Evening Star Newspaper, July 2, 1936, Page 31

DAILY SHORT STOR! REDHEAD By Anna Carr. HE followed him out of church this Sunday morn- ing, as she did ev- ery Sunday. She marveled again at the strength of his stock little body— as she always mar- veled. Her hand went out involun- tarily to smoothe the ruffled red hair, as it did every Sunday morning. 1t did not occur to her now—indeed, it had never occurred to her—to won- der that he should be within reach of that tempted hand—every Sun- day morning. She did not know that 2 9-year-old could %e capable of guile. Helen Hart, the sound of the organ lingering in _her ears like the promise of redemption, set off along the maple-shaded street in Georgetown. Far ahead now she could see the red head bobbing along, as its owner trailed homeward, in his peculiar, short-legged dogtrot. She knew where his home was. One morning she had followed him from church and seen him ascend the stairs to a flat above a shoe store, four blocks west. The windows of | the flat looked dirty, and Helen had | h she thought could keep so He might have He had, she decided, inherited good blood, even if his parents were as poor as the second-floor flat indicated. Helen envied those parents. Life couldn't offer much more than a chance to care for a child like that, Helen knew. She'd sampled almost everything life had to offer. Mar- riage, divorce, casual romances, busi- ness success—she had not even been aware of a lack in her life until the sight of that red head had suggested it to her. Fidw % ERHAPS she'd been so attracted | to him in the first place because he locked like her. The same bright red hair, the same sprinkiing of freckles across the nose—even if Helen did carefu tinted pow blue eyes a; have been a s night have if Lou Cartell had been the had anticipated. Lou cared for children, nor for Hels either, after a few mopths. Lou had dropped out of sight eight years ago. Then came the inevitable rebound romance, with a 50-year-old department head in the advertising office where Helen worked. She'd come to her senses just in time and bid the department head and his department adieu. hat was the wisest decision of her life. Another department head wanted e ency inside the 2, not congeniality outside; He hired and put through a rapid Now, at 32, neighborhood, w pany and an as her imagi devise ways to spend. &%k x HE rounded the corner near her bungalow, her thoughts still filled with the vision of Tommy, or the little redhead that might have been hers but for Lou Cartell. Then she paused and rushed forward, horror- stricken. A little group of people was &tanding on the terrace before her house staring down at a still figure on the grass—a figure dressed in | member riding in it, telling a white- | joy at the pleasure that lighted his white and crowned with fiery red hair. Helen's eyes took in the little coupe with its radiator bent where it had butted a tree; saw the telltale ruts across the moist lawn from the street and across the sidewalk. Then she was one of the little group staring down at the still, white figure. “Tommy!” She breathed it into his ear, then sobbed a prayer of relief when bis eyes opened dreamily and his thin lips curved in a smile— a smile for her! She inspected been her child. him quickly and saw that ome of the short, sturdy legs was folded back grotesquely. When she tried to lift him to move the leg he grunted with pain, then fainted limply in her arms. “Broken,” & voice above her said. Helen could have screamed with re- morse. She had hurt him; she had made his red head fall limply back like that, had brought the taut lines of pain to his mouth. S I,lELEN never knew who called the ambulance; she could only re- | clad hospital attendant to hurry. She wasn't really conscious of anything but Tommy’'s white face, the eyes that remained so desperately closed, the cheeks that felt so cold to her touch. | It was hours later and Tommy's leg | was confined in stiff plaster-of-paris, | before the effect of the anesthetic | he'd been given wore off. He opened his eyes, then he was smiling again into Helen'’s. “Don't move,” she continued, “don’t speak. You're all right.” “Sure; I know,” he said. “I re- member some one said to call an am- bulance. Then you came— Say,” | his weak voice protesting, “my name | isn’t Tommy; it's Mike.” | “I'm sorry,” Helen said softly. Mike | | still looked grieved. | “Well, I knew what your name | was—Helen Hart. I've known it for | weeks. And it didn't take much to | find it, either. I just looked on your | mail box.” | “Well, I looked on yours, too,” she smiled, and her heart leaped with eyes. “The only name on the bell was Thomas Southwaite. So I took it for granted you'd be Thomas South- waite, jr.” 3 "NO—NO!" His impatience with her error was typically boyish. “Tom isn’'t my dad. I just work for him. But I can see how you'd make the mistake, though.” “Then where is your dad?” “He's