grievously lacking in her
enterprises for some time. She thought she had the ability to
write--what attractive young American woman doesn't? Her friends thought
her clever, and laughed at her little "stories" about people. She set
herself industriously to the composition of elaborate articles on "Our
Social Leaders," consisting largely of a retrospect and review, for "our
social leaders" kept very still during those terrible months of want and
panic that followed the gay doings of the great show, or were out of the
city. These articles appeared in the Sunday edition, over the _nom de
plume_ of the "_Debutante_." Other women of the regular staff did the
card-parties and club news and the West Side stuff.

There was a city editor, of course, and a ruthless blue pencil, but as
Milly was recognized on the paper as "the old man's" present hobby, she
was given a pretty free rein. She sailed into the dingy _Star_ offices
dressed quite smartly, dropped her sprawling manuscript on the Sunday
editor's table, and ambled into Mr. Becker's sanctum for a little social
chat. In the office she was known as "the Real Thing," and liked as she
was almost everywhere, though the youthful reporters laughed at her
pompous diction.

The _Star_ paid her the handsome sum of fifteen dollars a week.

VIII

MILLY RENEWS HER PROSPECTS

It did not take Milly long to realize that the sort of newspaper writing
she was doing was as parasitic in its nature as her first job, and even
less permanent. Of course it quickly leaked out who the _Debutante_ was
who wrote with such finality of "our social leaders," and though friends
were kind and even helpful, assuring Milly "it made no difference," and
they thought it "a good thing for her to do," she knew that in the end
her work would kill whatever social position she had retained through
her vicissitudes. The more "exclusive" women with social aspirations
liked secretly to have their presences and their doings publicly
chronicled, but they were fearful lest they should seem to encourage
such publicity. Although they said, "We'd rather have one of us do it if
it has to be done, you know," yet they preferred to have it thought that
the information came from the butler and the housemaid. Milly soon
perceived that a woman must cheapen herself at the job, and by
cheapening herself lose her qualification. Nevertheless, she had to keep
at it for the money.

That was the terrible fact about earning o