Indianapolis Times, Volume 47, Number 312, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 March 1936 — Page 15

MARCH 9, 1936.

Daily Short Story ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN BUB B B n By Rosamond Du Jardin

'T'HE Newest M ember of the Club was angry. Fortunately temper became her, lending a snap and crackle to dark eyes and an effective pouting fullness to red lips. But the Newest Member was too angry to care how she looked. She could reasonably suppose that her nose was shiny, since the thermometer hovered around 93 in the small, vacant store the club had rented for the three-day duration of its annual rummage sale. But she didn’t even care about that. The Newest Member sizzling, physically as well as mentally, and while she sizzled the calmly unconscious cause of her fury sat in the corner drug-store consuming her third ice cream soda of the afternoon. That Myra Engles! The Newest Member would draw her as coworker for the last day of the sale! It was the law of averages or something. It was the irony of fate. Myra had golden curls and a langorous, almost feline manner and the neatest little tricks for getting out of unpleasant duties. The Newest Member was on to her tricks, but what good did that do? After all, she had belonged to the club three months and Myra was a charter member! But it was infuriating, nonetheless. The Newest Member’s smoldering gaze swept the almost denuded shelves about her, the racks practically dismantled, the boxes, emptied of their contents, which were stacked at the back of the little store. The sale had gone well this year. The club had made money for its charitable enterprises, the needy element of the suburb had been able to pick up some amazing bargains. Everyone concerned in the undertaking should have been well pleased. The Newest Member was pleased enough with the results of the rummage sale, but Myra Engles and her eternal shirking got in her hair. u B tt THE screen door opened, banged shut again and the Newest Member arose from the stool where j*he had been resting her weary feet. A girl had come in, a girl even younger than the Newest Member, who had only been married since June. There were lines of fatigue and strain etched about the wide, oddly frightened gray eyes, and the corners of her mouth drooped hopelessly. But the limp, shabby f, -,rments that clothed her cov.id not quite disguise the exquisitely lovely of her tall, young figure, nor destroy the tired grece of her movements. Why, she’s lovely, thought the Newest Member in some surprise. She’s beautiful, but so worn and worried . . . And pity stirred in her sharply, thinking these thoughts, so that she forgot her own trivial irritations and moved forward, smiling a little with instinctive friendliness, asking what she could do. The girl hesitated, her eyes sweeping the almost empty racks. She said in a slow, sweet voice, “I suppose it was absurd, my coming in. There's not much left, is there? I’ve passed here every day but it seemed so silly to stop . . . . and now you're just about sold out.” The Newest Member had to admit the truth that, but somehow the admission hurt her. She wanted suddenly to help this girl. Here was no mere thrifty seeking after bargains, no casual "looking around.” Here, unless the Newest Member was very much mistaken, was desperation or something closely akin to it. a a a SHE suggested, ‘‘lf you could tell me what you wanted . . The girl laughed and the harsh sound of her laughter was faintly appalling in that qiuet, musty place. But she sobered at once, and her voice, answering, was carefully controlled, as though the sound of her laughter had startled her, too. She repeated, "What I wanted? But I don't know. I don’t know’ what I hoped to find in here. I only know I—hoped.” "Tell me,” the Newest Member’s voice was gentle, but firm. "Was It clothing?’ "Yes, that was it.” The girl looked down disdainfully at her nondescript garments. “Smart, becoming clothes that would make me look like—like something different than I am, a girl who does cleaning by the day. Any one can tell to look at me that Ido cleaning by the day—so I can hope for nothing else. But I do hope. Maybe if I didn’t it wouldn’t be so bad. And it’s not that I'm ungrateful. I’m thankful for work, truly I am, any kind of work. Only the fact that I can get work at all makes life possible for us . . “Us?” “My husband and I.” The girl was not looking at the New’est Member. She wasn’t looking at anything in the little store. Her brooding gaze was distant, unfathomable. “Jerry’s been ill so long and it’s been so—expensive. And we were married such a short time, we hadn’t had a chance to save anything, really. Those things happen.” • • • THEY had never happened to the her hTthat Merabe J‘ *°

