Philadelphia 1918

Dissatisfied with the life her strict traditional family has made for her in Roxborough
Pennsylvania, Alice wants nothing more than to get a job as a secretary. Everyday seemed to be the same, quiet breakfasts in the dining room, sitting through etiquette classes in the stiff grey uniform her school forced her to wear and reading neverending books by the fire with her family when she returned. She envied the independance a few of her friends had who got various jobs downtown. Being just 18 and with her father a retired general with stern values, she knew she would never be allowed to set foot in the city alone, nevermind to apply for a job.

After sneaking out of class to apply for a job downtown, Alice is thrilled to get called back. But her father’s heart condition takes a turn for the worse and the family goes out of town so she can’t go back to accept the position.

Weeks later, she returns to plead for the job. Hired, she now struggles to figure out how to make it work. Surely her parents would never let her, but desperate to get out of her routine, Alice accepts the job and goes to work for 2 weeks in Philadelphia instead of going to finishing school classes.

With a simple ring of a phone, Alice’s double life crumbles, her family finds out about the absences. Alice’s younger brother Fransisco supports her new job but her father, Jack, is furious. With two days to decide, she is confronted with either staying with her family or leaving to work.

What she must do is clear, Alice runs away, planning to move into the city with a friend.

Throwing in some suit sets, formal dresses and shoes into the tweed carpet bag her mother had made her for her trip to London years earlier, she planed how she would sneak out after her parents had gone to sleep.

Heart pounding in her ears and knees shaking, Alice slides across the creaky wood floor and out the door to where a irritated taximan was waiting for her. This is it, she thought to herself as the car rolled out of the long narrow driveway. She thought about waving goodbye to the dark house, who knew when she would be back and under what circumstances. But the taxi driver shouted something back at her about how young girls shouldn’t be out at this hour.

Weeks fold into months and Alice develops a routine, working days and spending time in her studies and with friends at night. For the first time in her life she feels productive, she feels needed and has a purpose.

After assisting in an emergency in the office--one of her clients’ wife goes into labor--Alice’s photo lands in the news paper.

Meanwhile, back at home things are not so great. Her father’s heart condition has taken a turn for the worse with the stress of Alice’s leaving. When her photo lands on their front porch, it is too much. Jack has a heart attack and passes away a couple days later. 

Alice’s mother, Felicity comes to visit her with a heavy heart to tell her the news. She realizes without a husband women have very little to do without ambition and knows family is all she has left, she confided in Alice she is okay with her new job. Alice returns home to attend her father’s small quiet funeral. Unsure if she will ever be able to forgive him until the moment her shaking hands touch his cold skin. With a choked voice she mutters half of “I love you dad,” but only the word “dad” manages to escape her lips.