Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-12
- IFTY dollars for dress before
could go TO work. That seemed

%-&S-%%NNN$NNNNN
II IFTY dollars for a dress before
y could go TO work! That seemed
- to me impossible. And yet, [
asked myself how did these other girls
manage-these pretty and happy young
women 1 saw dancing so gayly in the
dansants? Fred Ellersley had told
me that they Occupied positions such as
/ coveted in the various smart shops on
the avenue. When L had applied TO S.
Silberstein & Co. for position, the man
in charge of the department had told me
IL 1 were engaged 1 would be paid $40
a week. 1 had common sense enough to,
realize that even an experienced girl in
the work probably did not earn more
than double that wage. II to secure
their positions these girls were forced
TO pay forty or dollars for gowns, how
did they manage?
In my questioning 1 came against
blank wall. 1t was but natural that l
should turn TO Fred Ehersbley in my
bewilderment 1t was he who had intro
duced me 10 this strange, new world.
II was he who seemed best able to nav
igate its intricacies. 1 went to tea with
Fred the day 1 had been to S. Silber-
stein & Co.
And" I concluded after 1 mad N
folded my tale to him, what am 1 to
DO. MY DlONnGE DuyS NY tAONiNSs VI
course. But 1 know she could not af-
ford and would never consider buying
me as expensive a dress as those other
girls were wearing. Evidently, unless
I look as they do, L cannot get a posi-
tioh 1 would awfully like to try work
ing You don't know what it's like 10
be shut up all the time with just mother
and her maid. I'd sell something glad
ly to get the money, but L haven't any
thing that's worth very much. What
shall dor
Fred looked at me quizzically.
Well" ne said. that's easy after you
get on to the ropes bit You've just
got to have somebody stake you to it,
thats all 1t may be a little hard at
first because you don't suppose most of
these girls you see here get their clothes
from their mothers, do you?
Yes, know, Fred" 1 rejoined triie
impatiently, It's all very well to talk.
suppose. I've got to get somebody
to stake me to the dress. But whose
going to do it?'
Strangely enough, no thought of dis
honor in deliberately starting out TO get
something for nothing crossed my mind.
suppose it was the atmosphere in
which ] had been brought up, My moth
er's one religion was that it was a wom-
ans first duty to be beautiful; that If
she were beautiful il was as right for
her to take tributes to her loneliness as
il would be for flowers to accept CRATE
fully the sunshine and the rain. And
now il so happened L was but passing
from my home into an atmosphere very
similar to it. 1 think the girls with
whom 1 was now thrown in contact were
a little franker and a little coarser In
their demands. But the basic priciple
Of their lives was the same as my moth
er's. Briefly il was that il is a great
privilege for pretty girl to permit a
man to admire her. And, privileges
should be paid for. Thus / did not
question the ethics of Fred Ellersley's
suggestion that somebody must be found
TO stake me" 10 the dress. My one
anxiety was to find such a person.
I'll tell you. DIANA" he said, ''Pn
take you over to the management Of
the restaurant this afternoon. I'll get
them to pass you in whenever you like
for nothing. Then I'll see that you meet
plenty fmen. That will be your first
step in the right direction. Well look
the bunch over and decide which is the
most likely. Meanwhile, you can just
dance around and have a good time
You'll find things coming your way al
most at once. You see, you're an awfulTy
pretty girl. When you get on to how
to dress you're going to be a pipin! l
don't know, you're sort Of odd and diff
ferent looking now. L suppose il your
Spanish mother. But when you get the
/ trick of playing up your eyes in shape
1 tell you what it is, Dina, you'll find
you can have any old thing in this town
you want"
Just for a moment a sudden fear
crossed my mind.
Fred" 1 said, slowly trying to put
/ into words what 1 felt. Il wouldn't
/ have to let this man hold my hand or
kiss me or things like that, or come
/ TO my house to see me would II"
Fred Ellersley looked at me
shrewdly.
You bet you DON'T he said. Just
stand firm and behave like a puzzle"
a puzzle?r I repeated blankly.
YES" said Fred. THE sort of thing
that fascinates people every once in a
while just because everybody says st
can't me done