Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-01-26
by RUPERT HUGHES

clerk with mother and sister to support.
and imagined that his beautiful rescuer was
as wealthy as her surroundings, made no
effort to see her again or even to find out
her name Only by chance one fall dav.
they met again = and knew that they we're
made for each other. In spite of their poverty,
they made blissful plans for marriage. and
even signed a lease on tiny flat
But they were reckoning. as were so many
others = Tightly little Rosie Moody. for in
stance. too much in love for her own good =
without Section 2l3 This was law. passed
during the Republican Administration and
now enforced by the Democratic, the result of
which was to prevent a wife from working for
the Government if her husband also had a
Federal job If Neal and Valerie married,
one of them must stop earning. which would
mean disaster for either Valerie's father or
Meals mother and sister.
While they and many other Government
employees, faced with the same question,
searched for an answer to their problem. little
Rosie Moody found her answer. She killed
herself
PART TWO
INJECTION 2l3 had begun its reign in
- Floyd's department with the death of
an expectant bride. She had been too
~ excited and exciting for an office; her
storms of gaiety or of tears had always dis
turbed the clerks like laughter at funeral;
but now they seemed to be something that
had been as much needed as flowers on the sill
or sunshine on the pane.
Little Miss Moody. who had so much
wanted to be Mrs. Somebody. had eaped out
of life as from an airplane But Valerie could
not step overheard without leaving her father
to perish.
Rosie had taken with her also the problems
of her child that would never be- But there
were women who could not so easily erase
their children. middle aged and oldsh women
whose children we're grown-up. Some of them
had disabled husbands or helpless parents.
Valerie felt ashamed of herself for grieving
over her own problem. After ALL her loss was
only thwarted romance, planned marriage.
The Others had the sharp shards of broken
lives, lost savings. heavier burdens to lug up
sleeper, bleaker path. She was dazed to find
out how much havoc Section 2l3 had already
weaked without her having heard of it, Or
if she had she had needed it no more than
stories of disasters in China
Suddenly Hexter Floyd was there. He held
in his hand an afternoon paper in whose head
lines the clerks could read the name of Rosie
Moody He broke out raucously:
Attention! please! You may have seen
this afternoon paper. The dirty sheet blames
me for this Moody girls DEATH What did
have to do with it !? The orders come to put
2l3 in force. Any of you who've got relations
working for the COVER ment have got to get
out - resign. If you don't tell me about it,
I'm supposed to find it out and fire YOU The
rest of you are here on sufferance. too Any
body that don't like his or her work. there's
hundred applicants willing to take his place
or hers as the case may be. That's ALL"
Then he stepped inside his door and closed it,
Soon there was procession of doomed women
and men to his office
Late in the afternoon Floyd sent for Valerie.
Surely, she thought. he could not discharge
her because she was engaged to man in the
service. No, he greeted her with smile.