dead.” Mike's face turned to the window and his voice was unnecessarily brusque. “Mom'’s dead, | Helen said, and | breathed a prayer that she might | feel sorrow for the tragedy of this | young orphan, rather than the ex- | hilarating ecstasy she did feel “You see,” Mike told the widow, “you look so darn much like mom did—your hair, especially.” | “And you,” she breathed, “might | almost be my little boy. Your | hair——" She stroked the rumpled red locks. “I guess,” he said, “maybe we ought to be glad we goy together.” “I guess we ought,” she smiled. (Copyright, 193b.) Supper Club Notes (Continued From Sixth Page) | supplied by the fact that the dig- | nified old indoor sport is not only | condoned but encouraged. Checkers are furnished by the management. ‘There's entertainment, too, by the Checker Twins. * %k X X Log Cabin Inn—There is dancing every night at this cool and pleas- ant rustic rendezvous, to music by the | Log Cabin Inn Orchestra. You'll find | the spot out Georgia avenue (ex- tended). o ki Chevy Chase Lake—Music for danc- ing at this popular open-air spct out Connecticut avenue is supplied by Lee Field and his 11-piece orchestra. The | boys play every week night from 9 p.m. until 1 am. FIND LAW CONFUSING Grocery Manufacturers Debate‘ New Store Practices Bill. NEW YORK, July 2 (#)—The Associated Grocery Manufacturers o{{ America “are confused because of in- | numerable interpretations” given to | the newly enacted Patman bill, Paul | 8. Willis, president of the association, | said yesterday. ; About 300 representatives of the as- | sociation held a three-and-a-half-hour | debate behind closed doors on the | bill which eliminates trade practices | such as rebates for local advertising | and differentials between chain stores | and small dealers, EDUCATIONAL. Mount Pleasant School for Secretaries OPENING NEW CLASSES Monday, July 6 New classes in touch typewriting and Gregg Shorthand for coll students and high school graduates desiring to make use of th subjects in their college work. Beginning and advanced class Secretarial subjects for those wishing employment. Exclusive place- ment service for all qualified students. Day and Evening Sessions EEUCAT[ON The Temple School Secretarial Training REGISTER NOW for Special Intensive Summer Courses for College Students and High School Graduates JULY 8 1420 K St. N.W. Nat'l 3258 TRIAL EXAMINATION This Evening Today at 7 p.m., the Mount Pleasant School for Secre- taries will conduct another complete trial examimation for a limited number of ste- nographer and typist appli- cants for Civil Service ex- amination.” The examina- tion lasts 314 hours and the material is similar to that of former examinations. For a nominal fee, all papers will be graded according to Civil Service Standards and re- turned by mail. Telephone Columbia 3000 for reserva- tion before 6 p.m. today. Tivoli Theater Building 14th Street ot Park Road Tivoli Building, 14th Street at Park Road Telephone COlumbia »3000 A THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1936. SALE Super Dreadnought Field Glasses Regularly $1.98 They take in the whole action because they have 2-inch ground lenses that insure clear and far vision. Field Glasses . . . First Floor The . ‘G Street at Eleventh Distriet 4400 Holiday White Handbags Perpetually fresh and new because they are WASHABLE. Durable and good-looking materials—alligator and novelty grain fab- ricoid. Pouch styles, envelopes, strap types and zipper closings. Also bags with re- movable linen covers. A Close=up of Handbags First Floor s to 16’s adore these h PLAY SUITS at : $L.15... 3-piece play out- " o fits with pleated shorts, ¢ blouse and skirt _ Childven's Apparel . . . Thivd Floor Kiddies like the amusing trims on our all-wool SWIM SUITS. Siz 1 to 6, $1.19. Sizes 71016 __ $2.98 Children's Swim Suits . . Midsummer SALE Hand Detailed Slips Sl 38 Every one with full, generous shadow panels. Such dainty touches as hand em- broidery, lace applique motifs, fine hem- stitching Vee or straight top styles. White or tearose Sizes 32 to 44, Silk Underwear . . . Third Floos 1 and 2 Piece Styles If you plan to play over the Fourth, by all means buy some culottes. In this collection are all types of fabrics (plain col- ors and novelties) selected be- cause they stay fresh so long. Many have sun-tan backs; nat- ural prints, polka dots, plain pastels and_all-white piques. Sizes 14 to 20. Knockabout Shop .. Third Floor Third Floor Choose the zephyr chenille MAILLOT SUIT for free and easy swimming, $3.95 . .. Dazzle every ome with B. V. D.’s sleek SATIN i LAXTEX SUIT with evening gown baek% $11.95 The straps on the other B. V. D. SUIT \‘ . other suits. Swim Shop . . . Third Floor ' We have speeially priced a group MLUGG&E (only a . few pieces of ‘Vki‘d)’ ggt Boxes, Wardrobe Case s., Slide fastener Ba és and Leather Gladstones;, all genuine values at ____.$4. dLuggage . o o First Floor®