The Washington times., 1937-01-01

The bride of a few days?
Rentals Just gone to the cloak
room to powder her nose"
You mean she's with you?"
Certainly she's lunching with
me. Why shouldn't she? Any OBJ
jection2"
"Of course not"
He didn't ask her to sit down.
He was staring at her, a strange
look on his face.
The marriage announcement?
He had seen it? That explained
things. Better enlighten him and
kill the nonsensical story at once.
You know my sister Bernlce
has Just married Freddie Bran
don? BY an error. my name ap-
peared in one edition of paper
as the bride. 1t was corrected in
this mornings edition. Such a
silly mix-up-" Ann said lightly.
His face changed.
Then you're"
Single. heartwhole, and fancy
free!"
Did you come here to meet
Bradley? Was that it?"
She followed the direction of
his gaze, and saw the merchan-
dise-manager enter the restaurant.
If he sees those cocktails on
the table, Renita and you will get
into trouble, Gordon"
Don't get excited. If you are
not meeting His Highland Might
iness, won't you sit down."
She did so. She Signalled a
waiter. Quick, remove the drinks
from the table"
But it was too late. Paul Brad
lev was looking directly at them,
saw the drinks.
Renita did not appear at the
store the next day, or the follow
ing one.
'She's sick. Someone ought to
be looking after her. think she
has the flu or something" one of
the salesgirls told Ann.
Drinks what's the matter with
Renita," said Miss Shellfish, "if
she doesn't show up tomorrow
morning, orders have come from
higher up that she's to be fired" !"
The buyer of Misses Dresses
and Ann were alone at the mo-
ment.
Maybe, if l went down and had
a talk with her, could Stralghten
her out little" Ann volunteered.
Kind of you, dear, but guess
you'd get an unpleasant reception.
Renita can be nightly nasty when
she's drinking. It's sad case, be-
cause she's right smart, normally,
but now she's all shot to pieces"
The thought of Renita, alone
in her little apartment in the
Village haunted Ann all day long
Unwittingly, wasn't she herself re-
sponsible for the others love dis
appointment, since, had she not
come into the store to work, Cor,
don Gavin might have turned to
Renita in the end?
If only could do something
to set matters right"
Was there any solution?
At the closing of the store. Ann
telephoned Rentals apartment.
Renita was weeping.
whats the matter, Renita?"
"I'm sick in bed"
"IS there anything you'd like
me to bring you?" Compassion
got the better of AIMS Saner
judgment.
"A bottle of Scotch-or no
hold on-a bottle of poison I'm
not going on with things! I'm fin.
ished."
What do you mean?"
THAT I'm going to kill myself.
You needn't bother bringing the
poison, for I've powders right
here with me-" There was the
sound of a fall-and then a buzz
ing on the line.
Operator! Get me that mum.
Der again. StuyveSant 9-0026."
II can't. I can't get the party.
The receivers off the hook"
Alarmed, Ann left her booth in
the drug store. and took taxi
down to Greenwich Village.
1t was a walk-up apartment In
answer to her ring, Renita herself
opened the door.
Her mood had changed. Renita
was brighter. She even seemed
rather pleased at seeing Ann, and
asked her to come in, apologizing
for having frightened her on the
telephone.
"Renita, you've got to pull your.
self together. If you don't get to
the store by tomorrow morning,
I'm afraid you'll lose your job.
Please don't think I'm interfer-
ing, but it was Miss Shellfish who
told me. and she's worried. She
says you're so clever at your work
that it's a shame to go under like
this"
You mean that I'm to be
fired?"
Not if you're back on the Job