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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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"Do you need any help?" she stammered. "No," he replied abruptly, and turned upon his heel. She went foolishly out, the office boy deferentially swinging the door for her, and gladly sank into the obscuring crowd. It was a severe setback to her recently pleased mental state. Now she walked quite aimlessly for a time, turning here and there, seeing one great company after another, but finding no courage to prosecute her single inquiry. High noon came, and with it hunger. She hunted out an unassuming restaurant and entered, but was disturbed to find that the prices were exorbitant for the size of her purse. A bowl of soup was all that she could afford, and, with this quickly eaten, she went out again. It restored her strength somewhat and made her moderately bold to pursue the search. In walking a few blocks to fix upon some probable place, she again encountered the firm of Storm and King, and this time managed to get in. Some gentlemen were conferring close at hand, but took no notice of her. She was left standing, gazing nervously upon the floor. When the limit of her distress had been nearly reached, she was beckoned to by a man at one of the many desks within the near-by railing. "Who is it you wish to see?" he inquired. "Why, any one, if you please," she answered. "I am looking for something to do." "Oh, you want to see Mr. McManus," he returned. "Sit down," and he pointed to a chair against the neighbouring wall. He went on leisurely writing, until after a time a short, stout gentleman came in from the street. "Mr. McManus," called the man at the desk, "this young woman wants to see you." The short gentleman turned about towards Carrie, and she arose and came forward. "What can I do for you, miss?" he inquired, surveying her curiously. "I want to know if I can get a position," she inquired. "As what?" he asked. "Not as anything in particular," she faltered. "Have you ever had any experience in the wholesale dry goods business?" he questioned. "No, sir," she replied. "Are you a stenographer or typewriter?" "No, sir." "Well, we haven’t anything here," he said. "We employ only experienced help." She began to step backward toward the door, when something about her plaintive face attracted him. "Have you ever worked at anything before?" he inquired. "No, sir," she said. "Well, now, it’s hardly possible that you would get anything to do in a wholesale house of this kind. Have you tried the department stores?" She acknowledged that she had not. "Well, if I were you," he said, looking at her rather genially "I would try the department stores. They often need young women as clerks." "Thank you," she said, her whole nature relieved by this spark of friendly interest. "Yes," he said, as she moved toward the door, "you try the department stores," and off he went. At that time the department store was in its earliest form of successful operation, and there were not many. The first three in the United States, established about 1884, were in Chicago. Carrie was familiar with the names of several through the advertisements in the "Daily News," and now proceeded to seek them. The words of Mr. McManus had somehow managed to restore her courage, which had fallen low, and she dared to hope that this new line would offer her something. Some time she spent in wandering up and down, thinking to encounter the buildings by chance, so readily is the mind, bent upon prosecuting a hard but needful errand, eased by that self-deception which the semblance of search, without the reality, gives. At last she inquired of a police officer, and was directed to proceed "two blocks up," where she would find "The Fair." |
