Evening star., 1941-10-12


stabbed with its two needles.
why all of a sudden?" jim sat
down by the lamp. What was there
to do the rest of the evening? He held
onto himself. I've seen that knitting
around for months"
Mary Louis cheeks grew pink. Il
guess I'll want to wear it soon"
Jim's face was thin. In vision that
tore her. Anna could see it paired with
Mrs Herrod's - laughing, interested.
ITS swell color. Mary LOU" he
said. Gay. Like party" For mo-
ment his dark, troubled eyes went
from the bright yarn to Anna. She
felt them going over the drab gray
sweater she wore as if hot iron were
running over its dullness.
She counted the money in the desk
drawer next morning as if she didn't
know to a cent, with the new feed
bag change, exactly how much was
there: fifteen dollars and eighty-seven
cents. 1t was being boarded for instr
ance. But there are other kinds of in
surance, she now knew.
She had seen the dress in a San Jose
shop window when she'd taken the
egg money to the bank last week.
1t was a print with fantastic blue
flowers against rosy ground. You
looked at a dress like that; you knew
what it could do for you, but you
figured beyond it. You had to con-
slider that looking like party" didn't
count beside paying for things that
weren't parties. But now that reason
ing didn't seem important.
lHE new boy, Ted Marsh, came for
Mary Lou in his roadster bit before
ten. Just for short ride" Mary Lou
said softly. guiltily conscious of the
unmade beds.
Have good time" Anna told her.
The Mexican pickers were going
over the orchard for the third time.
During the night more and more
plums had fallen by their weight of
sweetness. She heard jim, his voice
rough with anger, talking to three
barefooted men; he had caught them
shaking the fruit trees. Have to
watch them like a hawk" he threw
out as she passed him going to the egg
house What life!'
While Anna did her daily chore of
washing and packing eggs, she kept
thinking of the new dress. If she had
the rest of the beef loaf sliced cold
for lunch, she could get into San Jose
and back before noon. That would
give her all afternoon to make any
alterations that had to be done. When
Jim came back that night - she
would have it on.
As she worked. she kept seeing her
self as she would look. 1t would be
her first new dress in three years.
Her hands flew, and she caught her
breath in a sob But she couldn't stop
to weep, she hadn't time; in the hot
shed, smelling of wheat and straw, she
planned things to say - light. care
less things: I'm going to have an
other bed of zinnias next summer. =,
Let's build a tiny barbecue down by
the creek, Jim - 1t would be easy
to say things like that if she had a new
dress on.
0HE almost ran back to the house
when she had finished. throwing quick
glances at the clock as she made the
beds and busted, bathed and got into
her best slip. Finally, snatching up
her purse, she crushed into it all the
money she had, and was just going
out the door when she heard a car
coming up the drive. She hadn't ex-
pected Mary Lou back so soon. But
it was better. Mary Lou could see to
lunch She waited on the porch while
the girl got out and came slowly up
the steps as the car drove off.
MARY Lou, l have to 60 into San
Jose. III be back to lunch, of course,
but if you why, dear! Why, Mary