Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-07
TODAY'S EVENING STORY.
THE EMBROIDERED BLOUSE
Copyright, 1922. by W. Werner)

When Anna Hess went to Mrs
Cronln's little shop for her weekly
allowance of work Mrs. Cronin said
to her: "Now, all this work I'm Civ
ing you today is for one person, and
you must be very particular about
it. Especially about the blouse. You
see what fine material it IS. I've
stamped it with a forget-me-not de-
sign. That makes very close work
and I would not trust it to any one
but you, Anna"
Anna Hess smiled family. When
bread and butter, fire and shelter,
and an occasional garment is the di-
rect sequence Of being able TO please
an employer one needs act grateful
ly when handed a parcel OF work,
even though that work be so fine
that it taxes eyesight, nerves, and
strength to the utmost.
One could imagine no greater con.
traSt between two women than there
was between Anna Hess and Mrs
Cronin. Mrs. Cronin was big and
sandy. When her husband died and
left her without a penny she made
the most of her one little gift-a
critical taste for embroidery. Hence
theN embroidery shop. And because
Anna Hess lived next door she had
hired and developed Anna until there
was no piece Of needlcwork too intri-
cate for the girl to do. Looking at
her one wondered how a structure SO
frail as her body could have such
powers of endurance. Anna was
slight and pale, with blue eyes and
fine, fair hair. More sunshine and
outdoor air, more joy, better food,
and an interest in life outside her
work would have made her pretty.
AS the girl turned TO go Mrs. Go.
min stopped her. "By the way, An.
na," she said. Haven't I heard
somewhere that you are related to
Audrey Anover?" Anna flushed.
"You need not tell me if you don't
want to-" added Mrs. Cronin, with
some asperity.
1--WE are own cousins" Anna re.
piled. "Her mother and my mother
were sisters. L don't mind telling
you, really. only II never speak OF
it unless I have to-
Mrs. Cronin stared. "I should
think you'd be proud to be related
to any one like Audrey Andover."
ooh, I am" Anna admitted, faint.
ly. AS she hurried toward home
she thought sadly that the pride
was all hers. It was to shield Aud.
rey from the opprobrium of being re
lated to her that she never mention.
ed it. In Annals eyes Audrey was
The most wonderful person in the
world. Money had come to Audrey
from her mother, who had married
successfully, and she lived with az
old friend of her mothers, Mrs
Vance, at the Hill house, the show
place of the town. For three years
now-indeed, ever since Audrey fin
;shed college, Mrs. Vance had not
been we'll and Audrey had compan.
toned her in long visits to Callfor
MIA, Florida, and Bermuda. It was
only occasionally that they came tC
the Hill house, and then only tc
rest for a few days before they set
flight again. To Anna, held by her
work to her chair day in and day
out, such freedom seemed enchart
ing. She tried to picture Audrey's
life as she tUlAed over her stitches.
Annals home was one room, anG
that not the best room by any mean4
1T Mrs. Piper's. Mrs. Piper was as
good to her as woman overburden
ed with affairs and boarders can be
but the girls whole life resolved it.
self into a problem of how muck
she could earn and how much she
must pay out.
Now, as she sat down to work
upon the blouse she was disturbed
by two disagreeable facts-the beat
Of the October hail outside her win
dow and the smell of the little oil
stove which was doing it's best tc
raise the temperature Of the room
She wondered, as she always did
who was to wear the blouse when ii