Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-07
THE EVENING STORY
DINNER at ANIME S.

loan you dress. I'll send a taxi for YOU
ID call off the dinner before I'd sit down
with thirteen! My goodness, Nell I'd
skimp on my luncheons and get a rag
or tWo!'
Nell haughtily refused the loan, but
after she had enjoyed Anne's perturba-
ton for while she agreed to come
Anne sailed out, much upset by the
worry. and Nell smiled to herself at the
remembrance until she looked up and
saw that Lenton, the new manager had
entered, and was smiling. too. family
He hastily turned away to hide his
mirth. but not before Nell had caught
him. She had no idea how long he had
been there. She wondered Wrathfully if
he had heard Anne ask her what kind of
shoes she had. She hated Anne. She
suddenly hated Lenton. Not that he was
anything to her, and she didn't care a
cent for his opinion. In the three months
that he had had charge since the former
managers death he had said nothing to
her except what business required. What
! right had he to slip in listen TO a private
conversation and then laugh?
"None4 she answered herself SO ficrcely
| that the word was nearly uttered aloud.
! She finished the batch of letters, coldly
| asked him for more work and took his
dictation so absent -mindedly that she
| couldn't make out her notes and had to
ask him to repeat.
! He was a quiet, serious man, absorbed
| in business. Until today Nell had never
| thought of him except as an impersonal
employer-the man who paid her $40 a
week But as the afternoon wore on and
| he seemed to have forgotten the Incl
dent she reconsidered her halfformed
| decision to quit. Nell was fmpuls1ve-she
| had wanted to leave that moment. But
Nell was not what an expert would call
| an excellent Speller, and there are many
stenographers. What do ] carc?" she
| reflected at last and banished the matter
! from her thoughts
| Next morning his manner was SO inn
| personal again that she almost persuaded
| herself that he had not heard the state
of her wardrobe. She was in very
good humor, anyway In spite OF her
| naughty refusal Anne had sent over the
night before a pale blue chiffon gown.
| Nell intended to send 1t back without
| wearing it. but she slipped it on just to
see how it looked And then. somehow.
| her pride melted. The blue cloth skirt
and imitation lace waist wouldn't do.
Besides, what was the use of having
pride with Anne? Don't be fool,
Anne had written. "Life's too short"
| She knew that had their positions been
| reversed Anne would not have scrupled TO
! borrow. So she didn't return il
| At o'clock she had finished the day.
letters and got out the ledger on which
she was supposed to work at odd mo
ments. But Lenton, whom she had sup
oranda. looked up. mo use TO get that
out this afternoon" he told her. Il think
you better go home If you expect to get
to that dinner party on time
| Nell flushed. So he had heard. With
a very high chin and with scarcely
audible murmur of thanks, she got her
hat and coat. Hateful thing' she
muttered, which was not very grateful.
!, The feeling of anger made her reck-
less. She resolved to be extravagant for
once and do honor to the blue chiffon
dress. Instead of working at her straight
black hair until her temper was ruined.
as usual, she stopped at a hairdresser' $
and came out an hour later with soft
waved hair that was a pleasure to look
at Even Anne, who had small admira-
ton for anything but her own blond
lbeauty, exclaimed when Nell took of her