Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-01-30

- "A girl must learn LnAb n1e y
y gives her nothing. It pays her y
y a wage according to her work. y
%-N-\>-].N-~-~-N-~-~-%-~-~-
II OR a moment or two I think Mr..
n Colby actually believed the worst
= of me. That is. that 1 was try
ing to pretend 1 had thought he was
in love with me and that he had caused
me to care for him on false pretenses.
In short that / was bent upon what
would practically be blackmail. But 1
had not fallen so low. Such a thought
had not even crossed my mind. So
now, when he demanded to know with
a sudden new streak of coldness in his
voice why L had come to his rooms?"
I answered him telling the truth.
Il wanted to see you" l said, "and
you didn't answer my notes nor my
telephone
why did you particularly want to
see me?" Mr.. Colby asked curiously.
1 realized he was angry. / felt in
stinctively that he was not the sort of
man with. whom 1 would care to quarrel
1 would certainly get the worst of 1t.
1 wished 1 had not come 1t seemed to
me best to tell him what l had really
felt. To go as quickly as possible.
"I thought" 1 told him honestly,
that you cared for me a little, or you
not nave dShcu yOuI SlSNCI W
take me with her for a week. 1 really
do like you lots better than June. When
1 came hack from the country and you
did not come to see me 1 had to go out
a lot with June. But was just hoping
that you would ask me-"
Mr.. Colby paused for a moment be-
fore he answered
ITS pretty hard" he said finally, ito
get the point of view of girls of your
kind, Di For example, L can't help
asking why you had to go out with
June 1 think there is no law in ex-
istence that could make you do so. When
1 suggested to Cora that she take you
with her for a week ii was because l
thought you had better stuff in you
than most young women of your kind.
You complained you were lonely be-
cause nice girls, as you say, would not
be friends with you Ny dear, at my
sisters you had your chance. What
did you do?"
The color came hot in my face and
1 could not meet Mr.. Colby's eyes
fidgeted in my chair.
IF you don't know what you did"
Mr.. Colby continued, when the silence
had become uncomfortable, "Tn tell you,
Di. Instead of making friends with
couple of awfully nice girls who were
out at my sisters, you promptly struck
up a swift and fervent filtration with
one of Cora's house guests. She told
me afterward she tried to warn you Off
But she said that she did not feel she
had any authority actually to forbid
your doing anything. She tells me on
the first night of Mr.. Adams arrival
you went out in the garden with him
and stayed for hours, instead of remain
ing with the others to dance My dear,
apparently that sort of thing is in you.
Also you are a chump"
IL" 1 began to stammer.
Mr.. Colby stopped me with a ges-
ture-
II don't suppose it's your fault, Di,"
he said. It's the way you are made.
That's all And it's all in the days
work Perhaps l was wrong to try
to give you ideals that would only
make you uncomfortable were you to
try to live up to them. But only this
want to make clear. since apparently
YOU have misunderstood. 1 did not have
you asked out to my sisters place be-
cause 1 am the least in love with you.
NV interest in you was exactly like
Cora's. 1t seemed to me IL you were
really a girl fighting against a force
that was too hard for her we both of
us, or either of us, should give you
helping hand. But it appears that if
you fight at all against your environ
ment you do it in very half-hearted
way 1 don't think there is anything
to be gained by going any further into
the matter"
The tears had crowded to my eyes as
Mr. Colby talked to me. He was stab
bling my heart. And for the first time,
/ think, it was my heart that was hurt
rather more than my vanity. However,
it was the Di of my early training who
cried aloud.
But everybody wants me. to work.
l protested, land it isn't that I'm not
willing to work. When you met me l
was at SiIberstein's. But there isn't
anything 1 can do
Mr. Colby made an impatient gesture
''Nonsensew' he said sharply. You're
an able-bodied human being! There is
always something for you to do! OF
course you can't find anything that
doesn't require any effort and that will
nav YOU a thousand dollars a week!
And that's the sort of job, you are look
ing for, my dear! Don't let us talk
about il any more. You would best fol-
low your plans as you have made them"
1 rose to my feet Indignantly. =,
What are my plans?' l demanded
furiously. How do you know so much?
What do you think / am going to do?"
90 that's easy!" Mr.. Colby told me
coldly. You'll get some man with
money to take care of you, and in re-
turn you will give him just as little
love and loyalty as you possibly can
and get away with it,"
Il WON'T" l cried, 81 won't" And
I clinched my fists.
Mr.. Colby half closed his eyes and
looked at me.
Mr.. Colby half closed his eyes and
looked at me.
"I wonder" ne said slowly. Wen
see!-