The Monmouth inquirer., 1922-03-23
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Strictly Business
BY Lincoln steffens.

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"There's an extra, Christmas girl
downstairs. that think you'll want to
keep; she's worker, but"
The tig store manager looked UP at
the tall, prim New ENGLAND woman
who was the head of his employment
BUREAU, and be understood. But he
was 4 brute.
"But?" he insisted.
"Her references aren't good"
"Not good?" he said. you mean
they amt good people?"
oh" she exclaimed, they're good
people; they're very good people,
but"
"But?"
"They prefer not to speak. for or
against"
81 see." he growled. "a case for
bad people. Send her up to me-"
And up came the case, another Pu-
ritan, slim, alive, afre.
"I know" she began, 81 know what
you're going to say; every word of it.
Pm fred, but, first, l must hear lee
ture; the same old lecture. So fire
away, but cut it short"
won't you be seated?" he said po-
litely.
Thanks" she mocked.
He rose, and, with chivalrous bow,
begged her to please be seated"
NO" she declared, decidedly, "Tn
take it standing, SO can get out if
/ don't like
"Sit down." he beloved.
She sat-
He stood glaring at her. "Think I'd
let you stand there lecturing and
judging me?' he growled. And he
lectured and judged her. Then he.
too, sat.
'How do you know what l was go
ing to say?" he demanded.
Because you all say the same
thing" she flashed; everywhere I
work. They tell me I'm bad, SO I'm
discharged, but they all give me that
lecture on how to be good-out of a
job" She named places she had
worked; stores where the managers
and the conditions were notorious.
-"They gave it to me at Freeman's"
she sneered, "and," she jeered, "at the
One Price Storesi Everywhere l get
it, and not only from you bosses.
see the other girls catch on to my
story, and, with looks at me, pass it
on. Poor Thing they whisper, and
then, of course, the Poor Thing is
fired"
She didn't look like Poor Thing.
J She looked like very Brave Thing to
this manager of women, but he felt,
with his mans intuition, the despair
that was washing her courage away.
So he was kind.
'How old is the child?" he asked
brutally.
! Five"
! 'Who takes care of it while you're
| at work."
Mother"
/ Sand you support all three?"
"Yes, and," she blazed, ''you needn't
worry about that. You fire away. I'll
make out, somehow Onl.- don't, don't
tell me I'm bad again. ] know that,
l too. Don't / tell it to myself every
hour, every day, and, if forgot it fer
one little hour, doesn't someone re-
: mind me?"
He was afraid she'd break, and he
didn't want her to; not her. 'Too
prnud TOO brayes
You needn't worry about me,
either" he said. This is business
house, strictly business. No senti-
ment. and no scruples. We're here to
make money, and we're on the look
out for women who'll work and work
hard, for us. We don't mind a
little thing like little child. Fact is,
a little"
She was lifting from her chair.
Which is it," he asked roughly. "a
boy, orr"
"a GIRL she said, and she dropped
back.
''The fact is," he resumed, "a little
| girl at home makes the mother work
harder in the store. And that's the re
port on you. They say you're hard
worker, so I'd like to keep you on.
regular, for life"
She lifted again.
| "But-" he said.
] But" she collapsed