Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-04-20
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k%$Wp% kAIHLEEN NORRIS ~

! thoughts. For nothing, for nothing
for nothing, just one more girl had
given way to one more man, and
the man had gone on his smiling path
more complacent than ever, and the
girl had proved herself Just one more
fool!
She haunted the agencies: work, as
well as money, was needed now. Only
! in work could she save herself and,
unless financial matters improved, the
Todhunter family was threatened with
ruin. In fact, as Tam once told
the other members of the group
angrily, impatiently, it was ruined.
only it did not have sense enough
to know it!
There was no work, or there was
work of so occasional a quality as to
supply her with neither money nor
distraction. Charity affairs, with
pretty society girls soliciting the I'M
paid aid of hungry professionals, and
putting thousands Of dollars into cos
TUNES and scenery, were many. But
even the smallest regular salary
seemed as far away from Tam's reach
as Mars.
Tell me about it." the nun said,
| after a while.
Tamara stood with her back to the
room, she fumbled In a shabby fiat
purse and found crumpled handker-
chief and dried her eyes. A fresh
| cob OF hor ct, ~
to speak, and for a moment she was
still again, her breast heaving her
mouth tightly closed, her nostrils
dilated.
Its just that" she said thickly.
Mother Laurence sat in the cool,
clean peace that had enveloped her
| since her novitiate % years ago.
But, Tam, that doesn't sound like
you," she said, puzzled.
1T isn't like mel" Tam muttered,
not turning.
But surely. my dear, dear child,
| just because a handsome man pays
a girl of your type little attention.
I'm trying to understand, I'm trying
to think it out. But I was always
! 81 SulC vi yOu. We Cd1lGo you Olle
of our leaders! Where was your mind
where was your self-control, where
was what dear old Sister Philip used
to call your code?"
My code!" Tamara said with a
brief laugh. She blew her nose, put
her handkerchief away. Her sodden
eyes continued to study the street
outside, where an untidy Summer
wind was blowing chaff and papers
along the curbs and a merciless late
afternoon sun was shining. The con-
! vent was not in a pretty part of
town; the gray uglineSs of cheap
wooden buildings stretched away from
1t on every side; a cable car went by,
whining and straining on the grade.
You just called me child" she
said, suddenly turning to cross the
bare, scrupulously clean place and
take a chair next to that of the
other woman. The square room, its
floor brilliantly waxed, its windows
curtained only with neatly pleated
net. was furnished with a dozen plain
chairs, plain table. On the wall
were two portraits of nuns amply
robed and benign, flanking a colored
likeness of Pope Plus TX, with his
fine thin hand raised in blessing. A
holy-water Stoup was at the door.
There was nothing else.
I'm not child. Mother" Tam
said. But I was as inexperienced
as child. I thought I was strong.
But when-any man-any one-is
kind to girl, gets her to wait for
him, depend on him. love the sound
OF his voice and the touch of his
hand, then no girl is strong! 1t never
occurred to me that this was lust
| just the situation you all-au the
sisters at St. Brides had been warn
ing us of! 1t never occurred to me
that If I went just so far-seeing him.
letting him kiss me, loving him, that
that something would carry me the
rest of the way-that everything would
seem right and loving and-and not
OF any importance except to me-and
not much to me! When you've worn
a mans violets and eaten meals with
him and talked over tea table. you-
you trust him" the girl stam-
mered, breaking into tears again.
fumbling again for the wretched wet
ball OF her handkerchief. "You-you
can't turn to "a friend-the person
who seems your best friend, and tell
him you-you-"
L.