The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-05

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 She knelt down beside the bed for
 last chanj this special occasion.
 It was the first real party she had ever attended. She was radi- ant with joy Everybody treated her is if she were princess. Dorothys father called her "Goldi- locks" and told her she must come to see them often.
 At 10 o'clock Mrs. Brown from next door stopped in to see Doro- thy cut her birthday cake. The Browns had recently moved into the neignborhood. Joan did not know it, out they came from San Francisco. Nus. Browns eyes popped as sile whispered to Doro- thy's mother, and her voice carried across the room to Joan.
 ". I'm positive of it. My father was on the jury. The Bar rett case-dcnt you remember it? He was hanged at San Quentin"
 Joan stood transfxed as the whispers flew through the room. She watched Dorothy's mother beckon to her husband and take him out into the kitchen. She knew well enough what Mrs. Starke would say. Everybody 1n San Francisco had said it, too.
 of course she's a pretty little girl, John. But we can't have her associating with Dorothy. It's in her blood, you know, to kill. Her father was a murderer. There's no telling what she may do ."
 So, a few minutes later, MT Starke offered to see her home. He was very kind about it. But the party was not over Dorothy had not cut her birthday cake. And when MT. Starke left her at her own door, he did not ask her to come over and see them again.
 The next day, they left Seattle.
 They went to Denver. They could easily lose themselves in Denver. where there were so many trans tents. TranSients like her mother. who were tEin and weak and very, very tired, ana who came for the benefits of the high altitude.
 But they did not stay long in Denver. Their landlady bcasted sensational knowledge of murder trials. She kept book of clip pings. Some day she would write a detective novel. And she never forgot face. My but you look familiar, Mrs Barrett! I'm sure I've seen your face somewhere!' They went to Chicago. Chica- go was a metropolis of several million people And it was 2O00 miles away from San Francisco. Nobody would ever recognize them now Nobody must, for there was so little money left. They could not afford another escape. And loans mother was too Ill even to lcok fer work. It was Joan, now almost IT, who found job in one 0. the enormous de- partment stores. She loved the thrill of working; she felt re- mendous pride in being able to help her mother share the burden. This was truly a new beginning
 But Chicago, at the moment was lacking ill sensation. And the next Sunday, the pictures o1 Sheila Barrett and her daughter Joan. were splashed across the center spread of one oi the lead ing dailieS. There were other women and other children, too Orphans ot the Racket" this paper called them. It was the story of what happens to the Wi dows and orphans of condemned criminals.
 So the giris in the store recog- nized Joan. Even the name was the same. That was one thing Joan's mother would never do She would never forsake the name Thomas Barrett had given her She was still proud of it.
 The head oi loans department suggested that she seek another position. ITe was kind, even as MT. Starke had been in Seattle The gossip, ne explalneu, Woulu do her no good. There might even occur small thefts or minor mis- demeanors, and suspicion would of certainty fall upon her. It was unfortunate terribly unfor- tunate - but what could the store do?
 Joan did not care about the store. She dic not care about any thing now. except that her mother was too ill even to sit up in bed, Her heart was weak, so the doc tor said. He did not know that for five years, her heart had been slowly breaking
 Within two months, Joan was all alone in tic world. With their last few dollars. she sent her mothers body back to California, to lie beside the husband with whom her spirit had died.
 After that. it was not so hard to live in Chicago. People forget Joan Barrett and the newspapers newer sensations. Jobs were easy .o find, for she was bright and pretty. She studied