The Raymer enterprise., 1917-07-26
WHY NORMA LEFT
sy JANE OSBORN.


begin with. No, earlier than that, 1t
had been that ungrateful, unregenerate
Sam Yong. who did his Oriental best to
play the housewifely role In Mr.. Ma
jor's uptown apartment.
Then things went wrong in the Office.
He jIggled the telephone impatiently
for five minutes before he heard any
response, and then boys crude tones
came through to him. He was used to
q girls voice. He remembered now
that 1t had been a voice cultivated,
calm and sure in itshandling of yowels
and consonants.
"Why didn't anyone answer sooner?"
he asked-only he did so with more
emphasis.
"She's left" came back to him.
"She has left, has she? Well, why
didn't the Office manager know and
why didn't he get another girl to take
her place"
ash did tell i'm. Only he thought
she was bluftin'-thought she was beef
In for more wages-on'y got six u
week. But she's left all same"
"Well, why didn't the Office manager
let me known" shrieked the inpatient
Mr.. Majors. II want that girl back.
Where has she gomez"
There was suppressed, unsteady
giggle from the boy. "She's gone TO keep
house for the girls club. That is,
she's Akin up place for them to live
at. NJ sister that's In the club says
the girls have to spend so much on car
fares they've decided to live near, and
and SO that there Norma, why, she said
II they'd club together and get her as
much as she was getting here she'd get
out and make some place for them to
live at that was nearer"
In the meantime Norma had been
earning her six dollars a week that
the girls at the club had pursed for
her. She had found. blocks away,
a curious house. Around II was large
cemented court. 9he bureau of build
ings had not allowed Office buildings
to intrude on this space. Well, Norma
had found this spbt, and she had also
found that through some long lease on
the remainder of the estate to which
the seQuestered house belonged, the
plot could not be disposed of for ten
years more. She went to the agent and
got him to quote price for the ten
years lease. Then came the task of
finding someone who would lend the
girls club the amount necessary for
the first three months rent, and the
other necessary-much larger-needed
to put In the necessary improvements.
One Of these improvements was the
erection Of trellis over the cemented
courtyard, where Norma planned to
grow vines. But she finally did find
someone to trust her-she called in
person on the richest woman she had
ever heard about, and would not leave
her house till the rich woman had
consented to see her personally.
Mr.. Majors, meanwhile, grew more
and more distraught over the rasping
male voice on the switchboard. Then
at a directors meeting Of charity in
which his family had long been inter
ested, he met the woman of wealth
who had trusted Norma. She asked
him about her, and told him of her
admiration for the girl. The next day
Majors went out to find her.
II don't know just what have come
to ask you," be said as he studied
the youthful figure sheathed In u
coarse, all-enveloplng gingham apron.
II thought at first that l could tempt
you back. But now that ! see what
you are doing here have another idea.
This Is a rattling. idea Of yours-this
making a little garden cottage in the
midst of the city. wonder whether
there aren't other places that could
be Transformed"
Norma told him there were. Just
that morning, she said, a real estate
dealer, hearing Of Norma's assistance
from the well-known woman Of wealth,
had tried to induce her to take lease
on a similar piece Of property a block
away.
"Y0u could perhaps get that place
for me. l am sick to death Of subways.
A place like this could be made ideal.'
Norma thought for moment. IF
you would pay for the time I've spent
and the club bonus, and assume all
the Indebtedness for this place, you
could have 1t. I'll start the other
place for the girls with the bonus from
you to help clear their initial debt"
So they struck bargain.
In two weeks the work Of finishing
Mr.. Majors house had been completed.
Norma had bought furniture that fitted
In with lines of the old house. For
Norma had the innate eye Of deco
rator and homemaker. She had been
too full Of the Joy Of the undertaking
to realize that Mr., Majors was really
more interested In the girl who fur
nfshed the house than he was In thu
house.
Then, when the task was completed,
and Norma led him through the rooms,
they stood speechless, Norma In sheer
happiness over her task completed.
"You see, I've had lots Of troubles"
Majors was telling her. "One was the