The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-31
True Stories of Successful Wonlem
By Edith Moriarty

Agnes Heller belonged to that vast 7
army Of American working girls whose
lives consist of "eight-hour days at so
much per, with Saturday afternoon
Off" Agnes looked just like the hun
dreds Of other girls who thronged
the busy cafeterias at noon choosing
their lunches from the price list in
stead Of the menu.
She had joined the ranks Of the
wage-earners when she was seven
teen after having had two years and
a half of high school, Her father
died when she was but a child and
Mrs. Heller had supported the family
by sewing until it became too strenu-
Gus task for her and then 1t was
that Agnes left school to support
herself and mother. She did the
usual thing, entered a store and was
put wherever there was a shortage
Of help until finally she was made a
regular member Of the sales force
in the furniture department, which
| included curtains, rugs and draperles.
Her salary, II it might be called
that, was eight dollars a week when
she started on her business career.
She worked in the same store for
seven years, during which time her
I pay had slowly climbed to the dizzy
ing heights of eighteen dollars week
with an occasional additional COM
mission for selling some white ele-
plant in her department or some of
! last years stock.
Mrs. Heuer's health continued to
fail until Agnes found herself with
| the cares of the household and an in
valid mother added to the hard work
of her store duties When her mother
died after her prolonged illness Agnes
was left alone. Her grief combined
with the worry and strain Of her
months Of nursing caused a nervous.
breakdown and she was forced to
leave the store for an indefinite period.
Rested TWO Months
She had saved some money, not
much, but enough to keep her from
two months. Then it became neces-
sary for her to go back to work.
! They were keeping her position for
her at the store, but when she told
her physician that she was going
back to the store he would not con-
sent. He advised her to take at least
one more month off before doing any
! kind Of work. She insisted that it
was imperative that she do something
! Immediately and he finally said that
If she found some kind OF outdoor
work she might regain her health.
This sounded like an impossible
plan to Agnes. She had never done
anything in her life but sell furniture
and rugs and lamps and the like. To
start something different after seven
years of the same thing seemed to her
not only impossible but foolish. The
doctor was firm, however, and said he
would have to give up the case if she
would not follow his instructions. 1t
was then Agnes realized the serious
ness of her case and she sat down
and tried to think Of some outdoor
work which she was qualified to do.
1t was hard for she knew Of few
kinds of work and those she could
think of were indoor jobs. She looked
through the papers, hoping to get
some help there and finally this ad.
caught her eye:
WANTED Young woman to
, act as salesman in real estate
office. Good opportunity for the
=. right person. Box 22z.
5 That would surely be an outdoor
l Job and it would probably be short
hours and then, too, she certainly
ought to be qualified to sell. for what
/ else had she done eight hours every
T day Of the past seven years. She ap.
piled for the position and got it. Her
time was practically at her own dis
posal and she was to be paid com
mission on all of her sales. She found
the work far more interesting than
the work at the store and she regained
her health much more quickly than
was thought possible. 1t was but one
short year before she had become as
successful as many of their best sales
men who had been in the business for
years. She had more money than she
had ever had before and she finally
started investing her own money II