All-Story Weekly, Vol. 112, No. 1 — page 111: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

E. J. Rath Author of “ Elope H You Must,” “Once Again,” “ Teo Mach Efficiency,” ete. PRECEDING CHAPTERS BRIEFLY RETOLD W HE HEN, Mary Wayne, reduced by the sudden death of her father to earning her own living, ied at the Brain Workers’ Exchange fer a high-class position, she discovered in short order that skill, efficiency and respectability were all useless without the employers’ fetish, references; and as she had yet to fill her first :position she had none. Toraing sadly away she met another girl, Ne Norcross, who, being fortunately abundantly supplied with the great essential, had just secured a particularly fine position with Miss Carshne Marshall, of am old and conservative family on lower Fifth Avenue, and when later she, Nell, was taken ill and it became evident that it would be weeks before she would be able to work, she persuaded Mary to take her job, and incidentally her name and references. Mary did so, and easily got the position, but discovered to her dismay that it was not with Miss Marshall personally, but as social secretary to her huge and vigorous nephew, Bill Marshall, a young man just out of college, who abhorred society, but was being forced mto it by his rich aunt to maintain “the pesitien of the family.” Bil’s position was peculiar. His aunt stood in the place ef mother and guardian to him, and he was her only natural heir, but their sdeas for his career were diametrically opposed. Also things were complicated by the fact that Bill had brought home a college friend, Pete Stearns, a practical joker of great genius, who, being of a family that Miss Marshall regarded much as a mountaineer regards a revemuer, had insisted as posing as Bill's valet, and whe further insisted upon giving Bill a most enviable reputation, to his aunt, as a student and generally model young man. Likewise respectfully suggesting methods by which Bill might easily break into the loathed society. Mary found the task set her far from an easy one, but Bill getting himself arrested one night when the police broke up a prize-fight, the pseudo valet being obliged to appeal to her in order to get bail, gave her a club which she did not hesitate to wield, with the result that Bill finally consented to allow: a party to be given in iis honor. The guests were all of the older and more conservative aristocracy of the city, Bill aver’ only one friend, whom he described as Signor Antonio Valentino, a famous Italian In spite of the fact that Bill’s friend proved to be Kid Whaiey, the prize-fighter, the party went off very well; so well that Miss Marshall conceived the idea of following it wp with a dinner, at which the famous Mrs. Rokeby-Jones would be a guest. In fear and trembling Mary at last was forced to telephone that lady, only to learn that she had never had a secretary by the name of Nell Norcross, and Nell herself, when taxed with it, admitted that she had written ail the fine references by which Mary had secured the position, herself. Stunned by this, and realizing that Miss Marshall was determined to have Mrs. Rokeby-Jones present, no matter who else was invited, Nell set about changing the plans, and, with the aid of Bill and Pete, succeeded in getting the dmner abandoned in favor of a yachting cruise. A fine auxiliary yacht, the Sunshine, was chartered, and finally one pleasant evening the party all went aboard. CHAPTER XVII. as a breath of breeze. He was in no pleas- ant mood this morning, but he could not deny the serene, luxurious charm of the J vas fa HARBOR! harbor. At another time it might have THE WAY OF A MAID. It was fair even to the eyes of Bill awakened the spirit of the muse within him; Marshall, as he stood under the after Pete always insisted that far under the sur- awning of the Sunshine, staring out over the face Bill was a poet. But now its infiv- shining water, as yet untouched by so much ence was not quite so potent as that; it This story began in the All-Story Weekly for June 12, 101 cCoOmiclbooks C©