South Bend news-times., 1919-11-05

"I arm very sorry. Miss Dreen,
but war conditions. you know
Fanny Dreen's employer waved a
vague hand and looked regretfully
away. He had had 20 dismiss so
many OF the Office force within the
last month that he was learning 20
do Il very gracefully Perhaps a
shame. but the business was suffer
ing keenly. and IL they could keep
from closing up altogether IL would
DE very much more than he dared
s-sSs.
Fanny did not say much. Her
blue eyes took on a wide. staring
look. rather like hunted deer. Mr..
Grayson thought 20 himself. Again
he waved a reEretful hand.
"Of course a stenographer of your
ability viii have no difficulty in Sc
curing another position" ne said
rcassuringly.
Fanny nodded and passed out of
his office without a word.
Followed two weeks of STUDYING
the want ad columns and walking
weary blocks 20 save car fare. but
no position offered itself. other
firms were cutting down their forces
apparently. OR some other girl al
ways got there first or they thought
Fanny looked too young and mex
perienced. or something else kept
her from getting the appointments
she went after
She did look young and inexpe-
rienced. for even two years in New
York had not taken the country
bloom from. Fanny's cheeks nor Civ
on her the city "air" which the
young Jewesses and gaily dressed
"stenos' seemed TO possess. There
stilI fingered about Fanny Dreer
something reminiscent of Oldport',
daisy fields. and she had a shy lacl
Of essential aggressiveness. Two
long weeks went by and Fanny
funds ran low, but she had no hopes
of future employment. She spent
her days in vain searchings. and hel
evenings. alone in her little hal
bedroom. i'm imagining all the
dreadful things that might befal
her il she failed TO secure a posi-
ton. One Of the most dreaful o,
all would be TO have 10 90 home
back 20 Oldport There she coulC
at least have the position she haC
left in her uncle's grocery store. bu
there. too. she would have TO NEE
Harvey Burns.
She and Harvey had been en-.
gagged before she came away. Har
vey had not wished her 70 come e
New York. but a position had beer
offered her and she had vaFu,
longings 10 see something of tn,
world before she settled down. ST
she had come. promising Harvey
that she would return I'm one year
But somehow. things had been diff
ferent since they were so far apart
At first they had written daily let
ters. and then she had been SO busy
that hers became less frequent, and
then one Of her girl friends had
written 10 her that Harvey was "go-
ing with" another girl. Had fol
lowed one Of those absurd misun-
derstandings which are only made
possible when miles stretch be
tween, and the cold black and
white OF letters casts a chill which
was never intended over certain
sentences. She and Harvey haC
quarreled. and so she had not re
turned to Oldport.
Some one wrote her shat he wai
going to marry Myra Simms, tn,
minister's daughter. To go back {,
OldpOrt and see Harvey married. L
Myra Simms-l That would bt
more than she could endure.
Fanny cried herself 10 sleep one
night. just two weeks after he
dismissal. And the next morning sh'
rose early. bought a paper anC
made her customary search OF it,
columns One or two advertise
ments sounded hopeful. she wrot,
letters in answer 20 one, and set ou
to answer the others in person. Tn,
first one proved disappointing. anC
she was obliged TO seek the second
an address on Thirty-fourth St. cas-
OF Fifth av. Call before 10 o'clock
this advertisement had read, so sh,