The Washington times., 1933-04-17
CHAPTER XXXVI

anger in the darkness as she
watched Mr.. Collins come
around to her side of the car
and open the door for her to
get out. He was letting her
60 without a word except this
warning to keep silent about the
evening they had spent to-
gether. Putting her out of his
car at the street corner as if
she were someone he was
ashamed of! Some LADY Of the
evening" whom he had picked
up for a few hours pleasure
well, I'd like to know why
you're doing this to mel" she
said as she stepped out upon
the sidewalk. You'd take Mrs.
Wilmot to her own door If you'd
been out with her, wouldn't
you? Is it because I work for
you that I'm being dumped here
in the middle of the night? If
you're ashamed of me, wish
you'd told me so before we
started"
Il did tell you that I thought
Il was better for us not to leave
the office together. I told you,
Just as I'm telling you now, that
I didn't want to be talked about
by the office force. Be sensible
about this, Sharlie-" He
tried to put his arms around
her as she passed him. But she
pushed them violently aside and
ran down the street toward
home.
II hate him! loathe him!"
she whispered to herself as she
sped along through the shadows
and through the round pools
Of yellow light that the street
lamps threw upon the side
walk. Her high little heels
made a sharp angry sound as
they clicked along.
It took Sharlie only a min
ute to run from the corner
where Mr.. Collins had dropped
her to the apartment house.
But in that minute she came
to a firm decision.
She would never go back to
that mans office again. To-
morrow when he pushed open
the door of her little room he
would find it empty. She
could imagine him standing
there, looking at the locked
desk and the empty coat-tree
that stood behind it. He would
ring for her and there wouldn't
be any answer. Then he'd
probably pick up her telephone
and ask the operator in the
outer office where Miss Dunn
was.
"And when he finds out I'm
not there he'll call up here"
Sharlie told herself as she
went up the steps to the Sec
ond floor of the apartment
house.
Mind Made Up
She knew exactly what she
was going to say to him when
he did call up, too. She would
tell him that she couldn't think
Of working in the same office
with a man who had so little
respect for her that he would
dump her out Of his car at a
street corner in the middle of
the night instead of taking her
home as he should have done.
She would say that since he
evidently was ashamed of his.
friendship for her that she
would rather never see him
again. And she would tell him
that he could keep the five
days salary that he owed her.
It would be terribly hard to
give up the money, she went on
thinking. Particularly just now
when all the new fall suits and
fur -collared coats were in the
. store windows. =. 1t would not
be easy to land another posi-
ton, either. Good jobs were few
and far between these days
Sl1arlie fitted her key into
the lock; Of the front door and
stepped into the flat.
In the middle of the living
room stood a trunk. Edna's lit
tie wardrobe trunk with her
initials painted on it in white
..-She was back then, after
her vacation.
She hadn't gone to bed, for
Sharlie could hear her and
Dodie talking together in the
kitchen, and through the
lighted doorway came the tinkle
Of dishes and the rich odor of
boiling cocoa. Evidently the two
women were having a midnight
lunch.
Holding her breath and walk
ing on the tips of her toes,
Sharlie began to cross the dark
dining room. The last person
whom she wanted to see that
night was Edna. She felt guilty
somehow, as if she had done
Edna a wrong, played a trick
on her by going out that night
with Mr.. Collins.
"Ah. we'll, I played a meaner
trick on myself" she thought
as she pushed open the door
that led to the rear hall of the
apartment. The hall was dark
as the Calcutta-hole and sud-
denly Sharlie bumped against
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