The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-05

VA
M being in that orchestra seat
She made me point out every
= 51I4\ rich person in the boxes that
"a 49, - "a knew She had heard Of
nearly all OF them
What was the matter:
The reply came in a whisper. 'Her Clothes"
ooh. ! suppose she didn't have anything fit to
wear"
But | way of the track.
"She had very pretty dress or. But the
the smell OF cooking
"Oh,' said. Now understood.
"HcT family live i'll two room>-iather and
mother and four Children There's circulation
OF air to speak OF. The moment | sat down in
that opera house. realized. \ few moments later
saw that the people about realized. The
women began to look suspicious | saw several
OF them whispering together and CHANGING in our
direction Can't you imagine what went
through"
thought could imagine; but couldn't help
laughing.
A few weeks later | went down to thcatri-
cal performance given by the members OF my
friends club. In the performance Bertha krauss
was 4 conspicuous figure. | WAS aStonlshcd to
discover how handsome she and how sell
possessed She acted with some spirit but with
the abominablc Fast Side accent that always
seemed strange to coming from pretty girl
At the dance that followed Bertha krauss was
radiant.
The friend who conducted tho club was stand
ing at my side
''I>n it awful for girl in her position to be
So stunning" She said. And she's lost her job,
too Shes always losing her job. She says the
reason !, that she lives the East Side and
: Al.
raphc.> She thinks there's a social prejudice
even among employers. And she says that girls
with nice homes take positions at small salaries
Tor pin money. and undermine her. But think
know the real reason.
what is the real rcason:"
"Dont YOU remember the story | told you
about that night at the Metropolitan Opera
House"
Some months aitcrward | asked my friend
about Bertha krauss. She looked worried.
Il haven't seen Bertha for several weeks. She
doesn't come to the club any more" She hest
tatcd for a moment. There a Young mar
wanted to marry her, a tailor | thought she
cared for him. and | liked him very much. But
she said that il she married him. she'd live II
two rooms all her Lie. and have a family OF chill
drcn to starre, just like her father and mother
little later another young man began TO cal
for her after the club meeting. a bartender. Per
haps | oughtn't to have said anything. But die
and she took ofcnse. Then night her mother
came to me and said Bertha hadn't been home
for several days. Her father had objected to thu
bartender and there had been Girls hk'
| Bertha arc always having with their fathers
The bartender was married"
"Is Bertha working now" ! asked
Her mother said she had lost her position
| again.
| During the long months OF hot weather whcr
all the people leave New York who ! saw
| nothing OF that club director But night
carly in the following winter, | happened to b.
calling on some friends in her settlement. SAT-
to one OF the young women sitting in the rcccn
ton room do you ever see anything OF ina
handsome girl Bertha krauss, who used to tax
part in the theatricals here?
AT once there chill in the air say
covert elances. The young that happene
to be sitting opposite me became perfectly motion
less.
There was an awkward silence. Then severa
members of the group started to speak at tn
same instant.
They all said that Bertha to tn
! settlement now.
The reason was plain enough.