Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-18
Chanfer XXI


A color. Frank had been more
" than patient with me in my
grief for mother, which, al
though without intention on by part,
had often shut him out. So L tried
not to forget but to feel that God
was in heaven and all was right
with the world" even though mother
had left me.
Yielding to his wishes, / COM
menced to go out a little with him.
We went to a concert or occasional
ly to some quiet place for dinner.
L had-also to please him-lightened
my mourning appreciably. Why is
it, [ wonder, that men SO dislike
black when it is a symbol of grief?
Never yet have 1 heard a man but
disparaged the wearing of mourning;
Since the war so many black-robed
figures were seen on the streets
although numbers, yielding to the
request of those gone from them,
had not put on black---that it was
perhaps as Frank said: ''most de-
pressing"
So now, whenever my lover came
to me I wore soft grays or violets,
in which, he said, l once more looked
young and beautiful.
l well knew I was not beautiful,
lovely in his. eyes. And if ever l
allowed myself to wish L were more
attractive it was because of him.
For, with all his seeming plainness,
he was very exquisite in his taste,
fastidicus to a degree. when it came
to q WOman-hcr appearance.
l sometimes spoke of the girls in
the office when with him, usually to
tell of some extra good work they
had done or some tactful way in
woman deposition. AS 1 look back l
recall that we spoke more often of
Annie Fagin than OF any other, and
that Frank invariably made some
comment anent Her loneliness.
And Annie was growing more
lovely every day. Her creamy skin,
the masses of black hair, her big
Irish eyes, were even more notice
able then when she came to me. Her
work gained in efficiency every day
corrected upon any score: Then,
too she had proved herself one of
the most tactful of our. girls In
dealing with women investors; We
thought they did but were really as
ignorant as the first. These last
required great tact when dealing
with them, else they would be Of
Tended and take their accounts
elsewhere. We had found when a
Guired attention that Annie was
more successful in smoothing her
ruffled feathers than any one else
So, often I praised her tact and
as a remarkably bright child, little
more. I would have said, had been
asked, that he regarded her in the
same light. And I was delighted
was exceptional.
That unusual beauty in a woman
was one thing hard for g man to
resist I had yet to learn. And if
gifts of nature or character it prove,
often too great a temptation for
them.
Had any ons limited to me that
these attractions in Annie Fagin I
should have laughed. The clever,
practically uneducated Irish girl was
so far removed from this sphere in
life that the incongruity OF such a
thought would have only amused me,
Frank Lam cheer came from one OF
the old Knickerbocker families. He
was conventional, a thorough man OF
the society world, although caring
little for society in the usual way,
while Annie was the daughter of
poor East SIDE parents VINO had kept
her in school until she was old
enough to earn her own living, then
thrown her upon her own resources
Could one imagine greater dis
| lance between two people?
We-Mr. Barlow and nyself-were
constantly figuring upon which OF
the gi9-..G were expert enough to push
UP. Our g~Gat need was fer women
of judgment, initiative. I watched
the courtesy they showed to custom
ers, their Willingness, their obedience
to their superiors-the last an i'm
portant feature We also required
them to keep their personal appear
ance up to standard. In fact every
little detail was tabulated so that
when they were, as we considered
equipped, we knew to whom we could
give the first chance in the promo
ton which was carried on as rapidly
as possible for the employees quail
fed for the more important work.
Nina had been given a position OF
responsibility Her pay was raised