The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-07-22
A Stenogrdpher's
Romance
BY JANE PHELPS
MOVING DAY FOR NELLIE.


Cora gained Mrs. Thompson's con-
sent at once. 1t happened she was in
need of help and quickly grasped the
opportunity to get a maid cheaply, one
recommended by girl who had lived
with her some time.
Nellie hurried back to Mrs. Dooley's
and packed her suitcase, then sought
the good-natured Irish woman and ex-
planned what had happened. As she
owed her nothing, and had given her
no trouble, Mrs. Dooley rejoiced with
her over the promised improvement in
her fortunes.
eff you ever want to come back it's
welcome you'll be-" she told her as
they parted on the front steps.
Here 1 am, bag and baggage!"
Nellie said to Cora little later. IT
borrowed this suitcase from Miss Car
ter's attic. I got to send it back as
soon as I earn some money. Miss
Carter don't know 1 took it,"
"Oh. Nellie!"
''It wasn't stealin', really it wasn't,
Cora! She owed it to me, and lot
more. But I'll send # back just the
same, and pay her rent for it too
evening, making plans for study, and
so on. Cora found an old spelling
book, and told Nellie she must commit
SO many words a day.
office" Cora said to herself as she
looked at the lovely face upon which
neither hard work nor privation had
as yet made an impress. Cora was a
plain, wholesome looking girl, yet she
had not been able to avoid several
unpleasant experiences when she first
went to work.
Nellie told Cora about the man, the
only one who had given her any en-
enlargement, who had chucked her
under the chin in a familiar way and
told her she was pretty, and one other
who had no place for her in his dingy
two-by-four office but who asked her
to stay, and he'd take her to dinner.
81 tell you, Cora, God knows I
wanted that dinneri I hadn't had a
real dinner but once since left Miss
Carriers II wouldn't have had so
many there if hadn't helped myself.
I used to- snitch things off the plates
between the kitchen and the dining
room, and slip them in my pocket. It
was awful funny to hear the boarders
kicking about the small portions
they didn't know they got small COM
ing to them. You see I tried not to
be too piggish, I divided with them"
Cora screamed with laughter. She
began to think she had not made a
one-sided bargain in doing what she
could for the poor little waif from her
home town. She had led a very lone
ly life since coming to New York,
Nellie would surely be company for
her.
Tell me some more you did at Miss
Carter S, she SAID
"Oh, nothing much but listen.
That's the reason I was wise to that
guy that asked me to dinner. Them
boarders talked everything right be-
fore me just like I was chair or d
teapot, and deaf, instead of being just
a girl crazy to know things. I heard
things all right! Heard enough to
want to keep decent and earn my own
living without no man messing in.
Them travelling men that stopped
there thought they was awful cute
when they told things they done. They
didn't know they was giving me warn
ing not to have anything to do with
men-men like that anyway.
you see that talk. and finding that
typewriter in the attic and learning on
it. was what made me want to be an
office girl and amount to something
instead of hanging around a cheap
hash house all my life. I amt no one
to say what's right or wrong; perhaps
1 don't know. But one thing I do
and decent-rn starve before I go
There. Nellie, we won't talk about
1t any more. or course you're going
to be good. and it won't be long before
you will know enough to get posi-
ton. You're very quick and bright,
ana know I shall be proud of my
little scholar
st will pay you back some day. Cora
if live" Nellie declared before they
went to bed, each on a cot on oppo-
site sides of the room.
ct shall be repaid If you do WELL"
Cora answered her, sleepily.
(To be continued.)