The Washington times., 1937-10-27


Her reflection stared back, hope
lessly.
You're revolving" she stormec
at herself. Red hair and brown
eyes are supposed to stand fol
Spirit-but you'll stand for any
thing! You didn't say a word tt
the cleaner for stretching YOU
best dress.
you let the landlady insult yol
about the rent when you're only
back a week, and she knows vol
always pay-and you meeklN
agreed to walk half across toWr
to meet Tom Russell"
Their engagement! 1t was al
most funny. Tom no longer re
ferred to that two or three-carat
solitaire he had promised her. She
didn't even have a diamond chip
to show she was engaged!
Or an Indian turquoise. Any
thing to tell the world-and her
that he cared. But having the
money, he had flung it-and tor
what!
SILENT ANGER
Ann finished removing h e.
makeup with deft gestures and
: streaked into her clothes. No use
burning herself up with silent
anger, she told herself. The thing
to do was keep her dignity. but
let Tom know just how she felt
Out on Fiftieth, the air did
nothing to soothe AIMS spirits
It was late September, but it
seemed like August. The new
tweed suit that matched her gold
-flecked hazel eyes was smart but
hot.
= Ann walked away from the low
sun which flooded the street with
yellow light, and when she
reached the balustrade above the
fountain she leaned on it for a
moment, to watch the cool spray
rise and spread.
Several times, on her way across
town, Ann stopped before shop
-windows-always the ones with
furniture displays in them. During
the past year she had looked long
ingly at hundreds of pieces Of fur
niture, seeing the chairs and
tables in a certain small apart
ment in her mind, instead OF on
display.
It was the reflection in the third
Shop-window that m a de her
-.frown and suddenly become little
uneasy-the bright blue hood Of
that taxicab-now that she
thought of it, she was aware it
had halted just behind her at the
curb, every time she had stopped
- Ann left the shop-window caSu-
ally, as though she had noticed
nothing unusual-sure enough, the
taxicab, after a moment began to
follow slowly again.
Nothing can happen" she told
herself. This is still daylight in
New York city, and there are
people on the street"
TAXI FOLLOWS
She hurried faster-crossed
Park Avenue, thanking her stars
that the lights turned just as the
cab would have followed. She
hustled, breathless, down the
street toward Lexington and the
safety Of the Snackerie and Tom
But Tom wasn't inside waiting
for her-she might have known it.
He was always late. Impatiently,
she turned and went outside
Just in time to see Tom alight
from that blue-nosed taxicab.
Never in her whole life had Ann
been so furious. She felt she
might SINCE the very sidewalk
where she stood, rooted while Tom
walked with his lazy long step TO-
ward her.
"1t was you following mel"
AIMS voice was outraged. "You
deliberately let me walk all the
way over here-frightened me
half to death" Her anger choked
her.
you look pretty when you're
mad, Honey" Tom smiled down
admiringly, and took her arm
."Come on in, and I'll tell you al
about that cab ."
There's nothing to tell. Ann
jerked her arm away. There's nc
possible excuse for a thing like
that. I've worked through two
shows today I've got two
more to do My feet hurt.
MY feelings are hurt. My heart
hurts. You probably don't even
remember that today is the ami
versary Of our engagement"
She saw his sudden guilty look
-. He had forgotten it. She
went on relentlessly:
But you're not engaged to me
You couldn't be that
would be bigamy, or something
because you're already married tt
that camera of yours!" She
pointed to the leather covered OBJ
ject suspended around his neck.
That's what you spend youl
money on and your time
Well. from now on, you can devote
yourself to it exclusively"
TRUE WORDS
- Every word she had thrown al
him was true. His camera mean
more to him than she did. Al
first, when he told her their : !
<ture depended on his getting in &
better spot than being a mere as
sistant in a commercial photo
graphic studio, she had been al
eager to help him as he had beer