The Washington times., 1930-08-08
CHAPTER 5


Don't let those men make
any advances" Cathie's mother
warned her. getting her off on
time to work every morning, re
minding her to take a clean
handkerchief, and to buy some
thing sensible for lunch. Not
Just an ice cream soda and a
hunk Of French pastry, do you
hear me, Gather"
Cathie heard. Heard with
the half-consciouS hearing that
comes of listening to the same
old thing over and over. Some
times she laughed to herself,
not very happily. thinking Of
all the worry the family went
to for nothing.
Mr.. FarnSworth was friendly
enough, but he said very little,
and even when he praised her
work, or made a little joke. it
was from a great distance. He
was Alfred A. FarnSworth. and
he didn't want anyone to forget
It. The engineers who drifted
In and out of the office looked
at her sometimes. but no one in.
troduced them, and the other
girls and Miss Darrow laughed
and chatted with them, and left
her out. 49,, .,.
Stylish Garb
The other girls had such nice
clothes Especially Miss Darrow.
Miss Darrow wasn't really pretty,
but she was certainly stylish.
Sometimes she was a vision in
grass green, with woven green
sandals that exactly matched.
Some days she was In pale vel
low with blazer sweater Of
orange and maize. t'Mr. Brown
ing would never tolerate suc1
clothes on a girl working in HIS
office" Ruth said severely,
when Cathie rather wiStfully de
Scribed the fetching costumes
Cathie blushed. She didn't
want Ruth to know that she
would have liked such things
for herself. Cathie's working
hadn't helped home finances
very much, though she turned
over all but a few dollars to
Ma Half unconsciously Ruth
had relaxed. had given up some
Of the fierce economy that she
had practiced for so long. An6
of course Cathie had insisted
upon Ma stopping work. The
apron and soft shoes never
went out in the brown paper
parcel any more.
There was Jean, too, Jean j.,
the baby, turning into a young
lady, growing into beauty with
astounding ruSheS. She was
such a sweet child, so warm
and loving, and oh dear. so ex
penSive.
Home Problems
Schools had gymnasiums and
special courses now! That meant
special clothes. tits a good
thing they didn't have such
nonsense when you girls were
young" Mary Paige told Ruth
and Cathie. But she was Sc
cretly pleased mVll it all. and
50 were they, though sometimes
the price Of q tennis racket oil
new gymnasium shoes meant
putting off the grocer or letting
the gas bill run.
Eddie was problem, too. so
tall and blond and handsome,
50 like his dead, father that
his mothers heart ached every
time she looked at him, and
him alone. He's young yet.
she said to the girls, Leave
him alone. He's young yet.
Before you know it he'll be
working and making more than
the lot of you put together!"
Eddie was bright and will
ing enough, but the sort who
never quite gets job. BY the
time he heard there was an
opening somewhere 1t was
filled. He'd come home quietly
and settle himself to read
did you try that brokers'
office, Eddie?"
''What?" Eddie would. rouse
himself, lift his heavy head
and look at you with beautiful
clear blue eyes.
THE Job, Eddie the one
you--"
"Oh. No, it was taken"
Job, at Last
1t worried them. Worried
them all frightfully. So it was
real relief ,wl1en Frank
Prout's uncle got him a job
on a boat. He shipped on the
Phoenix, a freighter bound. for
South America.
Summer passed. Fall came,
and the rains. The roof
leaked again and Ma decided
It had to be fixed. Fall meant
warmer clothes. too. So much
more costly than summer ray
ons that you could pick up on
the remnant counter for al
most nothing. In the minutes.
hours sometimes. that Cathie