The day book. [volume], September 14, 1915, LAST EDITION, Image 18

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
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THE LAWS OF COMMERCE
By Harold Carter
(Copyright by W. G. Chapman.)
It was a sudden impulse that took
little Miss Dimsymtq the private of
fice of old Adolf Ludwig, proprietor of
the cheap department store in which
she worked. She went in boldly, her
only encouragement the fact that old
Ludwig knew her and had once or
twice stopped and spoken to her in
his fatherly way.
"Well, Miss Dimsey," said the old
man, looking up over his spectacles
and beaming at her.
Little Miss Dimsey's well-planned
story broke down and she broke into
tears. The old man looked gravely
concerned.
"Tell me your troubles," he said,
handing her a chair.
- "I've simply got to have my salary
raised," sobbed Anita Dimsey. "I can't
support my mother and myself on $8
a week."
"Well, well, so that's what the mat
ter Is!" said the proprietor. "Go on,
Miss Dimsey."
"I guess that's about enough," said
the girl. "And I don't know what to
do. We are at our wits' ends for
money. How can you expect a girl
to live decently on that, even if she
has only herself to look out for?"
Ludwig looked at her thoughtfully.
"You know, Miss Dimsey " he be
gan, and checked himself. "Tell me
some more," he said. "Your mother
has no means of support?"
"No, sir, except what I earn. She
was in a publishing house until she
was crippled with rheumatism two
years ago. Then I I " The tears
began to flow again.
"Ha!" ejaculated Ludwig. "Excuse
me, but aren't you ever expecting to
be married? That's wnat keeps
wages down, you know. The girls
leave."
little Miss Dimsey's tears flowed
.faster th-n ever as she thought of pa
kjent Jack Livingston, working at $20
a week, and their desperate hope of
making a home for three when he
got $25. She blurted out all about
it, while old Ludwig waited with a
smile on his grim, worn old face.
"I don't know what I can do," he
said. "It wouldn't be fair to the other
girl to raise you. Wages and sal
aries have their natural level. I can't
break the laws of commerce just be
cause you need money, ftnss Dimsey."
She did not see the whimsical look
z-
Little Miss Dimsey's Well-Planned
Story Broke Down
on his face. She heard only the aw
ful sentence.
"Then I must go," she began wild
ly. "I must leave you. I must steal,
anything "
"Stop!" shouted Ludwig. "I can
lend you $100. I'd rather do that
than have you get into that frame of
mind. You can pay me back when
you are married."
Miss Dimsey raised a startled face
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