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The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, August 31, 1915, LAST EDITION, Image 20

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Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1915-08-31/ed-1/seq-20/

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LUCINDA'S AWAKENING
By Frank Filson
"In heaven's name, why 'Luan
da'?" her Uncle. Joe had asked when
the baby was christened. Lucinda's
, mother could not explain. But to her
mind Lucinda was the acme of a ro
mantic name and the thought thai
, her little girl was to be a beauty and
to marry a rich man was the secret
solace for poor, plain Lucinda. So
at 21, when her mother was dead and
Lucinda found herself hired at $9 a
week as stenographer in a metropol
itan business house, she cast about
her to see who was going to fall in
love with her.
Mr. Dixon, the manager, was the
ideal of most of the young girls. Aged
I 30, attractive, indispensable and with
i private means, their aspirations
soared toward Mr. Dixon as a fledg
ling's toward the freedom of the air.
", Lucinda had been nearly a month
I with the Arm before she discovered
, fthat she was really plain, dowdy and
unJiattractive, although an excellent
. wor&er.
j Disillusionment is the test of char
acter. To Lucinda is brought bitter
ness! The false ideas on which she
. had been nourished proved an indi
gestible pabulum. She saw around
, hex girls far less conscientious, fai
less able, earning more money, and
.she attributed it to their personality
and looks.
She knew that she was not unat-
i tractive when expensively gowned.
Her savings went for clothes not for
the outside world but for office work.
The outside world was represented
j simply by Tom Smith, a plodding
young fellow, who had in him, with-
; out Lucinda's knowledge, the germs
! of future success. He was earning
$25 in an insurance office and he had
pressed Lucinda to marry him almost
. since the time when they were school
children together in Mapleville.
They had been almost engaged; but
when they met in the city the glamor
of the office was on Lucinda.
"I know I'm not worthy of you,
dear," Tom would plead hard, "but
at least I'll be true to you and and
care for you, Lucinda. I'll be getting
$30 soon, and then "
Lucinda repulsed him almost an
grily, but Tom, who had guessed in a
measure what was the matter with
Lucinda, bided his time and refused
to be shaken off. Half scornfully the
"You're Doing Very Well, Miss Bar
rett" girl allowed him to take her out on
Saturday nights. And all the while
they talked there was a large picture
of Mr. Dixon in Lucinda's heart.
Mabel Kearney was the girl
whom Lucinda saw her most danger
ous rival. Mabel and Mr. Dixon we
the greatest friends. It was
when Lucinda, approaching the :
ager on some point of business.
ly invented, felt herself a wet spo
upon the conversation. But the
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