The Wilmington morning star., 1943-11-08
CHAPTER TEN

but Beth felt her spirits lighter
than they mad been since Novem-
Der, and she sang as she slid the
freshly Numbered curtains over a
rod and climbed up on the tele-
phone table to hang them. Then
she got down again, rubbing her
back, and stood off to observe the
effect of the curtains.
They hung in points here ano
there, but at least they were clear
and fresh, like the skirts of the
dressing table which she'd washed
the day before.
She dropped on the bed and cast
a housewifely eye over as much Of
the apartment as she could see.
Everything was spotless. The floors
had a fluffed. clean look, as well
they might For enc whole week,
Beth Kinnan, late a secretary, had
| turned herself into a slavey. Her
reasons had been two: by keeping
herself occupied and firing herself
out with manual labor, she was
able tt keep her excitement under
control, and the other reason was
that Peg Woodruff was coming to
dinner
Peg loomed large in Beth S
plans. Plans incidentally, which
she was keeping entirely to her.
self.
She got herself collected from
the bed, bathed and dressed and
went into the kitchen to begin get
ting dinner.
Andrea came in as Beth was
basting a roasting chicken a n d
took an ecstatic sniff. Wow, Beth!
We never had anything like this
when you were working How much
longer does the vacation last
Beth practically hid her face in
the oven. Il expect to be going to
work soon"
Andrea picked up a carrot to
nibble on. you haven't eve n
started looking for job. See
you've done the bedroom curtains.
Are we having mashed potatoes?"
'And broccoli" Beth said, as the
door bell rang ''That'l be Peg"
"Oh, boy Peg said, stretching
out on the sofa after their meal.
What change this is from my
boarding house! You haven't got
room for one more here, h ave
your"
Beth swallowed guiltily, cast a
wary look in Andrea's direction,
and said, Suppose l couldn't get a
job here. l mean if 1 got a
job somewhere else. I mean,
maybe you and Andy would live
together
Peg closed her eyes happily
I'D do three-quarters of the work
for the privilege she announced.
'just say the word"
Andrea said, What are you get
ting at, Beth? You and I not live
together? Why, we we're pork
and beans, April nd showers,
Christmas and New Years. We've
always been together!"
Il know" Beth said, evading a
direct glance at her, but you'll
be getting married soon maybe
and l -. have to get job and
support myself and :"
And then the bell rang and it
was a friend of Andrea's who had
come in to play bridge So Beth
didn't have to answer any more
questions. for which she was great
ly relieved.
She had it all planned. Just the
way she would do it. First there
would be the news-probably by
telegram the commission told hef
In the post office-and then she'd
show it to Andrea and tell her
how she wanted to dc something
useful and Andrea would be sure
to see it that way, and then she'd
remind Andrea that Peg wanted
to come and live with her, and
say that they could always see
each other.
And that way she would
away and Andrea would we r
know that it was just because she
didn't want to see Jim. Maybe
later when they were married.
and she sometimes thought of what
the judge had said to her on his
deathbed about other men in other
places - she wouldn't ache over
Jim any more.
So the first week went by, and
then the second, and Beth began
to jump toward the telephone when
it rang. and to be awake an hour
before the postman made his first
call, but there was no news, and
she knew she'd have to start look.
ing for another job.
| Sometimes she wondered what
would happen if she took her mon
ey and went to Boston or New
York and tried to live on it unit
she got a job. But she wouldn't
think of that until she heard from
Washington.
In June the poster in the posi-
office Knocked her when she went
in to the Civil Service commission
to see why there had been NJ
| news.
First you get your rating, Mis-!
kinnan," the clerk told her. "Anc
then when there's a job they sene
for YOU"
But thought they needed girls
I can't wait forever"