The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-02-28
CHAPTER VII

Ann pulled her blind that night before switching on the light. Doing SO, she averted her eyes, refusing to glance across the alley. Of one thing she was sure. The next day or Monday at the latest she would find another room. She would not run the risk of meeting the young man on the street. He'd never get the chance to laugh at her again, or Enub her. She got into the thin bed and cried herself to sleep.
 She dared not leave her room on Sunday. She might run into the young man and he'd think she had tracked him down. She worked up quite hate toward the young man before evening.
 She was in low spirits Monday morning. She had followed her one little ray of light and it had led her to the most humiliating experience of her life.
 She looked back on her conver- sation with the young man, the conversation in which she deliber- ately forced herself upon him, with horror. She ground her little white teeth, remembering how idiotically happy she had been upon recognizing him. For that moment, when she crossed the foyer, she had known the fates to be kind, something she had never before suspected. We'll, the fates weren't kind. They were horrible,
 Ann disciplined herself while eating breakfast. It was just as well that the incident in the library had turned into 8 fiasco. Just suppose the young man across the way had been K295. The outcome might have be,n disastrous to her plans. She even went so far as to reluctantly admit that he had appealed to her and she wanted none of that sort of thing.
 Love. She might even have fallen in love with him. Love was not the answer, it was the greatest problem in life. Look what it had done to her mother, look what 1t did to all women. Blinded them, robbed them of individualisn, that's what it did, put them at the mercy of aI1- other human being. No, sir-not for her.
 A little of her sense of humor returned at this point. She cer- tainly need not worry about an amorous entanglement with the young man across the alley. He had plainly demonstrated his un- willingness to make friends with her. However, to avoid any fur ther embarrassment, she would move. That was settled.
 She worked hard through the morning. Mrs. Pringle asked did you see show, Ann?" and she ans- wered, "No, I wasn't in the mood for a show" She was half inclined to tell the kindly older woman of the ridiculous escapade of garderias but held her tongue. Ann had been holding her tongue for so long that her emotions had become encased in Q hard shell. It was with difl- culty that she voiced her thoughts.
 At noon she went for walk. Thinking about her prospective move, she decided to consult the 10-cent store girl. Perhaps she might know of a place. She went to the notion counter and her friend came to wait on her.
 Hello, kid," she said. How did the dress turn out?" Always Ann's heart warmed to the girl. She had a gift of charm, real and unfa1l- ing interest.
 "1t's all right" Ann told her. T wore it Saturday night"
 Did you step out?"
 "No, I went down to the H. brary."
 "That must have been exciting." The girl made little face.
 you'll never know how excit. ing 1t was," Ann laughed. She could laugh at the absurd incident