Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-12-19
BY Nj. e. CORNE
CHAPTER ONE


TWAS GIVING one of our local
bellies a shampoo and finger
wave. and had just tied the net be-
meath her chin and tucked her un-
der the drier when Polly, who is
the Madame Mora" of Madame
Moira's Beauty Shoppe", signaled
from the desk that some one want
ed to speak with me on the tele-
phone.
l remember feeling excited and
sort of wobbly at the knees, be-
cause the night before, at the an
nual beauticians' ball 1 had met
NV dream man" in Phil Benson,
a reporter on the Lawnville Times,
and he had promised to ring me
soon. But the voice that came over
the wire was a woman's-Kitty
Wilson's-my girl friend. swal-
lowed my disappointment, and told
myself not to be a chump. Maybe,
after all, Phil had been handing
me a line!
Hello, Elsie" Kitty said. II
want to ask a favor"
Sure" 1 said, anything at all"
And l am still amused at the cas-
ual way l let myself in for a most
terrifying and exciting experience.
OF course 1 never thought Kitty
was going to ask for more than
the loan of my new gold evening
slippers, or my bunny jacket at the
most, and even when she finally
told me what she wanted / was
only mildly surprised.
"Emma's having another baby"
Kitty went on-Emma is her mar
ried sister in Columbus-"and /
have to go right over there and
stay for awhile"
"Well7" 1 said, wondering what
Emma and her baby had to do
with me.
II want you to come out to the
Manor and take my place for a
week."
THE Manor?" 1 repeated,
though l had heard well enough
what she had said. But l have a
job"
IT know" she interrupted impa-
tiently. Il talked to Polly and
she's willing to let you off for
week. I'll pay you double salary
and you'll get your room and board
besides. Will you come?
well" hesitated, but a week
at the Manor did sound alluring. 1
had always wanted to see inside
Lawnvill's showplace. well, yes!"
Good! Kitty sounded relieved.
Tim, the chauffeur, will call for
you. You won't need to bring q
thing but your aprons. Everything
else is here"
"All right" 1 made up my mind
to go. You can send Tim to my
place at six"
He'll be there" she promised.
do your best, and I'll be back as
soon as 1 can. Mrs. Greedy, the
housekeeper, will show you the
ropes"
90. K, Kitty. I'll do my darned-
est"
$50 you're going to break into
society,"" kidded Polly. BE care
full, my girl, that it doesn't go to
your head!"
II will"
The Manor is the name of a
huge, wooded estate some three
miles from the edge of this town,
which is a few miles outside Of
Columbus, Ohio. It was the family
home of the financially and social
ly prominent Witherspoons, whose
fortunes during the lifetime of
Horace T. Witherspoon, ST., father
to the then present family, leaped
from comfortable thousands to un-
comfortable and unbelievable mil
lions. This seeming wizardy on the
part Of the elder Horace was moth
ing more magical than what is now
known (although at the time it
had been called doing ones bit')
as war profiteering. He had sold
rope and leather goods to the
United States government at enor-
nous profit.
The Witherspoons were, natur-
ally enough, the leaders of Lawn
vile society. Scarcely a week
passed that they did not entertain
guests from New York and other
points east. They were always hav-