These would receive them with gestures of protest or
with an exclamation of mild repugnance, or--in the majority of
cases--pass them unnoticed, as one does some unavoidable
discomfort of toil. There was only one girl in the shop who
received these jests with a shamefaced grin or even with frank
appreciation, and she was a perfectly respectable girl like the rest.
There were some finisher girls who could not boast an unsullied
reputation, but none of them worked in our shop, and, indeed,
their number in the entire trade was very small
One of the two girls who sat nearest to my machine was quite
popular in the shop, but that was because of her sweet disposition
and sound sense rather than for her looks. She was known to have
a snug little account in a savings-bank. It was for a marriage
portion she was saving; but she was doing it so strenuously that
she stinted herself the expense of a decent dress or hat, or the
price of a ticket to a ball, picnic, or dancing-class.
The result was that while she was pinching and scrimping herself
to pave the way to her marriage she barred herself, by this very
process, from contact with possible suitors.
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