The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-24
JUST GIRL
An UNPLEAsANT EPIsODE.
Blu JANE PHELPS
CHAPTER a.

CHAR Elk
I'm going your way. Miss Zena I'll
walk with YOU
1t was the oily voice of the floor
! walker. the only one N the entire store
| the girls had given the reputation of
discharging them unless he GOULD bend
/ them to his will.
He had said nothing Objectionable
/ to me as-yet, so walked quietly along.
aItho my heart was family pounding.
/ If he said things resented, he would
discharge me. So the girls said.
You're going to ask me in. ain t
&ou?" /
| NO. My room-mate and I are at
ways too busy to entertain company.
We have too much to do when we
reach home
Who is your roommate? One Of
our girls?
mo! A very fine woman. head
waitress in one of the big restaurants"
I had purposely said woman. If he
thought 1 roomed with an older per-
son it might cause him to leave me
before he had said any more.
I suppose she takes good care of
you"
Il can take care OF myself, Mr.
Gray. Good night" 1 fairly flew up
the steps.
I expected to be discharged, but
nothing happened-not for several
days. Then he repeated his action
and walked beside me all the way
home.
Going to let me come in this time"
NO. Mr.. Gray. 1 told you we did
not receive callers"
Il don't want you to see anybody
but me. I'm crazy about you,> Zena,
and I'll make things easy for you at
the store; get you transferred to the
gloves or wells if you say So
Il want nothing you can do for met
n exclaimed I have told you we do
not receive callers.
The very next day complaints COM
menced to go in to the head of the de-
partment about me. my work. 1 told
Mary, and said was sure 1 should lose
my place.
Don't worry. Honey. 1 have been
thinking awfully hard about you and
me I have been learnin' a lot too.
If you can hang on a while longer, do
SO; but if you can't, I'll spring my big
idea"
Tell me now" I coaxed.
Not on your tintype. 1 hope you
won't get the sack right away tho
not for a month or two"
Mrs. Fagin had overheard US talk
ing and mad grasped enough to know
trouble threatened me. She spoke so
kindly to me, telling me not to worry,
that she would trust me for my room.
II anything happened me, that 1 was
almost unnerved. had learned to
endure rebuffs of all kinds, but kind.
ness had been stranger for so lonG
that it made a baby of me.
I felt sort of guilty, too. I recalled
now used to look upon the Mrs. Fa-
SINS of the world-how I had IN ought
then useful only as serYanrs. Now
She was a friend. a real friend, instead
f.ar.
one so long as she got high wages.
kept my position just a month
longer Then I was discharged, TO
real reason being given. When !
asked for one the manager said:
The dull season is coming on, and
as you were one of the last girls taken
on at that counter, naturally you are
/ not as efficient as the others and so
We dispense with you
knew he was camOuflaging. I
knew that had sold as many, IL mot
more goods than any other girl at the
counter. But 1 also realized that any
F., thing I could say would be useless.
was discharged. That was all there
was to it.
1t was at the noon hour I went, 1
had my weeks pay, and that repre-
scented every penny I had in the world.
+, Only the day before 1. had sent mother
all I had, knowing it was near pay
day; and feeling that my fears of dis
| charge, had been groundless so long
had they waited. a
passed the floorwalker on my way
out.
Better have let me call-don't you
| think 80 he asked with a sneer.
NO" I exclaimed. 81 much prefer
my discharge"
I'll bet you sing a. different song
before you get another job" His
meaning was unmistakable. 1t would
/ do me no good to refer to them.
/ I'm discharged. Marry I told her
when she came in. st Knew I would
be. Now for that big idea of yours"
Tomorrow-Mary's big idea.)