The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-02-19
DAILY SHORT STORY.
AN USHER.
By DOROTHY BLACkMORE,
Copyright, l9l5.i

| Copyright I9l5l
But my fathers business has beer
absolutely ruined by the war;" protested
| Anita Morgan. Il must help in some
| way or other"
"fou-help!' laughed her chum, Helen
Bennett. It's SO funny.'
Anita gave an impatient shrug to her
shoulders. 1T may be humorous to you,
/ Helen. TIE ME it is anything but that
My father and mother are dreadfully
depressed over 1t and l know much OF
| their anxiety Is for me since, as they
| have said, i am just beginning my So
cial career. Social career. What in
| the world is mere social few years to
me. compared with the worry of my
mother and father? l tell you / shall
do something"
Teach dancing. perhaps. laughed
Helen.
Anita shook her head. Everybody
doing that
Go on the stage? Maybe we'll see
something at the matinee today that
will appeal to you?" Helen continued in
testing tones
For. Of Course. a part is mine for
the asking. added Anita sarcastically
No; l have no talent for acting. In
fact, since I've been taking inventory of
my talents I find ! haven't a single
economically independent. Now, that is
the difficult part
why should you have? YOU
But that's just i'll should have been
taught to do something that would stand
me Ill good stead in case of necessity
II isn't the right way to bring up a
girl We should have equal opportunity
with boys"
They were nearing the theater for
ginning to realize that her friend was in
earnest. could find no reply.
l can't even make doughnuts for a
Woman's exchange. I'm not a good men,
profession. no work of any kind TO turn
10. ana yet ] am determined to do some
thlnS to help with the family expenses
II IT'S only adding a few dollars a week
l have brains and common sense and |
know can find something
I'm afraid 1t will be hard. Nita," said
Helen. serious for the first time She
was beginning TO realize that she too
would be helpless when it came to EARN
ing money.
DAILY SHORT STORY
Neither girl said anything further on
the subject, but as they sat in the the
alter Anita watched the ushers running
up and down the aisles busily seating the
guests in the theater II was the first
time she had ever taken any real notice
OF the ushers. They were earning their
living-thosc girls. She began to think
of their duties, six nights week and
two afternoons in most theaters. That
was not skilled work-even she Anita
Morgan. could do that. She was accus-
TONED to late hours; she was quick and
active and she had good appearance
In her own mind she decided to try
TO get position as usher in a city
theater. The ushers interested her more
than the play that afternoon and she
studied each one that she could see even
when they came down the aisles between
acts to offer water to the audience Every
girl looked quite refined, reasonably intel
liSent. But-An!ta said nothing to Helen
about her plans. Helen would scott at the
idea and 1t was not easy to be ridi-
culcd.
The following day she went to the man.
agement Of theater and found employ
ment at once as an usher. She was taken
TO the wardrobe mistress who happened
IN tlis case, to have charge of the usher's
costumes as we'll those of the the
atricai folk. 1t seemed strange and not
altogether pleasant to be trying on
gowns that others had worn. but Anita
had promised herself that she would
fiinch at nothing that was respectable
All. it's mighty becomn' to ye miss"
SAID the kindly woman who helped her
to find costume that would fit And.
indeed. as she surveyed herself in the
long mirror she realized that the colonial
dress. the quaint apron and bonnet and
the buckled slippers were anything but
ugly. The dimples lodged into her
cheeks for a moment and then tears
Hooded her eyes. She realized how her
mother and father would feel if they
could see her ina uniform.
She did not speak of her work to any
one. but she saw many of her friends