The Washington herald., 1920-10-06
COURSE there are two sides

Of. No such persons exist. There
are girls who work in shops.
They make their living that way"
But why turn their occupation
into an adjective? Let US be fair.
We do not refer to the girls who
live on Fifth avenue as mar
riage- girls" ..
Lou and Nancy were chums.
They came to the big city to find
work because there was not
enough to eat at their homes to
go around. Nancy was nineteen:
Lou was twenty. Both were
pretty, active, country girls who
had no ambition to go on the
stage.
The little cherub that sits up
aloft guided them to a. cheap and
respectable clearinghouse. Both
found positions and became
wage-earners. They remained
chums. 1t is at the end of six
months that l would beg you to
step forward and be introduced
TO them. MeddIesome Reader;
My Lady Friends. Miss Nancy and
Miss Lou. While you are shak-
ing hands please take notice
Cautiously-of their attire. Yes,
cautiously. for they are as quick
to resent a stare as a lady in a
box at the horse show.
Lou is a piece-work ironer in
hand laundry. She is clothed IN
a badly fitting purple dress, and
her hat plume is four inches too
long; but her ermine muf and
scarf cost s25, and its fellow
beasts will be ticketed in the
windows at s7.9S before the sea-
son is over. Her cheeks are pink,
and her light blue eyes bright.
Contentment radiates from her.
Nancy you would call a shop
girl-because you have the habit.
There is no type; but a perverse
generation is always seeking a
type; so this is what the type
should be- She has the high
rated pompadoUr, and the eXaE-
gerated straight-front. Her
skirt is shoddy, but has the cor
rect flare. No furs protect her
against the bitter spring air. but
she wears her short broadclotn
jacket as jauntily as though it
were Persian lamb! On her face
and in her eyes. remorseless
type seeker, is the typical shop
girl expression. 1t is a look of
silent but contemptuous revolt
against cheated womanhood; of
sad prophecy of the vengeance to
come. When she laughs her
loudest the look is still there.
The same look can be seen in the
eyes of Russian peasants; and
those of US left will see it some
hria1fs farn whan ha
comes to blow us up. 1t is a
look that should wither and
abash man: but he has been
known to smirk at it and offer
fiowers-with a string tied to
them.
Now. lift your hat and come
away. while you receive Lou's
CHEEKY See you again." and the
sardonic. sweet smile of Nancy
that seems, somehow. to miss you
moth up over the housetops to
the stars.
The two waited on the corner
for Dan. Dan was Louis steady
company. Faithful? Well, he
was on hand when Mary woHd
have had to hire a dozen subpoe-
ia ser tES " llllu llNE Id lllb.
Amt you cold, Nance?" said
Lou. Say, what a chump you
are for working in that old store
for IS a week, l made $3.50 last
week. OF course ironing amt as
swell work as selling lace behind
a counter. but it pays. None OF
us ironers make less than $40.
And l don't know that it's any
You can have it," said Nancy,
with uplifted nose. I'll take my
eight a week and hall bedroom
l like to be among nice things
and swell people. And look what
chance I've got. Why, one Of
our glove girls married a Pitts
burgh-steel maker. or blacksmith
or somethinE-the other day
worth million dollars. III
catch a swell myself some time.
l amt Dragging on my looks or
anything; but I'll take my
chances where there's big prizes
offered. What show would a girl
have in a laundry"
Why, that's where I met Dan."
said Lou, triumphantly. He
came in for his Sunday shirt and
collars and saw me at the first
board. ironing. We all try to get
to work at the first board Ella
Maginnis was sick that day, and
l had her place. He said he no.
ticed my arms first, how round
and white they was. ! had my
sleeves rolled up. Some nice fell
lows come into laundries You
can tell 'em by their bringing
their clothes in suit cases, ana
turning in the door sharp and
sudden.
How can you wear a waist
like that. Lou?" said Nancy, gag
ing down at the offending article
with sweet scorn in her heavy
ldded eyes. 1T shows fierce
taste"
This waist" cried Lou. with
wide-eyed Indignation. why. I
paid S16 for this waist. It's
worth twenty-five. A woman left
1t to be laundered. and never
called for 1t. The boss sold it to
me. It's got yards and yards of
hand embroidery on it. Better
talk about that ugly, plain thing
you've got on"
This ugly. plain thing" said
Nancy calmly, was copied from
one that Mrs. Van Alstyne Fisher
was wearing. The girls say her
bill in the store last year was
$4,000. I made mine, myself. It
cost me $3.50. Ten feet away you
couldn't tell it from hers"
oh. we'll" said Lou, good
naturedly. IF you want to starve
and put on airs, go ahead. But
III take my job and good wages;
and after hours give me some
thing as fancy and attractive to-
wear as I am able to buy"
But just then Dan came-a seri-
Gus young man with ready
made necktie, who had escaped
thA nitS.,s