Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-09-19

No one took any notice Of the
girl in the doorway. Celia cleared
her throat and stepped forward.
Excuse me. Is this the office of
the Watkins Letter Company"
The red-headed girl raised her
eyes.
This IS it. Who'd you want to
see?"'
Celia's coaching in business ap-
proach was coming back to her.
"Why-I-iS the manager IMP"
"A cold. gray stare countered this.
The girl at the desk smoothed back
a stray tendril OF carefully mar
celled hair before she answered. She
eyed Celia im~personally. A dress OF
vivid green ~georgette seemed to
make her all the more formidable.
Mr.. Norton'S busy he said.
What you want to see him about?"
There was no help for it. 1t would
have to come out.
7 wanted to ask about a posi-
ton I'm q stenographer," Cecilia
blurtd out. Her cheeks burned. She
didn't like the woman in green.
"Oh, you want q jobI" The young
woman shifted ito the tone OF
snappy efficiency. Mr.. Norton isn't
the one TO see about that. SIT down
In that chair and Ill give you a
blank to fill in
II didn't sound promising. Celia
Rogers had filled in employment
blanks before.
"But-there Is a vacancy here,
isn't there?" she persisted.
The ~red-headed one nodded. She
handed Celia q sheet OF paper bear
ing a printed form and continued
to study the girl openly.
-"Yeah-there Is n -acancy. The
Jobs takin' letters and some office
work There's been several in ahead
Of you. though. Fill In the blank
and put down your telephone num-
Der. They'll call you If they want
you"
Celia looked at the blank. moved
uncomfortably.
But couldn't 7 see the man who
hires people?"
Sorry" the other shook her head
firmly. Just fill in the blank.
They'll let you know II they want
you.'
1t didn't seem fair. She wasn't
even being given a chancel
With careful penmanship Celia
filled In the card before her, since
there seemed nothing else to do.
She was not helped by the know
ledge that the young woman at the
nearby desk continued to eye her
%curiously.
Name. Parent or Guardian,
Education. Place Where Last En-
ployedr. These were some OF the
words printed on the card. They
were all answered quickly except
the last one.
In more than one office lack or
experience had cost Celia a job
She had thought these last desper-
ate days Of inventing lame Of
past employers. She gave ND the
idea because. after all. Celia Rogers
was Well equipped with common
sense.
Now she stared at that blank line
and wrote in her neat hand. NO
previous exTerleNCe-
Celia had received high grades
IN the commercial classes at West
ern. she had won honors at speed
tests and practiced hour after hour
at home. Miss Willis. the instruc-
tor. had said there was no question
that she was qualified for a COM
mercial position.
When do you think ! may hear?"
she asked the girl at the desk as
she returned the sheet Of paper.
"Oh. tomorrow-maybe next day."
The older woman was reading
what Celia had written. Suddenly
she pounced on the line headed
Experience"
NO experience. huhi Well. why
didn't you say SOP This office is
only for very experienced, high
speed workers They won't have any
other kind. No need OF your leav-
inc this herel"
You meant haven't got q
chance2~
Didn't you hear me say they
won't have anyone without expert
ence?"
Suddenly Celia Rogers saw red.
The ad in the paper didn't say
that she answered holly. The
ad said this office wanted a 5teno-
grapher. I can work ms fast rs lots
of girls who've been out Of school
two years. II I could only see the