The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-03-05
cAsr OF CHARACTERS
BY LOUISE HOLMES


eity.
PsrL HsyDE>-stock room boy
With ambition.
sTE,E CLAYBotR>E - Wealthy
CLARA BROOKS - pine store
IREsE TEMPLE - Society debu-
tante.
YESTERDAY: Ann writes her an:
sser 10 Lonely hut does not natl
4 II. At work. she discusses her pros
poets with Mrs. Pringle. owner OF
l the shop. Ann feels she y caught
I In the SIS a week class--a class with
out future. At noon she hurries
10 the 1e-cent store to buy things
for q new dress. The friendly clerk
remarks az the striking resemblance
between Ann and debutante Irene
Temple.
CHAPTER III
The 10-cent store girl continued
TO compare the pictured likeness
of Irene Temple. debutante. with
the equally lovely face of Ann
Brown, SIS assistant to Mrs.
Pringie.
Yes sir" she kept saying. "Uh-
huh"
Let me see" Ann examined
the newspaper clipping. "Oh, i
don't think So" she said.
II saw it plain as anything at
first. Yeah. l like the dress fine.
You can wear that kind. Me, I'm
too fat
Ann paid for her purchases and
left the store. She walked up one
side of State street and down the
other. looking into windows. ex-
pertly noting styles and trends,
adapting them to her own use
Her mind was divided. Half of il
reacted to the stunning displays,
the other half played with the
thought of K295.
Should she mail her letter? She
had not signed her own name, il
could surely do no harm she
needn't answer second letter
il the refined gentleman wrote
again 1t was exciting, something
to think about.
Even among the crowds on the
streets, Ann felt isolated, alone
She paused on the library steps
watched the passing throng
Surely, among all of those hurry
ing people, there should be one
friendly face.
She returned to the hat shop or
the hour. She waited on several
customers during the afternoon
and delivered a number of hats
Ann was acquiring a following and
Mrs. Pringle wisely gave her g
free hand. II was after 4 wher
the $15-a-week subject came w
again. Ann said something COM
plimentary about Mrs. Pringle's
success in having shop of her
own.
II might better have stayed
where was, times like they are,
the older woman told her. Il wa.
sure of steady pay there. How
much do you think this shoI
cleared last year,"
You needn't tell me if"
II don't mind. 1t amounted tC
less than sos a month"
That's not so good, but there's
your husbands salary"
Yes, I have joe She spok,
YEARLY. When I married him 81
years ago he was delivering fol
the Bon Ton cleaners. He's still
delivering for them-at $3.50"
Ann frowned. Then you can
get out" she said. as if to herself
Most of us stay where we are,
Mrs. Pringle admitted.
Ann went home on a crowde'
FL train. She hurried through
sketchy supper and packed tn
dull blue material, the 10-cen
store findings and a pair of scis
sors in a cardboard box. 1t wa
early when she started for tn
: Center.
One reason Why Ann lived i
that particular neighborhood wa
because of its proximity to tn
Center. 1t was a community hous
and offered many advantages I
the ambitious. among them a sew
ing room. For IS cents an evenin
you could use the electric SEWN
machines and be helped with cut
ting and fitting by Lola, veters
seamstress.
Ann found a table in the SEWN
room and. with the picture @
, Irene Temple in front of her, GU
into the blue material. She scoffe
at patterns; they required alto
gether too much yardage. 1t too
managing to get the dress out c
the short length of blue. she fig
ured and planned. piecing wher
seams would go unnoticed, sh
shipped and basted.
Lola came to survey her worl
She glanced at the picture an
, looked again. For a minute
. thought it was a picture of yo'
Miss Brown" she said.
, Ann laughed. You can't exactl
see me as one of Chicago's mos
popular debs. can you ?"
I'm go this far Lola sal
You'll look just as nice as ths
girl when you've finished. Nevs
in all my experience have I see
a girl with your ability for mai
ing clothes-or for wearing them
Thank you. ! wish ! eoul
capitalize on my technique"
Lola pursed her lips Skill
!, cheap these days. You're lucky
,, have a job" She fingered the blu