Evening star., 1940-08-09

"Id Like You to Meet q Friend
and a half before she must arrive
at the offices of the John Bristow
Die Casting Co.
With a sudden start she sprang
out of bed and stood shivering in
the cold morning air. 1t had been
late before she had dropped off to
sleep, and now she felt unbearably
drowsy. The bed, for all its gray
patched sheets and mountain-range
mattress, was now wonderfully
unbelievably inviting.
She didn't have to do this, she
reminded herself. She didn't have
to dress and go out in this un-
friendly world. She could crawl
back into that rumpled bed, tuck
her head into the pillow and go
back to sleep for hours and hours.
Then she could get up at her leisure,
dress, find telephone, call John
Bristow and tell him she had
changed her mind, tell him she had
decided to let him send her back
to college.
The moment of indecision was al
most unbearable. 1t would be so
easy-but no, she told herself
sternly, the decision had already
been made. She would not change
her mind now.
Afraid to Be Late.
She struggled sleepily into the
padded robe that had been the
envy of the girls in the sorority
house, felt under the bed for her
slippers and went down the hall
to the dingy, green-painted bath
room, only to find that there was
nothing but painfully cold water
in which to bathe. She sponged her
face, straightened and combed her
red-gold curls and went back to
her room to wrestle with her next
problem-what to wear to the Of
flee.
At last she settled on soft wool
dress, smartly and beautifully
made. a delicate sage green. The
beige suede sandals were the only
shoes she could wear with it, she
decided, a deeper beige hat, doe
skin gloves. She hoped her clothes
would not be too CONSPICUOUS In the
Office of the John BristoW Com
pany.
By the time she left the house
she had become terrified at the
thought of being late. When at
last She stood waiting for the street
car. her breakfast had consisted OF
a hastily gulped cup of coffee and
q half-eaten roll.
A streetcar came laundering by
she took a quick glance at 1t ano
let it pass. Even the platforms
we're iammed with men and girls
on their way to work, a few brave
souls clung to the steps. Anothei
came along in the same condltlon
and she realized that she mlgh'
as well take it as the next one
She pushed her way onto the plat
form, struggling to keep from fall
ing under the feet of the crowd
found a bar with space for hel
gloved hand and clung to it des-
perately.
Overhears Criticism.
An hour later she sat at hel
desk. industriously copying the
pile of reports Miss Fletcher hae
given her. No use trying to un'
derstand them now. She was only
concerned with not making mis-
takes.
At midmorning she heard whis
pers behind her, intended for he
ears.
"These rich society girls give MI
a pain. Wanting to take a job jus
for a thrill-and some poor, hard
working kid like Luella Hill get
fred to make a place for her"
"Oh we'll, don't IVORY. She won
last a week"
At 1890 a bell rang sharpl,
and a cart loaded with milk ant
chocolate milk appeared at tn
door of the Office. Nancy sa
at her desk watching the girls a
they crowded around the car
laughing and talking, feeling al
most unbearably lonely. There wa
another whisper, too.
pipe the clothes Miss Snoot
wears, will you?"
did you get a look at thos
stockings? Bet she pays more TO
her stockings than we earn in
week"
Nancy glanced quickly at tn
girls by the milk-cart and at tn
clothes they wore, smart ittl
dresses, neat and fresh, but OBJ
viously inexpensive. The sage
green woolen dress had cost NOR
than she could earn in mont
of working here. But it would b
the last one she would ever bu,
She brushed quickly at the tear
that rose to her eyes, wonderin
a little bitterly what the girls /
the Office would say if they kne'
she wore those specially made chit
fon stockings because she simpl
didn't have money to buy other
work pilin' up on you, kid
She looked up suddenly into pa
Of friendly, blue eyes set in grir