The Washington times., 1919-09-24
PEACHES AND DRIED PEACHES
y ONE WHO KNOWS

turists.
It is really a story for young
men.
II 1 had called it Chickens and
Old Hens" it still would have been
astory for young men and not for
poultry raisers. So maybe you
can guess
The Chief Clerk calls them
Peaches; the BoOkkeeper calls
them Chickens"
And under either title, We know
what 10 expect, without raising
our eyes from the desks, after an
ad appears in the paper. Begin
ming at the floor, and gazing slow
ly upward row Of high-heeled
slippers along the bench outside
the Ofice gate; next, two or more
Iineal feet Of silk hosiery enCasing
anatomy Of varying Dimensions
mostly easy to look upon: then g
short skirt and q gauZy waist
showing at the neck other designs
~ anatomy total gross weight Of
altogether about so Ibs.); topping
AL q much be-poWdered and be-
painted little face at each side Of
which protrudes q bunch Of hair
practically the only variation in the
personnel Of the row being the
color Of the buns, and the smiFk,
Giggle or simper Of the red, red lips.
On the latter alone seems TO de-
pend the selection Of the chief
Clerk and the length Of the engage
ment Of the Peach.
IN our ONCE, the Peaches come
and go-cOme and go-come and
60. Here today-there tomorrow,
attaChing themselves easily to
whatever position promised the
greatest Inducements for the least
expenditure Of energy, without the
slightest idea OF permanence or
interest On the work, accepting un-
Que8toniBgiy the fact that they are
merely expected to be the domes-
tics Of the once world, employed
70 do the check apron work that
no man willingly does, in a sort
OF hah-caste relation not unlike
the Geisha girls who should serve,
and, g the same time, amuse, en-
terrain and be pleasing to look
upon.
As I said before, they come and
60; sometimes We learn their
names-eVen the names Of their
steady company-befOre they van
ish down the elevator shaft for the
last time. Usually we know them
only as that little Peach IN the
hle room" or ''the Peach on the
billing machine" The next day
know them no more.
They are the fortunate ones
like the good who die young.
There are some, alas! who stay
And stay-and stay.
There lies the tragedy.
Because, after a time there
comes q day when the Peach Is no
longer plump and rosy; the bloom
Be all rubbed of. A Peach must
either disappear or remain on the
oIhee stem; ergo, the remaining
= Peach becomes q Dried Peach.
At this point begins the story
: Tor the aforesaid young men.
You see, It is this way:
Women having been in business
Just long enough at the date Of
this story to reach a point where
thousands Of the erstWhile
Peaches are shriveling daily closer
and closer 70. their stony hearts,
the Offices are acquiring an over
supply Of the Dried Peach COM
modify. A woman Of thirty is
very old TO the new Chief Clerk
advanced to that dizzy height at the
are Of tWenty-foUr in these days
Of rapid promotions. What are
YOU going to do with the Dried
Peaches?
In our office the Old Man has
had the same secretary for twenty
years. She came in when she was
eighteen years old and has grown
up with the business. Her name
is Miss Pinney. When her father
died he left nothing but debts
no money at all People remarked
that ''the boys had run through
with it all at college" Later,
when the boys settled down 10
business, they married and had
families to support Miss Pinney
and Mother were left alone.
Brother Toms wife. died. Miss
Pinney and Mother took the baby.
Tom t0Ok TO drink. He earned lit
tie more than enough to buy
clothes and drink. He dropped in
at home for something 70 eat. So
long as Mother was able she
mended the socks and gave him
nice breakfasts after Miss Pinuey
had gone 70 the office. She petted
and humored and loved him as
mothers always love their Black
Sheep.
And Miss Pinney paid the bills.
. Miss Pinney-Marcia, they called /
Der then-had been an unusually
attractive Peach. There were men
Who thought seriously Of annex
ing Mother and the Baby in order
~ set Mss Marcia.
There vas one Mans there is
alwaE ln W0man's llfs-foF