d then marries a plumber who hollers merely "say" at her?

* * * * *

Behind the scenes in a hotel--what is it all about? To find that out I
poked around till the employment-office entrance of one of New York's
biggest and newest hotels was discovered. There had been no "ad." in
the Sunday paper which would give a hint that any hotel needed
additional help. We took our chances. Some twenty men waited in a
little hallway, two women inside the little office. One of the women
weighed at least two hundred and fifty, the other not a pound over
ninety. Both could have been grandmothers, both wanted chamber work.
The employment man spied me.

"What do you want?"

"A job."

"What kind of a job?"

"Anything but bein' chambermaid."

"What experience have you had in hotel work?"

"None, but lots in private homes. I'd like a job around the kitchen
some place."

"Ever try pantry work?"

"Not in a hotel, but lots in private families. I can do that swell!"
(What pantry work meant I hadn't the least idea--thought perhaps
washing glasses and silverware.)

He put on his coat and hat and dashed upstairs. He always put on his
coat _and_ hat to go upstairs. In a few moments he dashed hurriedly
back, followed by another man whose teeth were all worn down in the
front. I learned later that he was an important steward.

He asked me all over again all the questions the first man had asked,
and many more. He was in despair and impatient when he found I had not
a single letter of recommendation from a single private family I had
worked for. I could have written myself an excellent one in a few
moments. Could I bring a letter back later in the day?

"Can you fix salads?"

"Sure!"

"You think you could do the job?"

"_Sure!_"

"Well, you look as if you could. Never mind the letter, but get one to
have by you--comes in handy any job you want. Now about pay--I can't
pay you what you been used to getting, at least not first month." (I'd
mentioned nothing as to wages.) "Second month maybe more. First month
all I can pay you is fifty and your meals. That all right?"

As usual, my joy at landing a job was such that any old pay was
acceptable.

"Be back in two hours."

Just then the employment man called out to the hall filled with
waiting men, "No jobs for any men this morning." I don't know what
became of the old women.

I was back before my two hours were up, so anxious to begin. The
employm