The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-09


TIME Newest N smber of the Club
n was angry. Fortunately tenn
per became her, lending a snap and
crackle to dark eyes and an effective
pouting fullness to red lips. But
the Newest Member was too angry
to care how she looked.
She could reasonably suppose
that her nose was shiny, since the
thermometer lowered around SO in
the small, vacant store the club
had rented for the three-day dura-
ton Of its annual rummage sale.
But she didn't even care about that.
The Newest Member sizzling, ply
sically as we'll as mentally, and
while she sizzled the calmly un-
conscious cause Of her fury sat in
the corner drugstore consuming
her third ice cream soda of the
afternoon.
That Myra Engles! The Newest
Member would draw her as CO.
worker for the last day of the sale
1t was the law of averages or
something. 1t was the irony OF
fate. Myra had golden curls and
dangerous. almost feline manner
and the neatest little tricks for get
ting out of unpleasant duties. The
Newest Member was on to her tricks,
but what good did that do? After
all, she had belonged to the club
three months and Myra was a char
ter member! But it was infuriating
nonetheless.
The Newest Members smoldering
gaze swept the almost denuded
shelves about her, the racks prac-
tically dismantled, the boxes
emptied of their contents, which
were stacked at the back of the
little store. The sale had gone
we'll this year. The club had made
money for its charitable enter
prises, the needy element of the
suburb had been able to pick up
some amazing bargains. Every
one concerned in the undertaking
should have been well pleased. The
Newest Member was pleased enough
with the results of the rummage
sale, but Myra Engles and her eter-
nal Sinking got in her hair.
Il u
TIME screen door opened, banged
4 shut again and the Newest
Member arose from the stool where
She had been resting her weary feet
A girl had come in, a girl even
younger than the Newest Member
who had only been married since
June. There were lines of fatigue
and strain etched about the wide
oddly frightened gray eyes, ard the
corners of her mouth dropped hope
lessly. But the limp, shabby gar
ments that clothed her could not
quite disguise the eXquisiteiy lovely
lines of her tall, young figure, nor
destroy the tired grace of her move
ments.
Why, shes lovely, thought the
Newest Member in some surprise
She's beautiful, but so worn and
worried And pity stirred in her
sharply, thinking these thoughts, sc
that she forgot her own trivial irri-
tations and moved forward, smiling
little with instructive friendliness
asking what she could do.
The girl hesitated, her eyes
sweeping the almost empty racks
She said in slow, sweet voice,
Il suppose it was absurd, my COM
ing in. There's not much left, is
there? I've passed here every day
but it seemed so silly to stop >.
and now you're just about solo
out"
The Newest Member had to adj
nit the truth that, but somehow
the admission hurt her. She wanted
suddenly to help this girl. Here
was no mere thrifty seeking after
bargains, no casual looking around.
Here, unless the Newest Member
was very much mistaken, was des-
peration or something closely akin
to it.
CHE suggested, IF you could tell
- me what you wanted i. :"
The girl laughed and the harsh
sound of her laughter was family
appalling in that qiuet, mllsty place
But she sobered at once, and hel
voice, answering, was carefully con-
trolled, as though the sound of her
laughter had startled her, too. She
repeated, What I wanted? But I
don't know. I don't know what I
hoped to find in here. only know
hoped"
Tell me-" the Newest Members
voice was gentle, but firm. Was
1t clothing?'
Eyes, that was it." The girl looked
down disdainfully at her nondescript
garments. Smart, becoming clothes
that would make me look like-like
something different than I am, a
girl who does cleaning by the day.
Any one can tell to look at me that
do cleaning by the day-so I can
hope for nothing else. But I do
hope. Maybe if I didn't it wouldn't
be so bad. And it's not that I'm I'M
grateful. I'm thankful for work.
truly am, any kind of work. Only
the fact that I can get work at all
makes life possible for us :"
"US?"
MY husband and T." The girl was
not looking at the Newest Member.
She wasn't looking at anything in
the little store. Her brooding gaze
was distant. unfathomable. "Jerry's
been i'll so long and it's been So
expensive. And we were married
such short time, we hadn't had a
chance TO save anything, really.
Those things happen"
q
THEY had never happened to the
n Newest Member. 1t seemed to
her in that moment that there was