Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-21

amusement Neither did they
care to have conversation with
.her save as it referred to bust
ness.
Lena came to me before clos
ing time and said she was going
to resign; that Mr.. Blake had in
suited her. When l told her [
had overheard the conversation
and should have discharged her,
she flounced out of the office with
the air of an injured queen.
Chapter "
One of the hardest things l had to
learn-and one that was even harder
for the girls of scant education to
realize-WaS that>m attitude in AID
out Of the Office should not be the
same. That the simplest manner, the
most direct, is the best in an office;
no matter what social graces one
possessed. L was drawing u very
large salary, was given great respon-
sibilities, doing more to make my
employer comfortable than even he
realized. l opened his mail, attended
annoying him, hired and discharged
the fifteen or twenty girls needed to
run the business, stood between him
and undesirable callers, or those who
made his appointments for him, etc.
Yet many Of the stenographers, some
of them my own age, dislIked and
envied me and called my holding my
position "favoritism."
"The boss favorite"' 1 heard one
girl say to another in sneering
tone. III bet if she had to sit and
take notes all day, and run an Old
typewriter like we do she wouldn't
be SO perky. Gee! but some folks get
soft snaps. l wish I could run up
against a boss what would fall for
me!'
Perhaps I did have soft snap"
in their eyes. Any one in authority
Yet there was not a single girl un,
der me that worked one 1.-THE as hard
or as many hours as did l.
During my preparatory Work"-as
I called it-during the war, 1 had not
run up against any sort of jealousy
caused by that work. Men and wom-
en- both with whom l had come In
contact were broad-minded and were
working with a single aim-to help.
But now that the war was over it
sometimes seemed to me that it was
every man (and woman for himself
and heaven help those who could net
make good.
In way I was not surprised at
the jealousy of the girls in the office.
Many of them knew no better. Get
ting on was to them not worth, but
favoritism; not capability, but luck.
But there was one sort of jealousy
for which I was not prepared, one
that in no way affected the stenog-
raphers and bookkeepers-they had
been a pre-war necessity. Their po-
sition was assured by years Of ia,
miliarity. But L found that men, es-
pecially those occupying clerical po-
sitions, were enormously jealous of
women who, like myself, had made
a successful entry into the business
world; women who were economically
independent.
There were those in the Office who
resented my presence. Who would
have taken my position from me
had they been able. L was made
miserable by this petty jealousy,
by men no better equipped to do the
work than was l. 1t is another
thing women have to fight against,
or rather endure with equanimity, if
they are to succeed.
No man would think of allowing
woman's jealousy of his eco, economic
cradle. 1t would be beneath his no.
tice. If he thought of it at all it
would probably be to laugh in his
sleeve at the idea of a woman dar-
ing to. think she was capable Of do
ing his work, and jealous of the
position she coveted.
1t was at this stage of my bust
ness career that l met Lloyd Wal
ker. He often had business with
the firm, and SO L was obliged to
meet him in my capacity as private
first he interested me. His terse.
Intelligent way of speaking, his
economy of both his own and my
employers time, and so incidentally
of mine, was, l think, what at first
attracted me rather than the mans
personality. But gradually it seem
ed that he sonught excuses, to talk
to me; that he was neither as care
full of his time or of mine as when
l first knew him.
Lloyd Walker was not particular
ly attractive physically. He was
about medium height, almost swar-
thy, he was SO dark. His Jet black
hair he wore brushed straight back
from his forehead-I used to think
height-and he was inclined to be
stout. But he had two features
which redeemed his face from all
commonncss-large, flashing black
ever have seen. When in repose
his face looked rather stern, but
when he smiled he was most in
trfguing.
But [ had little time to indulge in
realize that Lloyd Walker was be-
coming interested in me-that was
what 1 called it, Interest be-
cause of my work. was filled with
ideas. plans for the future, and /
realized that [ should have to work
long and patiently before L should
have the experience that would fit
me to put them to the test. To
certain extent 1 sensed the selfish
ness, the hardness of the world; the
'show-me" attitude of men toward
women who occupied responsible
and weIl-paid positions in business.
OF course L knew that in spite of
the broadening effect of the war, re-
CARELESS of the efficiency women
had shown, that there were still
real right outside of home and do
nestle affairs. But that Lloyd Wal
ker was one of these L never
dreamed.
(To Be Continued)