The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-22
JUST A GIRL
Bu JANE PHELPS
CIRCUMsTANTIAL Evidence.
CHAPTER AZ.

At IL o'clock went to Miss Mar
WINS office. She was waiting for me.
Sit down, Miss Stewart" She me-
| toned to seat directly opposite her
own. will you tell me how you can
afford to dress as you do on your
salary? 1t is causing comment" she
went on, not waiting for an answer to
her question, and undesirable COM
ment. Now; set of collar and cuffs
such as YOU are wearing costs $40.
took particular pains to inquire at the
neckwear counter. Your dress is an
| expensive. we'll tailored one. Your
You must either dress differently. or I
| shall have to speak to the general
| manager about it. While We cannot
control the morals of all our girls. we
can see they do not flaunt their mis-
doings. That is ALL"
Then. as I started to speak. IT have
no time to listen to excuses. You may
60"
Miss Marvin was herself young
about 26, should say. But her man
ner was abrupt. inclined to make a
girl lose her seif-posssssien. She had
started in the store a cash girl. I
| had been told, and had risen to her
present position.
| 1 used to think. or would have said
so-really, I don't suppose L thought
| of it at all-that any one who had once
known poverty, who had by hard
work climbed to a good position.
would be sympathetic and kindly dis
| posed to others who were at the bot
I tom of the ladder.
1t is not so. At least did not find
1 it so. Like Miss Marvin, most of the
heads of departments were arbitrary,
/ filled with a sense of their own impor-
4 lance. wanting to show authority. OF
| course there were exceptions, but
most of them were this way.
| didn't know what to do. I had no
money to buy clothes. But 1 did buy
! a cheap set of collar and cuffs before
! I left the store. The coarse. common
things quite altered the appearance of
my dress, and took away also much
of that daintiness which had been
I taught meant good taste in dressing.
Miss Marvin had almost told me I
was not a good girl. My eyes smarted
with unshed tears when I made my
way from her office. I could eat no
luncheon. I was too much hurt. So L
walked the street until the hour was
past. then took my place with the
other girls at the counter.
Guess Marvin didn't bounce her
after ALL" 1 heard Maud whisper to
Clara Jones, disagreeable girl with
. black fuzzy hair combed out in great
puffs over her ears.
"She will"
There was sinister note in the
short answer. 1t was as if Clara Jones
had said, II, myself, will see that she
! does
I pretended not to notice. and all
the afternoon tried to be particularly
careful with customers. 1t was about
o'clock when it happened.
A fussy customer whom for Is or
90 minutes I had been trying to please,
suddenly gasped;
my bag. Where is it?''
Instantly all was confusion. The
manager was sent for. The floor walk
ers crowded around.
81 had $50 in it. beside some jew
elry." the woman declared. Il never
moved from this counter Some of
these girls have it," She pinned me
with her look.
We had hunted the counter over
many times, SO it seemed, but haN
found nothing. Now Miss Marvin came
and began searching. Right in front
of me she picked up several waists
and with them the bag.
There! I told you one of them
wouldn't miss it. and after I was gone
you'd take 1T out and no one would
know"
"Oh. I didn't touch it. didn't"
repeated wildly, looking at the man
ager, then at the floor clerks. But
faces. I burst into tears.
They all say that" the manager
said gruffly. Then he apologized most
serviIely to the customer; after which
he said to me:
GO to my office. I will be there
presently"
My first impulse was to go from the
store. But that would look as If l
were guilty. So slowly, amid loud
whisperings in which 81 thought so"
and other remarks were easily heard
made my way to his office.
I dropped into a chair, and covered
my face with both hands. A thief,
they all thought me-Zena Stewart,
thief
Tomorrow-FiredO