The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-02-23

the short length of blue, she fig
ured and planned, placing where
seams would go unnoticed, she
shipped and basted.
Lola came to survey her work.
She glanced at the picture and
looked again. "For minute !
thought 1t was a picture Of you,
Miss Brown" she said.
Ann laughed. "You can't exactly
sec me as one of Chicagos most
popular debs, can your"
"Irl go this far" Lola said.
you'll look just as nice as that
girl when you've finished. Never
in all my experience have I seen
a girl with your ability for max
ing clothes-or for wearing them"
"Thank you. I wish I could
capitalize on my technique"
Lola pursed her lips. Skill Is
cheap these days. You're lucky to
have job" She fingered the blue
material. you've got nice piece
of merchandise here. It'll make
up lovely" Another patron cried
out that she had put in a sleeve
wrong end to, and Lola hurried
away.
Ann worked fast. She paid
slight attention to the CONVERSE
ton that rippled under the hum
of sewing machines. She had an
ticipated making friends at the
Center, but had been disappointed.
Girls came, usually in groups.
They made one garment each and
seldom came again.
Stitching away, Ann thought
about it. Odd, the impossibility
Of making friends. Attending
church had proved equally unsat-
isfactory. A white-haired man
always shook. AIMS hand when
she entered. He led her to a pew.
He mentioned the weather. The
minister shook her hand when the
services were over. That was all.
Perhaps she had chosen too large
a church. It was the only one
within walking distance Of her
room. The budget wouldn't give
an inch on extra carfare.
AIMS mind fiuttered about. The
letter to K295 - 1t still rested
In the bureau drawer. Irene Tenn
pies picture - was there re-
semblance between the debutante
and herself? Temple - she had al
ways known that name - one OF
her earliest memories was Of
spelling out the name in the back
Of Pete's watch. wouldn't 1t be
funny if?
But that was ridiculous. with
out doubt Pete had come by the
watch in a game of chance. There
had been other watches and sew
eral diamond rings, once a pedi-
greed dog. The valuableS had
never remained long in the Brown
family. They disappeared when
Lady Luck turned her back on
Pete. Ann remembered how she
had cried when the dog had been
sold.
AS long as Ann could remember
Pete had carried the watch with
the name Temple" in the back.
He must have liked it. That very
watch was In her room.
On the tragic night Of the fire
Ann had been asleep on a couch
In the sitting room of their for
lorn quarters. While one fireman
wrapped her In a coat and carried
her to safety, another dumped a
few things into Pete's suitcase.
His watch had been on the table
and Ann had discovered 1t the
next morning in the suitcase with
two of Pete's shirts, four decks of
cards, pair Of dice, q box of
poker chips and her mothers little
old Bible. It had been q strange
inheritance. Ann often wondered
what she would have done If
Pete's friends hadn't taken up
collection.
She left her dress in q locker at
the Center and went home at 10
o'clock. The young mans window
was golden square, but she ignored
it. He had looked through her that
morning. He typif1ed the indiffer-
ence Of a great city.
She pulled the suitcase from q
tiny closet and found the watch
under several Of last summers
cotton dresses. It had an old
fashioned case thick and beauti-
fully engraved. With a shining
pink fingernail, Ann opened the
case. ITO Peter Temple, she read,
ION his 21st birthday"
Peter Temple = Irene Temple =
was It possible that Pete had be-
Ionged to the socially prominent
Temple family whose every move
was chronicled by the news re-
porters? And was she, by any
chance, Ann Temple?
81 wonder" she unused. The
thought Of profiting by the fact.
IL it were a fact. did not then. or
ever, occur to her. She had known