow plume" thought ISssa. as she
climbed the steps to Miss Cassidy's
front door and inserted her latchkey.
Smells of dinner greeted her. She
was hungry, for her luncheon had
consisted merely OF sandwich and
tea Her breakfast before that-in
her own room-had been more tea
and rolls.
Rissa crawled up to her room with
the peek-a-boo window and sinking