The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-04-03

Ink spots, and her shoes were takiYg
IN q shabby nap.
It was not encouraging.
At Daphne's left elbow was q large,
Fat girl whose pen rolled off large,
fat letters. She talked all the time
about nothing Of Importance, laughed
and 1dgeted and asked questions that
would have been i~mperhnent II they
had come from anything but a large,
fat head.
Her name was Maria Pribik. She
was a Bohemian of the second genera
ton; but she was dyed in the wool
with New Yorkishness. She was an
incessant optimist and kept remind
ing everybody to "cheer up, COILS, the
woisst might be woisser yet"
Daphne's luck did not last long. The
receivers found that the percentage Of
inquiries following upon the advertis-
ing and circularizing campaigns was
hardly paying the postage. People
were either too poor to buy books or
too busy with the molten history pour
ing from the caldrons Of Europe. Yes
terday's paper was ancient history
enough. Il.
The receivers closed down the
business abruptly on a Saturday and
instructed the manager to announce
to his flock that there would be no
more work at present. Daphne's heart
stopped. Here she was again, learn
ing again the dreadful significance Of
"out Of a job"-what the theatrical
people called sat liberty" +
Miss Pribik looked at Daphne and
noted her gloom. "Say, kid, listen
here. Whyn't choo come with me? I
can land you q job at the Lar de
Lucks. Guy name Of Goist is the boss
and he'll always gimme a job Or any
lady friend. He's kind Of rough, but
what's the diff? His money buys just
as much as anybody's. We better beat
it over there ahead this bunch"
Daphne murmured her hasty thanks
and they left at once. Miss Pribik led
the way to a huge building full Of
sPants Makers" "Nightshirt Makers"
"Waist Makers" and publishers Of cal
endars, favors and subscription books.
She asked for Mr.. Gerst, saw him,
beckoned him over, and hailed him
with bravado:
swell, Mist Goist, here I am, back
to the mines. This is me friend Kip.
I want you should give her a job-and
me, too"
Daphne faced Mr.. Gerst's inspection
without visible finching, though she
was uneaay within. Gerst was a large,
famboyant brute with eyes that
seemed less to receive light than to
send forth vision. he had an. in
quisitive and stripping gaze. But
Daphne must endure it. After ram
sacking Daphne with his eyes, he
grunted: "You look pretty good to
me, kiddo. You can begin Monday"
"Thanks," said Daphne, humbly.
Sim comm, too" said Miss Pribik.
"All right" said Gerst. "It's time
you did. Well take some Of that beef
off you." And he playfully pinched
her arm.
Adroitly evading his pincers, Miss
Pribik led the way out, and Daphne
trailed her outside.
Daphne loathed and feared the man
already. He stood like a glowering
menace in the path ahead Of her. =
Monday morning at eight Daphne
reported Tor work vtah ne L,ASt 10
Luxe Publishing society, pronounced
by it's own people (who ought to
know Lar de Lucks."
This firm was engaged In the pc
culiarly Anglo-Saxon business Of graz
ing the censorship as closely as pos
sible. It printed everything that it
dared to print under the whimsically
Puritanic eye of the law. Toward
the authorities it turned the white
side of a banner Of culture claiming
to put in the hands of the people the
noblest works Of foreign genius and
defying any but an impure mind to
find impurity In its classic wares. The
other side Of the banner vas purple
and informed the customers by every
prurient innuendo that the books were
published In their entirety without ex-
purgation. Vice has its hypocriAcal
can't no less than religion.
One day, toward the end Of her first
week, she was startled to find before
her a card bearing the legend "Duase.
Thomas" His address was given, and
the facts that he had bought the three
quarter morocco Balzac, the half
leather Fielding and Smollett, and the
levant Court Memoirs. He had not
vet taken the bait for the De Maupas-
SAINT.
Daphne pondered his card and his
taste. She was shaken from her pen
sive mood by the sudden connection
Of all the women. All eyes had seen
the minute and the hour hands in con
junction at XII. Names were left OF
IN the middle; pens fell from poised
hands.
Daphne found herself alone. She
was glad Of the quiet and the solitude,
while It lasted-which was not long,
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