Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-04-16
HOW a POOR GInr. nEcAun nrcm,
CHATTER I.

nom" until she graduated AFTER
E"ttha had graduated. sh. went to
a la!E. city known as Blue Hi!l. aud
sh" went from street to stree; look
Ing for work bu, found none. she
mated To writ" ana tell her parents
mat she could lind no work. becaus.
sh" knew IL would make them >cI
bad. but ahs had to- for at las he
seemed II She had something
hearing down on her heart. hut she
had Just sent II OF wh"u she got a
paper knorn as IN" Blue Hill Dig
patch" There sh" found whore Il
rich old man wanted 10 get some one
10 read 10 him a. night. She went TO
him aud h" said My child. will
have to examine you first" Tn" first
hing he did. WAC to get "a piece of
paper and pen. "Now. viii die
'at" "A letter To you. and you Will
Wit" it" She did as he directed.
ana hc found that She had "a deiicate
handwriting. "%ow. how OLD are
your" he asked. sixteen years and
seen months ''iiay" you been ali
through school" Yes. sir; haven't
been through college. though" We'll.
the next IL 10 see how we'll you read"
He CAV" her a book and she sat down
and opened II and began To read In
clear. soft tones. Very good" he re-
marked. Il think you Viii do" And
N""' Nih" tHt 10 FcHl 10 YOU
Bertha asked - bout or half past"
Il" replied Blu; where are you
boarding. he asked. Il haven't any
nome here "Iiavcn't home
Well. have an extra room here you
may have" he said ooh. thank you.
sir. May ! bring my trunk up this
evening" She said. ovcrJoycd. why,
y"S.' 'ph, how can | thank you. MIR.
2'' Mr.. Freshly. Plcasc don't
ia. |u.t,
rresby answered.
Bertha thanked him and then loft
t" get her clothes. She soon came
tack and carried them into the room
which MIR rr.shy showed her. Your
wages vii! t." s. per week. ne said.
"Scvou GollarST" She asked in as
Constituent. seven dollars? Haven't
YOU made uIstakc2'
no, my dear. haven't" he an
swercd.
"Oh. won't mamma be glad. and /,
viii help her lot she said
what? What is ,hat?" asked Mr..
prcsby.
Il BIS your pardon, but have to
help mother support the family, as
sh" is very poor
Her,ha was poor girl, but she
was not ashamed. She then told Mr..
rr.Shy her III" or history. Mr. Pres-
by felt sorry for her and raised her
salary 10 $40 n week Instead OF 81
Bertha was very thankful and wrote
her mother letter telling her that
she had work and about her good
fortune. After she had rested and
received meal she locked for job
IN On. OF the big stores OF Blu" III
She came To II dryroois store. and
saw a sign which had Just been put
out II read, "Saleswoinan wanted.
She went IN, there was a crowd o.
girls in there. a man about middle
age was asking them questions. He
glanced up az Bertha came In. Just
before her was mat, she wiped her
o". Of ana took 90 rla"e along tn"
d nd OF the seat. She had no more
..o sit down wncn un OLD iudl cam
iu ~! the places were hli"d up and
sh. was about to turn and go out
when Bertha arose and gave her her
seat.
Thank YOU my dear SEQ YOU
have some manners" She said. Thank
YOU" replied Bertha. on the noor
next To her lay n hook which the
man had just laid down. She
picked this up and laid it on the
table. When tho man saw this he
dismissed all the other girls except
ing hcrtha. The job Is yours he
said. But why didn't YOU give il to
very much puzzled. Because you
gave that old Lady Your place: YOU
also picked up the hook which had
laid on the floor purnosely. Did any
Of the other girls do that" No.
Well then. that is how YOU GO, the
job he replied. She thanked him
and then asked him how much she
would get per week. 81 think. about
s25. 90 he replied. Bertha was puz-
Iied Everybody sccmed to be good
10 her In the time Of need
Aftcr She had left one Of the clerks
who had been n witness to the scene.
asked. Why did YOU take this girl
without asking her anything. qucs-
tons like YOU asked tho others" II
took her because she had her hair
combcd nicely. her clothes were clean
and ironcd nicely. she wiped her fee,
on the door mat when she came in
and gave her seat to the old lady.
Now you know why gave i, to her.
don't you?" Yes sir"
Bertha went home and wrote the
glad news to her mother. Sho then
went back into the library and read
to Mr.. Presby. 1t was n little mast
O'Clock when she went TO he'd To
dream of home and hcr parents. and
brothers and sisters
But let MS sec what they wore
doing nj home. There were three
boys. Their names were Robert 10
years; William TO- and Anthony
tRuth) Q years The three girls. In
Guiding Bertha, they were Virginia.
8: Lillian. /. "Oh, do wish sis
would come home" said Lilly dill
liam. 81 have something to tell YOU
after while. children. You Will he
! glad to hear the good news" said
their mother. "Oh I know what it
Is" said Virgy tVirginia). That
nigh; as they sat around the evening
fire Mrs. Johnson read this letter. to
| her children:
Blue IIiil. May 2S. 1919
| Dear Mother: ! am safe at Blue
| Hill and have received a job from
kind old gentleman: also home
until | go home again. ! will lie
home on Nirgy's birthday. which is
tho first of June. and as that is on
n Sunday l will be able to get off
= Monday also. Ilhaye great big