FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146  
147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   >>   >|  
hich Iola had formed in the colored church which she attended. Iola gave her a few words of cordial greeting, and spent a few moments chatting with her. The attention of the girls who sold at the same counter was attracted, and their suspicion awakened. Iola was a stranger in that city. Who was she, and who were her people? At last it was decided that one of the girls should act as a spy, and bring what information she could concerning Iola. The spy was successful. She found out that Iola was living in a good neighborhood, but that none of the neighbors knew her. The man of the house was very fair, but there was an old woman whom Iola called "Grandma," and she was unmistakably colored. The story was sufficient. If that were true, Iola must be colored, and she should be treated accordingly. Without knowing the cause, Iola noticed a chill in the social atmosphere of the store, which communicated itself to the cash-boys, and they treated her so insolently that her situation became very uncomfortable. She saw the proprietor, resigned her position, and asked for and obtained a letter of recommendation to another merchant who had advertised for a saleswoman. In applying for the place, she took the precaution to inform her employer that she was colored. It made no difference to him; but he said:-- "Don't say anything about it to the girls. They might not be willing to work with you." Iola smiled, did not promise, and accepted the situation. She entered upon her duties, and proved quite acceptable as a saleswoman. One day, during an interval in business, the girls began to talk of their respective churches, and the question was put to Iola:-- "Where do you go to church?" "I go," she replied, "to Rev. River's church, corner of Eighth and L Streets." "Oh, no; you must be mistaken. There is no church there except a colored one." "That is where I go." "Why do you go there?" "Because I liked it when I came here, and joined it." "A member of a colored church? What under heaven possessed you to do such a thing?" "Because I wished to be with my own people." Here the interrogator stopped, and looked surprised and pained, and almost instinctively moved a little farther from her. After the store was closed, the girls had an animated discussion, which resulted in the information being sent to Mr. Cohen that Iola was a colored girl, and that they protested against her being continued in his employ. Mr. Co
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146  
147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
colored
 

church

 

treated

 
information
 

Because

 

situation

 

people

 

saleswoman

 

smiled

 

replied


Streets

 
promise
 

corner

 
Eighth
 
entered
 

business

 

proved

 

acceptable

 

interval

 

question


respective

 

duties

 

churches

 

accepted

 

farther

 
closed
 

instinctively

 

looked

 

surprised

 

pained


animated

 

discussion

 
continued
 

employ

 

protested

 

resulted

 

stopped

 

interrogator

 

joined

 

member


wished
 
heaven
 

possessed

 

mistaken

 

letter

 
living
 

successful

 
neighborhood
 
called
 

Grandma