The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-19
CHAPTER VIII

Standing there in the doorway of the closet-kitchenett, with Terry's shrewd gray eyes still on her face, Beatrice thought desperately that 1t wasn't fair her adventure should already be so close to exposure. T haven't been here two hoursl Can't I escape from myself for Q little while?"
 she smiled ct Terry. "occa- sionally I've been told there's @ 6eeting resemblance between rny- self and Carole Lombard. Maybe you've seen her at one of those hotels"
 "You look about as much like Lombard as I do," said Terry. But he seemed to dismiss the sub- ject, after that, and Beatrice breathed more easily.
 Vera elected to go with him and help develop the films.
 "she can, too," Toby explained when they had gone. Since she's known him, she's become prac- tically educated" She turned on the radio and yawned. "As for me, I'm dropping. Knocked out. I'm going to bed"
 It was scarcely 8:30, but she wound up the alarm clock with determination. T need my sleep, 50 can go in there tomorrow and slug away with vim, vigor, and vitality for good of Hunting tons. And maybe, just maybe, I can make my quota tomorrow"
 "Quota?"
 "A cute little Idea department stores dream up. You've got to sell 6 certain amount of stuff to justify your salary. Tn the base- ment accessories it's only $l0s a day. simplel If you slug the customers"
 Beatrice watched Toby wriggle out of her dress. It occurred to her then that she had never really been intimate with Q girl since her boarding school days. She thought of the quota, too. How little she knew of that store which her grandfather had founded. So each salesgirl had to come up to Q QuOta, ulu SHeT
 If they take me on tomorrow" she said, they'll dismiss me the day after. l don't know how to persuade people to buy things so I can make a quota"
 Toby sat on the bed, took off her shoes. Don't give 1t thought. Huntington's will teach you" She peeled off her stock ings. i've got to wash these. The only pair I own.'
 "ohl I'll have to wash mine, too"
 Beatrice had the strangest feel ing of having slipped through Q mist, like Alice through the look ing glass. She was now on the reverse side of things--the side of existence where you had to wash the dishes after you ate; and your stockings. so they'd be clean in the morning.
 Mercifully, Toby did not stand over her, talking, as she struggled with the stockings. Toby was spreading sheets on the studio couch and rummaging in bureau drawers to find pair of pajamas fit to lend.
 Beatrice felt triumphant as she hung her wet, limp stockings on the towel rack beside Toby's. "Therel I'm not 50 useless, after all!'
 She thought again of that hate ful voice of MT. Curtis Weemings office and drowned. "The day I walk in and dragged that beasts name from old Weemie will be the happiest day of my life"
 And then she remembered Clar- ence. He must have phoned her at the apartment. Well, that didn't matter. Often she was out and no one knew where she was.
 But how about tomorrow? What would the maids think, when she didn't appear day after day? Sud- denly, e thing she hadn't thought of before hit her with all the force of disaster.
 They'd notify Weemingl Miss Davenport hasn't been home for several days" All at once she