The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-10
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in. She was, I swear, the most
helpless creature I ever laid eyes
on"
Ashtoreth smiled.
"Didn't you know" she asked,
that she might have gone to any
one of several societies that would
have loaned her money and helped
her on her feet again?"
YES" he admitted, Il knew it..
But don't think she did. She was
so darn Intellectual, don't you see.
Like a little soiled kitten, buffeted
about. Besides, supposed 1 was
rather f1attered that she had come
to me so trustingly.
"Anyhow-to make a long story
short-I apologized for Mrs. Mason,
who'd discharged the poor kid with
out the slightest appreciation Of
the situation, And I said felt that
I should make some sort of amends
for the anguish and all that sort
of thing her summary dismissal
had occasioned."
a SHTORETHS heart beat ex-
IA citedly, and she felt all queer
and quivery inside.
But Mrs. Mason was right" she
maintained, a little frightened as
she took issue with her employer.
There would be no efficiency in
your Office if she tolerated Mae de
Mari out there. And without an
efficient personnel you wouldn't
have so much money to spend.
That is, I suppose you wouldn't.
Not in the long run, mean. A day
would come when the Hart mil
lions would dwindle and vanish. And
the perpetuity of your benevolences
would be defeated"
Her eloquence embarrassed her.
She wondered if Mr.. Hart knew
what she was trying to say. If she
had chosen her words correctly.
If, perhaps, she was being alb
surd, and amazingly preposterous.
But he looked at her with quick
approval, and inclined his head
yravely.
Minerva" he said, has spoken"
"Oh!" she cried, "You are being
unkind. You asked me to tell you
what I thought, and now you are
making fun!"
mo-" he contradicted, 81 am
quite serious. The name of the god
deSS of wisdom would have fitted
you as perfectly as that of the god
dess of love. Some time, Miss Ashe,
I hope you will tell me the personal
significance of your name. Your
mother, perhaps, is a student OF
Egyptology?"
Ashtoreth thought Of her plump,
jolly mother. Gay and gariSh in
royal purple. Her poor puffy feet
cramped in too-tight patent leath-
ers.
Her peroxide yellow shingle firing
ing the back of her violet toque
Eynthetic amethysts dangling from
her elongated ear lobes, and dou-
BILE string swinging against her great
deep bosom.
Ashtoreth despised herself for be-
ing even mentally disloyal to her
mother. She hated herself now for
the lie she told.
"Oh, yes" she said, mother SIM
ply dotes on archaeology"
She wondered if Hr. Hart saw
the tell-tale flush that suffuSed her
pale face and left her deathly white.
VXTHEN Ashtoreth was a little
w girl, and went to convent
school, she took a solemn oath in
confirmation class. Sweating ale
glance to God, she had earnestly
affirmed that she would rather die
than deny Him."
The words had always remained
in her mind. Only now they
seemed to refer to her mother.
Whenever, with a Notwithstanding
wave of revulsion, she saw Maizie,
cheap and radiant in dreadful
flnery, the words flashed again
through her consciousness. Rather
die than deny her"-good, dear,
hopeless Maize.
Ito Be Continued
It was Mae de Mari, of course
but what was the identity of this
EuTnPiSinp creafure2 AShtnreth is