Glacier County chief., 1940-10-11

sThis seems very funny to mel"
she said.
"Sheila, dear" Mrs. Nc Cam
said. in remonstrance and distress,
''you mustn't think we're trying to
corner you, dear, or to trap you!
Judge Nc Cam and talked this
over all day yesterday, almost all
night last night. We want to do
what's fair to you. This seemed to
us the fairest thing, the thing you'd
want to do! Surely-surely II you
and Peter are fond enough of each
other to have remembered each 9TH
er all these months, to have made
an engagement with each other only
few days before he was to have
been married, surely then it was
natural that we should think that
this plan would please you beth"
"And admit that we were lying!"
Sheila exclaimed, angrily.
Jaw, Sheila, pull yourself togeth-
er!" Joe said, unsympathetically.
Dear child, we were only think
ing of you," Mrs. Nc Cam protest
ed, in a hurt voice.
II thank you ALL" Sheila said,
in loud, hard voice. But it isn't
necessary toto sacrifice your son
on my account"
Suddenly she was shaking with
rage such as she had not known
since very small, schoolgirl days.
She walked out of the room, with
her head up, and out of the house.
No one attempted to stop her; or,
if anyone did, she was too blind,
too deaf, to know it.
. Down the brownstone steps, that
were being gently powdered with
snow, she went quickly. The cool,
pure air Of the silent holiday noon
time smote her hot cheeks refresh
ingly. Timid little flakes fell all
about her, her footsteps were soft
ened in the thin covering Of the
snow.
At the corner she turned back.
looked at the street. She was not
being followed, there was not a hui
man being in sight.
Instinctively she had turned to-
ward the subway, and home. But
on the way she passed, on Lexing-
ton Avenue, shabby, sign-cluttered
doorway. Almost every obscure &C.
tivity known to the business world
was housed in this old building;
passport photographer, suffer Of
dead animals, a dressmaker whose
ambitious sign of Modes" had been
crossed by humber notice, "Chil-
dren's school uniforms at cost" A
dancing teacher had the top floor;
a member of broken china was some
where upstairs. The second floor was
given over to Mrs. O'Connor's Fa-
nous Employment Bureau"
And against her particular sign
Mrs. O'Connor had tucked cards.
-Four box-workers wanted. Girls,
good money!" and "Child's nurse
wanted, lovely family right near
city"
Sheila stood reading these cards,
her breast smoldering. They were
all against her, the Nc Cams, and
Joe, and Ma. Everyone. Even
Frank had smiled as he handed her
over to Peter-to' Peter, who had
departed from Sheila's dreams for
ever, who was less to her now than
that casual clerk firm the office"
who had been waiting for "Misther
Frank" in the Nc Cams hallway.
"It wouldn't be open on a holi-
day." Sheila reflected, looking up
the dank, uninviting stairway that
lurched toward MRS. O'Connor's
Famous Employment Bureau"
Here's what'n decide it," she
said aloud. eff it's. open, I'll try
it! And if I don't want to do it, I
can back out. And anyway, I'd
have to 60 home for my clothes, and
probably Ma and Joe'd be home,
and they'd not let me 60. But if I
get away this time, it's for good!"
She mounted the crazy stairway
and laid her hand on the knob of
the glass-paneled doorway that indi-
Gated O'Connor's. The knob turned,
the door opened, and Sheila found
herself alone in shabby, spacious
office, with kindly looking woman
Of fifty, whose face instantly told
her that If this was not Mrs. O'Con-
nor, at least it might be.
II want job!" Sheila said, 60
ing in.
Mrs. O'Connor proved to be an af-
fectionate and encouraging person.
'tNow, I'll tell you, DEAR" she
said to Sheila. "What did you say
your name was?"
MARY Moore"
"T'l tell you, Mary. I don't often
keep open on holidays, but I've
rush order I couldn't do nothing
with yesterday, and I've had to put
it into today. There's a federation
of business clubs meeting at Attain
tic City this week, and every place
down there is full. You've got
reference, dearie, from someone
that knows you, your teacher, or
the parish priest?"