The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-10-13

a half room apartment, lay asleep
on the other couch. The alarm
clock on the night table by
Graces couch changed.
Through half-closed eyes, Paula
watched Grace reach over and
turn it off, then settle back, her
bony arms stretched over her
frowzled head.
well. we'll" Grace chirped
cheerfully. Another day"
Paula hated the way Grace said
that. Every morning the same
thing. 1t was enough to drive you
nuts.
Want to use the shower first?"
Grace asked.
"Yes," said Paula shortly.
Got out of bed on the wrong
side this morning." Grace called
after her.
Paula slammed the bathroom
door, pretending not to hear.
BAD HUMOR
On a morning hot enough to
fry eggs on the window sill Grace
had to light the oven. The moron.
Singing in the shower, knowing
that the oven would heat the room
to unbearable temperatures. Sud
denly Paula felt that she hated
everything about Grace.
The two girls caught the same
subway express as usual. If the
air in the street had been. intoler-
ably hot, 1t was dead to the point
of suffocation underground.
The train was packed as usual.
Paula's crisp dress became limp
mass. A fat man weighing a
couple of tons stepped on her in
step kerplunk.
The elephant, she moaned.
"The clumsy elephant"
He heard you," Grace whis-
pered, grimacing Warnin g ly.
whats eating you this morning
anyway, Paula?"
Paula did not trust herself to
answer. Grace complacently
began calling Paula's attention to
her new outfit, worn for the first
time, that she had bought for a
song.
How do you like it?"
Paula drew long breath. For
once Grace was going to hear the
truth and plenty of it. She
was through making fool OF her
self by lying to people to make
them feel good.
INSULTS FRIEND
"That yellow shade makes you
look terribly sallow," she said.
And you should never wear q
high crown like that. 1t makes
your face look as long as a
horses"
The rush of tears to Grace's
amiable blue eyes stopped Paula
for a moment, but she got her Sec
ond wind as the train lurched to
a stop and stood there E. verl-
table steam room in a Turkish
bath.
1.-THE dress would be fine" Paula
painted, "if only it fit you. Any
thing else you'd like to know?"
Grace's face had turned chalky
white. She said nothing.
Grace got out at the next sta
ton to wait for the local. Paula,
stony-faced, continued onward.
The stalling of the train made
Paula five minutes late. Mr.. Ed
wards would pick just this morn
ing to be in ten minutes early. He
came out of his private Office,
watch in hand. He said nothing,
but his stare was eloquent.
His dictation was faster than
usual. He was hard man to work
for. but he was fair. He never
worked the help harder than he
worked himself and he paid
good wages.
But this July morning, Mr.. Ed
wards seemed impossible to suit.
Paula never stopped to think that
maybe Mr.. Edwards was suffering
from a heat hangover, just as she
was. All she knew was that he was
hateful, mean and spiteful.
He showed Paula a mistake IN
punctuation she had made a week
before. He called her attention to
the fact that she had omitted to
file personal letter in the desk
file.
He made caustic remarks about
people who stole time which was,
he intoned, as bad as stealing from
the petty cash. drawer. Worse.
Paula gritted her teeth. Her
heart, that had been swelling with
rage against all humanity. seemed
to expand like balloon with
hatred for Mr.. Edwards.
Mr.. Edwards" she said slowly
and carefully, you have spent
twenty minutes telling me my
faults. Did it ever occur to you to
inventory some of your own? You
hitch in your chair, you dictate
with cigar in your mouth, you
need shave most of the time,
and if there's anything I despise,
its a man who bites his nails"
Mr.. Edwards turned the color of
q fainting salmon.
LOSES JOB
Miss Pounds" he said. 'I can
not allow any employee, even one
usually so amiable and efficient as
you, to talk to me like this. Either
you will apologize or get two
weeks pay from the cashier on