The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-05-08
Her EXPERIMENT
BY JANE MCLEAN.

InereS really nOtnlnS Ut I'LL " HAc'
said Tessie, despondently. "All these
people who write about the beautiful
things that happen don't know, that's
NIL; they've never been up against It,"
Her companion did not answer all
at once. She was walking along at
Tessie's side, thinking about the words
that had just been spoken. Were they
true? If SO, what was the use OF 1t
all?
Tessie was speaking again.
"You know, some of us girls was
wondering the other night how you
stand for it. You don't seem like the
rest of us, and yet, you don't do half
the co1hplainin' we do"
The other girl smiled at this.
complaining doesn't do any good"
Eyes, it does; it seems to help things
if a lot of us get together and talk
about our troubles"
"You think it Goes, but it really
doesn't help. Things are just as bad
after you go back to them again"
The speaker was slight, dark girl.
She had thoughtful eyes and a rounded,
aristocratic little chin. She was differ
ent from Tessie, who was a worker
and whose people were workers. She
looked as though she had come from a
different world, and had known diff
ferent people, and yet she worked next
to Tessie at the ribbon counter.
"What, do you think about 1t all?"
Tessie asked, suddenly.
The other girl turned to her. II
wonder if it would help you if told
you what really do think?"
"Sure it would" the other girl re-
sponded. 'Here we've been waikiki
home together for two weeks now, and
you've never said what you think right
out"
IF do tell you, Tessie, you won't
speak Of it to the other girls, will your"
Tessie promised quickly, almost
breathlesslN and the other girl smiled
again, her smile that somehow carried,
more in it than the ordinary smile of
a girl Of her age.
"Well, Tessie, I came down here be-
cause I wanted to know more about
life. I thought that the life was lead
ing was too narrow"
"You mean you don't have to work
if you don't want to-" Tessie\spoke,
suspiciously. There is nothing that so
frightens a working girl and so quick
ly places her on guard as the thought
that she is being made material Of in
one way or another.
"No, don't have to work." the other
girl returned, "but don't misunder-
stand, Tessie. didn't come down here
to find out about you, came to find
out about myself. Oh, you haven't any
idea how I hated life at home. I finally
came to- the conclusion that nothing
could be worse than life where I
couldn't think my own thoughts.
wanted to, be free, SO just cut away
from it all and came down town and
got position in a store"
Like one of those society girls who
want to find out about us girls who
work., said Tessie bitterly.
mo, not a bit like that" the other
girl responded. -
"Why not? You're just like them.
having play time now, and going back
to the gay life when you're tired of it
ALL"
"But I'm not going back to it."
Tessie stopped for moment on the
street and stared, then she walked .on
in silence.
'I'm not going back to the old life,
Tessie, because I've found something
in this that the old life never had"
Tessie laughed a mirthless little
laugh.
"That's a joke!" she exclaimed. ut
must be lot Of fun for you to get up
early and work all day for just enough
to cover yourself and keep life going"
"But it isn't just that that counts.
We don't have to stay at ribbon coun-
ter all our lives, Tessie. Why, do you
know that I have found something in
this life that I never had in the old?
I've found friend, 9 real friend. May
be you think that doesn't mean some
thing to me-"
Tessie Redeemed and shy smile
crept across her sullen little face.
"We have been sort of pals, haven't
WEI" she said softly.
'That's just it," the other girl re-
sponded. "And we live our own lives
in q sense, because we're not hampered
with the old conventionalities that
close one in up where lived. We're
definite personalities, each with
chance to fight for survival. And we're
going to fight, Tessie, do you hear, you
and l are both going to fight for our ex-
istence, and that's all that really mat
tiers. You're with me, aren't you?"
And Tessie, who did not quite under
stand 1t yet, felt suddenly a great
flame of courage, something new to her
colorless little life, something great
deal like hope.-Chicago Evening