New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-05


other clerks arc settled at their desks Pauline
~ashcs in.
Trvc, her little toque and smart suit are the
same neat, standardized concoctions that all
lusircss-ike girls in the downtown district
wear, but beneath the outward convention Of
neatnr.s-hcaycns! Pauline's hair struggles
exc..edly tie minute she removes her hat and
veil. Her waist Pauline, did you think
re,c- noticed such thngs?-is invariably start
ing divorce proceedings with her skirt She
rcmo,es hal and coat, sits down at her desk and
Begins 60 typcwrtc irtrtcally half-page or
&c. Then there is a pause Pauline Is sur
rcpu,ous,y employing her nail file TO complete
her morning toilet. During odd moments she
pins up the straying locks with harpirs that
arc mixed up with the pencils, typewriter brush
and unopened sticks Of chewing gum in the top
drawer Of her desk. BY noon-time she is per-
fcctly groomcd for the day.
Pauline frankly dislikos business. She calls
it "the daily grind" and affects no enthusiasm
about it. Monday morning she is especially
loath 10 tackle work; there is so much staring
unseeirgly out Of the window that ! tease her,
and usually she responds with sigh, "Oh,
dear. why wasn't born rich instead Of good
lookng?"
One day she marched in at 10 o'clock, ar
rayed i'm the very latest imitation Fifth Ave
nue. costume. pauline is of medium height,
slender and her figure has, in It's time, adjusted
10 the idiosyncrasies Of the Debutante SLOUGH,
Lame Duck and Castle Walk. She looks
"emart" in anything fashionable) Pauline
usually filings off hat and coat in mad haste.
This morning she was slow. ! know Pauline.
So. without raising my eyes from my desk, l
remarked, yes, it's very becoming Paulines
big brown eyes dilate with pleasure, her teeth
sparkle in a delightful smile, as she bubbles,
"Do you really think so? I'm 50 glad"
Then / scrutinize her more severely. eyes,
it's becoming. but aren't you ashamed to wear
such expensive clothes? You can't afford
a,en on your salary, you know" Pauline
sobers instantly. She is penitont. apologize,
na,hetic. "You don't know how | saved and
skimped to get this suit" she explains, "Ive
been paying the tailor so much week since |
came back from my vacation and ! guess III
have to keep on paying till the suits almost
worn out"
am hard on Pauline that day. "My dear
girl. whats the use of your working at all if
YOU spend your salary entirely on clothes?
Give up your job Stay home. Go out and
play. Have a good time in 9S-cent shirtwaists
and SO skirts" Pauline's eyes snap at me
viciously. Wish / could. Only reason work
is TO keep myself from starving. I'm not in
love with my job, goodness knows" This is a
double-edged thrust l feel that l have not
made Paulines job as interesting to her as
occasionally delude myself l am doing.
And vet | know that Pauline is attached to
many phases of her work. She likes to be
handed stack Of correspondence to answer
by herself She likes 10 act as buffer between
me and unwelcome callers, and especially to plan
the details Of a new piece Of work with me-
But unless my dctation is personal or con
trogersial matter that keeps her in suspense i
lore her. She slumps in her chair, looks out
Of the window Immediately after she pot-hooks
each sentence, and far from concealing her
abstraction she yawns generously and deiber-
ntely behind her conspicuously appraised hand.
But Pauline turns out perfectly written per-
fectly spelled perfectly punctuated letters Of
immaculate neatness, and so am meek before
her. as the man married to an ugly woman who
is a heavenly cook. Chiefly do bear with her
because the times when she chooses to be MIN
ble-witted and sympathetic she is a tremendous
stimulus TO nre. She can comprehend my in
structions before ! have finished my sentence.
She dares to interrupt me with good sugges-
ton while | am debating to her. What mat
tiers il, then, that she does everything but snore
when she is not interested?
Basically, Pauline has not an ounce Of intel
lectuality in her. She is simply my Office cham
payne and her very froth and charming ire
sponslbihty stimulate me. Occasionally she as
tounds me by uttering something ostensibly
thoughtful, but when fasten on it hopefully
g. .k.. ber comment was only a hit of nre-