Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-02-13

y ORTDNATELH for me, my en-
r. counter with Mr. Colby gave me
- just the courage 1 had previously
lacked. 1 did not realize, as he spoke,
his suspicious of me.
AS / look back upon it now, l realize
I cannot blame this friend of mine be-
cause he misjudged me then. He knew
l had no money of my own, nor any
earning capacity which would warrant
quarters in an expensive hosiery. SO
when | had answered his questions he
had shrugged his shoulders and turned
away. Plainly, he thought | was but
fulfilling the destiny which he had told
me would be mine. And as his suspi-
cions had dawned upon me they had hurt
me cruelty. Then had come the reaction.
Pride had rushed to my aid. For once
in my life / was wrongly accused. Also.
/ was accused by one whose respect l
greatly desired. As Mr.. Colby left me
[ had clenched my hands and told my
self that L would show him! l would
make something of my life in spite OF
anything.
Accordingly, next morning, dressed IN
my simplest suit and shirtwaist l sal
lied forth, determined to seek a position
in the sphere of work which l now felt
was mine, to accept any compensation
that was reasonable and to live on that
compensation. Perhaps there was some
thing in my altered point of view which
brought my good fortune. At any rate,
| had visited three offices when | found
a vacancy which seemed possible for
me to fill. large insurance company
had advertised for young women who
could address envelopes for it's cir
culars. The work required some small
system also, because the territories TO
be covered were blocked out in states
ia. inn l,1V
IS a week. After seeing my handwrit-
ing and talking to me, the manager of
the department told me that if / cared
to l might begin work at once.
II was indicative of the long way l
had gone along the road of self-knoY-
ledge that l accepted this position
gratefully. l told the manager l would
report promptly at $3.50 next morning
And / made my way directly back TO
nv hotel There was that terrible no
tel bill to be paid; quarters to be found
in which l could live on the very num-
BILE sum which in future was to be
mine. Fortunately, 1 was not utterly
IMMERSED in the economies of girls who
lived in this way in the city. During
NV comparatively brief career at Stlber-
STEMS l had heard many of the sales
women talk and tell of their contrlV-
ances to save 10 cents or half a dollar
I knew that the thing for me to do was
to get a small room in a cheap neigh
borhood and make my own coffee In the
morning A sandwich and a glass OF
milk did very well for luncheon, and l
would get my dinner in one OF the many
cheap restaurants that dotted the side
streets of the city.
Fortunately, for the present l mad
plentv of clothes. If l could md
room near enough to the insurance of
flee l would thus save car fare. Ii
were careful 1 actually could live on my
So a week.
Accordingly, not more than three
hours after I had obtained my position
7 found myself seated on a little cot bed
i'm the third floor back hall room of n
poor, but clean, rooming house the
clothes that had in my bag would have
bought every article of furniture in the
whole house. The few articles of jew
elrv which / wore, which my admirers
had given me from time to time, / could
have sold and 1 would then have had
enough money to keep me for almost
wear in the room which I now chose TO
call "home."
So. in a manner of speaking. this adj
venture was to me a romance. l felt
myself a fairy princess in disguise. Ev-
erything was new and consequently en-
PERTAINING. Youth has an enormous ap-
petite for novelty. Probably for weeks
the novelty would last-but after that!
Would my new-found courage and
strength sustain me when once the ac-
tual grind of such a life should begin!