Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1939-02-18
CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE
NEXT MORNING, as she dressed
in the strange atmosphere OF the
hotel room in which she had spent
the troubled night, Lona's curving
red lips were hard and unsmllng.
It was unthinkable, in the sane, re-
vealing light of day, that she
should be taking help from a
strange man. Charity-from a
stranger she had never seen before.
Allowing him to pay for her roof.
Just because he had found her
broke, on a park bench. 1t couldn't
go on!
When she was attired once more
in the shabby blue suit that had
been her daily garb for the eight
months since she had left Ard
more's, she took the bill Jim Clar-
!idge had given her last night from
her purse and looked at it. This was
the last she would see of him, of
course. She had been silly to think
he meant what he said about meet
ing her today. He had been trying
to be polite, had pitied her, and Civ
en- her a handout as he would any
tramp he might have found in the
straits he found her.
Her head went up at the thought,
and she crumpled the bill back into
her purse almost angrily. Shed
have to use it, of course. There was
nothing else to do. But she'd find
work. She'd find work today. And
then she'd pay it back to him, every
cent She wouldn't have him think
ing she was a gold digger, rack
eteer, perhaps, who earned living
working on mems sympathy. She
could not bear even a stranger tc
believe anything like that Of her.
Anxiously she scanned the list of
Help Wanted ads in the morning
paper. It was pitifully short. A
maid was needed in the hospital,
colored preferred. A girl for
homework in the fashionable dis
trict. An extra saleslady for
a few days selling. Book sell
ers who would ask for a large de-
post on a set of sample books no.
body ever bought. She knew those
kind! A garment factory wanted
girls. There were only two calls for
Office workers. One was at a down.
town address she remembered
family in connection with her work
at Ardmore's. The other was a
strange name out in the factory
district.
xKy;+L, Tho +I,Oro,,oI,y,oec IoorroJ IF
long practice she jotted down the
list on fresh sheet from the little
notebook she carried in her purse.
First the two office addresses, then
the rest of the ads in the order of
their appeal to her. The factory ad
first, then the "saleslady wanted"
Then came tbs homework; even
the maid at the hospital was scrib-
bled at the end. Anything was
worth trying today. Anything!
She choked down bit of break
fast in the hotel dining room, driv-
en- by sense OF urgency that had
become habitual with her of late.
Then, Juggling her suitcase, she
boarded an uptown car. The prob
lem Of new boarding house must
be met before evening. But she
pushed it back into the corner of
her mind as she deposited her lug
gage at the first department store
checking counter she reached. Time
for that later. She found herself
walking with unreasonable haste
as she STROBE on up the busy street
toward the first address on her list
It was an imposing building into
which she turned a few minutes
later, and her heart sank a little
as flash of recognition came tc
her. The Allison Trust! No wonder
it had seemed familiar when she
read the ad. Melvin Hardy, who
had succeeded old Stephen Ard
more at the Ardmore offices, was
part of this firm. The stenographel
who had taken her own job haG
been brought from here by Hardy
she remembered.
With her finger on the elevator
bell, she hesitated, a shrinking
feeling at the pit of her stomach
ISIS there any use applying here
1 Melvin Hardy would never allow