Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-05
QUEER NEWS
TH DTT~n ~

1TtAE W
several weeks passed by. Alice
tried hard to get back into her old
life, but somehow she could not man
age to fit in. The evenings tired her
by their uneventfulness, the days
dragged in spite of the things she
found to do.
There's more than enough work
for everyone. If they'll look around
Tor it, her mother often remarked.
And Alice found that was true
enough.
She started again at the Settlement
House e in the foreign section of
the city. They were delighted to
have her. for-as is the case with so
many privately started philanthro-
pies-this excellent work had begun
with a flare of enthusiasm and had
settled dow to an inefficiently run
institution.
THE girls who were so crazy to
come here all the time and work
have been too busy going to dances
and trotting Off to the city for thea
tire parties to do anything worth
while" one Of the women complain
ed.
when we began this you couldn't
keep them away from here, and
every dirty faced little urchin that
came was an adorable darling" she
mimicked the girls manner. Now,
IH6y say liz CHllQEtn . III Lid n
UP their silk dresses. and they make
the rooms smell so of garlic that my
aides can't stand it."
Alice laughed. She had come over
10 take one of the afternoon classes
1t would break into her day, she
thought. So she listened with SYM
pathy while the woman talked on.
Why don't you have my friend
Clara Joyce come and take the sew
ing classes?" she suggested. she
sews beautifully, and she's learning
designing as WELL"
Clara Joyce? oh yes, she's the
girl that has been making those
Brenchy little frocks for children.
I've seen them. The women here are
buying them up as fast as she turns
them out" The woman thought
awhile. "Of course. she wouldn't
come unless we paid her for her time
1T wouldn't be fair to ask her
otherwise"
: She sat looking at Alice awhile.
Then she seemed to have an inspira-
ton.
my dear why don't you take
charge of this settlement house for
us? I mean, on salary? The COM
mittee have been talking about get
ting in q regular charity worker. but
the good ones ask more than we can
afford to pay. 1 imagine we cou,a
Ollel 14O u MtNh. 40
but it's a fair average of wages In
this small town, and your hours
would be easy enough.
Alice looked her pleasure at the
idea.
..Au the committee would help
one member would be here each a
but we need someone to oversee
the whole thing, to organize classes,
help teach, keep books, do neighbor-
hood Washington know you did 1t
last summer"
So 1t was finally arranged. Alice
was glad to a something tnat
compelled her to think of others Tor
a certain number of hours a day. she
had had no training as q charity
worker, but she had something bet
ter-a broad sympathy n a good
deal of sense. Both quail
ties were needed in her dealings with
the poor of that district.
Peppita was delighted to have her
beloved Alice so near her, and came
every day again, an invaluable aid IN
the work. Clara came too, and gave
her services without a one AFTER
noon a week, teaching the older girls
fine sewing and dressmaking' And
the wealthy women of the town were
delighted to have a reliable person IN
charge of their pet charity.
This happened a little While after
Alice come back. She had had this
position now for several weeks, and
except for the monotony of the even
ings when she wasn't she
was a little more contented.
Christine wrote her faithfully every
week from the city, and perhaps, py
her vivid descriptions of the coliege
life, she made Alice's isolation ana
loneliness worse.
81 saw David Thorne.' h wrote a
week or so after Alice had come
home. HE hunted me up, no Tess,
TO find out about you. I was furious
why hadn't he sense enough TO
stay away II you DIDN'T want him
about? Why should it be you that
had to go away? He might have
done it, / think. So told him loftiiy
I believed you were to be married at
once. You told me 1t was to be sum
mer. and you were coming back In
the fall, but 1 thought I'd make IL
sooner and tell David So"
This meant nothing to Alice at the
time. She felt sorry for the pain n
gagged. 1t would do no good to tell
him she had broken that engage
ment. She did, however. tell Chris
tine, and received a long letter in re-