Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1939-01-05
ONE WHITE
SHIRT
g
\ RUDGING dejectedly up
Granchester's proud and ra-
By SIDNEY M. .WILDHOLT
copyright.-wNU Service.


diant Main street Sherman
Gridley peevishly and delib-
erately walked out of step with the
stirring strains of band music float
ing in and about the gaudy decora-
tons of Granchester's fiftieth ami
versary celebration as prosperous
town.
The magnificent parade had al
ready begun, to judge from the APP
preaching music and the mob-lined
sidewalks of waiting, expectant peo-
pie. A municipal holiday had been
declared for the big occasion.
Sherman Gridley plodded along,
seeking a place where he could
notwithstanding while unobserved.
For Sherman was to have marched
in Granchester's longest and most
stunning parade; was to have
marched in the front rank of the
Oriocrescent fellowship, of which he
was a proud member, and which
was Granchester's select and Sc
cret lodge.
The fellowship decreed blue trous7
ers furnished), white shirts and
blue caps Supplied with the trous-
ers) as the official and effective cos
tune for the grand celebration.
But that morning when Sherman's
mother was industriously ironing
his one white shirt in the kitchen
Sherman hated to think Of it. The
scene was too painful But he
forced himself, with a certain dia-
bolcal glee, to review in his mind
the fateful events that had caused
his absolute ruin.
Prowler, the family cat, had
climbed with customary holiness
right on top of the little table where,
waiting for the one white shirt,
Sherman had brought a bottle Of ink
to write a note-honestly, it was
perfectly abysmal luck.
Seeing the attractive black fluid
in the bottle, Prowler tipped it oyer
with an exploring paw, dabbled in
it, and, at Sherman's exclamation
of anger and dismay, took fright
and leaped directly across to the
ironing board!
Martial music did not lessen the
ire Sherman cherished deep within
him against Prowler, the cat. His
other shirts would not do; no, moth.
ing but one white shirt, and that no
longer white!
Sherman edged into the crowd to
peek over myriad heads.
In sheer despair, he was going to
feast his eyes on the immaculate
array of Oriocresent fellows as
their proud detachment came
swinging along. It would serve to
feed his wrathful yearning for ven
geance on Prowler, and since the
cats unwary misdeed was retreat
ing into the past, his mood needed
food, If it was to maintain its heat.
For as he stood there, wedged in
among a sea of craning necks,
Sherman became vaguely aware of
the faint aroma of perfume, a
delicate, flower-like fragrance that
promised two things: a girl and
distinction.
1t didn't take even Sherman's
slight deductive powers long to To-
cate the girl.
She stood, neatly prim in a brown
tailored suit, scarcely two feet away
from him, turning restlessly this,
way and that, trying now to look
over the tops of those ahead and
now over those behind her.
Her wide, dark eyes rested mo-
mentarily on Sherman, and he
thrilled at even so slight token.
Pausing hardly an instant in their
troubled survey, the eyes left Sher-
man to observe her, his otherwise
rude stare unnoticed.
Watching, Sherman saw a hand
wriggle through the crowd, down
low, near her hand, the hand in
which she held a brown-beaded
purse. The hand Unanswered close
in experienced motions, reached the
clasp and deity opened the bag.
Forgetting the parade, the crowd
and everything save that hand,
Sherman plunged between two Cos
siping housewives and clasped the
wrist in a firm grip.
BY rights, Sherman, the girl and
the hand should have become the
center Of a seething uproar. But q
particularly loud band going by eff
fectively drowned any signs of a
scuffie, and those nearest at hand.
save two, thought that Sherman
Gridley had clumsily stumbled.
One Of the two who knew other
wise, the owner Of the hand, slipped
loose his imprisoned member with
the agility Of an eel and made rap
idly away.
The other, who had wide. dark
eyes and wavy wisps of brown hair
emerging under the edges of her
precise little hat-she perceived at
once what had occurred, with q
discrimination that was amazing.
THANK you," she murmured SIN
cerely. "You saved me loads of
trouble. The purse contained INV
ticket money" then, as the din of
another band drew near, these aw-