The Washington times., 1938-09-07
~QUEEN.

In Dig small IOWu llNCu IVY
girls, Nan and Martha. They hao
met in the Burnham Agency while
both were looking for jobs, taken
a fancy to each other, decided to
pool their resources and accord
ingly rented two small rooms and
kitchenette.
That was six weeks ago, and
they had found nothing, with their
funds becoming alarmingly low.
In fact, Nan and Martha were
pretty we'll up against it.
Nan liked Martha enormously.
She was a sweet tempered little
thing, easy to get on with and al
ways willing to do her share. But.
Martha possessed one trait that
annoyed Nan extremely, one with
which she had no patience.
Martha was superstitious and be-
lieved firmly in what she called
trying the cards.
LIFE ON THE CARDS
The ritual, performed every
morning of her life, consisted in
taking an ordinary pack of play
ing cards, laying them out in a
certain fashion and then Solemnly
considering the results. If her
lucky cards turned up, the most
important being the queen OF
hearts, Martha was convinced the
DAYS eVent1 would be happy.
If, on the contrary, her cards
of doom appeared before her on
the table, nothing could persuade
her to try a new venture, or, in
fact, to do much of anything ex-
cept confidently to await miSfor-
tune that she knew was just
around the corner.
One rainy morning Nan was
getting ready to go out and an
Swer some promising advertise
ments cut from the newspaper.
Aren't you coming?" she asked
Martha, who shook her head.
Whats the use? The cards
told me not to-"
Il never heard of such non
sense!" exclaimed Nan. How can
you be so Silly?"
1T isn't silly" retorted Martha
emphatically, what's more, I'm
sure you won't have any luck to-
day, either. I try the cards for
you, too, now, and your bad one,
the six of clubs, turned up twice"
Rats"
"All right, but if you catch
pneumonia in this flood, don't say
didn't warn you" This was too
much. Nan turned sharply.
Outside of a lottery or a horse
race, what is luck?" Then she
answered her own question by say
ing, In everyday life, for girls
like us, believe me, luck is what
we get for ourselves by huStling
for it,"
"I'n have something nice and
hot ready for your lunch when you
come back" said Martha sweetly,
obviously unmoved by Mans COM
nonsense remarks.
CRESCENDO OF NOES"
On leaving the house Nan went
first to the Burnham Agency. Miss
Burnham was very sorry but there
was nothing this morning. Then
Nan consulted the addresses she
had written down, all of which
proved to be in inaccessible parts
Of town.
A barrage of nos was her re-
ward. The rain increased, in fact,
came down in buckets. Mans
ankles were soaked, her only hat
diSaStrouSly drenched. She turned
toward the Collins Company, the
last on her list and her only re-
naming hope for the day.
Once again she heard a reluc-
tant no. But, why not try at the
Acme people on the floor below?
AS Mr.. Collins kindly made this
suggestion, Nan SneeZed and a
Shiver ran over her; for some rea-
son she thought of the six of clubs
that Martha insisted spelt misfor-
tune. What rubbish.
However, perhaps it would be
better to let the Acme people go
till morning, So stepping out into
the hall, Nan got in the elevator
and went downstairs.
On the ground floor she paused
q moment to shake out her sodden
umbrella and right before her saw
a tea room, unnoticed on her way
in.
Nan longed to go in and over
good hot cup of coffee talk to the
little waitress, but such was the
state of her finances that instead
she gave sigh and turning walked
out again into the coWnpour.
We'll" said Martha upon her re-
turn. Il knew it would be useless" +"
There was nothing SNUG or I-told-
you-SoiSh in her tone; she merely
stated a fact. Nan, however, wet
and hungry, was decidedly snappy.
"At least I try" she replied
heatedly, Il don't just sit down like
q plate of muSh and do nothing
about it. You and your fool Queen
Of Hearts"