security, such sure, unfailing happiness as had always been hers. The girl ’.ooked at her again, clearly, seeing her now. "But what does it matter? We’ll never meet again. And it’s good to talk to some one. You don’t mind?” The Newest Member could only shake her head. "When he was well enough to be left alone, I got his job, cleaning. It made food and medicine possible. But it seems such a waste.” “Oh, yes,” breathed the Newest Member, her eyes a Lttle too bright. "Such an awful waste! Why, you—you’re beautiful. There must be something else you could do.” “I was a model before I married,” the girl confided, her young mouth twisting. "A model in an exclusive shop on Michigan-av. But can’t you imagine ivhat they’d say if I went to such a place, looking like this, asking for work? That’s why I thought perhaps why I hoped—Oh, but I see it’s no use.” The Newest Member wasn’t so sure of that. She said firmly, “Don’t give up so easily. Wait till I think. You’d need—?” "A dress, shoes, a hat. I’ve got two dollars.” "Were practically giving things away,” the Newest Member assured her, bustling about. “It’s the last day of the sale and we want to get rid of everything. There’s this linen suit I donated.” She took down a hanger, her smile a bit rueful. "White linen doesn’t appeal to the bargain sense of most of our customers. And it has a miserable tear here on the skirt, but the jacket covers it . . . and it is smart.” "Oh, it is,” the girl agreed, touching it lovingly, her eyes beginning to shine. "And just my size—but ” "Only a quarter, as late in the day is this. Now, shoes. Let me see —you wear about 6-A, don’t you? Our feet look almost the same size. I’ll go see what I can find.” She disappeared momentarily behind a long counter, to emerge with a pair of tall-heeled, white kid sandals clutched triumphantly. “Just the thing,” she assured the girl, pressing them upon her. BUB h ND so dazzled was the cus/V. tomer, she quite failed to notice that the Newest Member was wearing shapeless suede pumps that didn’t blend at all with the rest of her tasteful costume and which, moreover, she certainly hadn’t been wearing when she disappeared behind that counter. The girl murmured, “It seems almost too good to be true, finding such lovely things. The Newest Member said, '"Not at all.” in a brisky business-like tone. "The shoes will be 15 cents —” Suddenly she stopped, aghast. She had just remembered the hat. The girl had certainly said she needed a hat. Desperately the Newest Member’s eye ranged over the three hats that were left. A black velvet with a sequin ornament that must have belonged to somebody’s grandmother. A sad blue felt. A straw sailor that had evidently been rained on with disastrous results. And then she remembered and her smile grew radiant. There was another hat. . . . But curiously enough, when she had sold it to the girl, she seemed suddenly anxious to get rid of her. "With these clothes,” the girl told her while she wrapped them hastily, "I know I can get my old job at Marcel’s back again—or another one. I feel sure and confident for the first time in months. And I’m so grateful to you—” The Newest Member cut her thanks short, almost curtly. “It's nothing, really. Just a matter of business. But I do wish you luck.” When the door closed, the Newest Member breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief. It would serve Myra right! It might even teach her a lesson! But if she had got back in time to see her new sls Panama being sold for a quarter, there was no telling what might have happened! NEWIToUSE IN RACE FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER Incumbent Seeks Nomination on Democratic Ticket. John S. Newhouse, County Commissioners’ president, today announced his candidacy for commissioner from the First District in the Democratic primary May 5. Mr. Newhouse, life-long resident of Marion County, has been a commissioner since Jan. 1, 1935. He served as a member of the Marion County Council in 1932, 1933 and 1934. Describing himself as a Democratic of the Jeffersonian school, Mr. Newhouse, pledges himself, if elected, to a “good government, maintained at the least possible cost to the taxpayers.” He is a resident of Cumberland, where he has operated a hardware and implement store for 28 years, v and a member of St. John’s Evangelical Church. Auto Thief Steals Bag, Clothing Police today are looking for the thief who yesterday took a suitcase and clothing valued at $124 from the auto of Mrs. John Kenparked in Indian-

OUR BOARDING HOUSE

HERB, EGA TO W SHOW YOU THE "PROPER - HEH- h AK- J A WAV TO P\CK A WINNER.' <g I_EM\rY\ETELLYOU ABOUT THAT % THRU THE COMBINATION 6AW Y\\W\ RACE,SOME T OF AAV JUDGMENT AS YEARS AGO, AN HE WAS TBN \ Aho EXPERT otsJ i RAC^ r . rs/ . r . LENGTHS "BEHIND H\S SHADOW HORSES AN' MV KNOWLEDGE J ALU AROUND TH TRACK/-LINA [ OF TRACK NOT “DOWN L T-wNOW, TH ' HOME. STRETCH, A “PRESS V THIS STEED TOR TO!Y\pRROW-y PHOTOGRAPHER TOOK H\S J "DARNED HEELS*, \M tC PICTURE. WITH A

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—

I DID ANYTHING) THERE'S ALWAYS f IF HE WAS D|D fwOBODY GA/EP fTIELLO,MOTOR VEHICLE Kl HIS LIFE, )A. FIRST TIME, INNOCENT, Jtr/inq TD VA WHY k ME A CHANCE ) lU DEPARTMENT? GIMME '! You HAVE \ YOUNG FELLA. 1 WAS HE | GET GET \ S ?* E> ' ) ? I / DNT ) "J - f *TWE NUMBER THE NAME OF THE *OWS OWE, rt) got IsZyso 1 13 9X 4372 CAP TIME ! / SS -I .A /yiAt LICENSE 9XfS7ZI

WASHINGTON TUBBS II

ALLEY OOP

HOYKAWOW, WE SURE WOKE UP EARLY WELL, CALL OUR (GRAB YES AXE AM ■ STEED AM' LE’S / COME OKI- WE'LL' BE AWAY/ 'FORE \ 60 LOOK FOR IM - TH’ SUN COMES ( NO USE WAKIKJ' UP AN’ BRINGS \ EVERYBODY UP ,

BOOTS AND HER BUDDIES

THE TARZAN TWINS

(U I a- 67 .

Tut*Ki*>’s perilous plight stirred his ape allies to battle-madness, and now they threw themselves recklessly into the fight with the raging elephant. W 'th fierce, blood-curdling shrieks Maktah and his wair.or apes Crunched what soon appeared to be a suicidal attack.

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

With his great trunk Gudah lashed out at the swarming foe. Two apes went down, mortally wounded. But three others leaped bravely at the mammoth’s trunk as if flying through the air to clutch the branch of a tree. Gudah raised them high and dashed them to the ground.

—By Ahern

(T I I SS 7uO,SIR~VO(J OMUT \ n I.| M.—--rA > 1 ,%v WDE IU THE FROKJT \ Qn | * n ‘ ‘ !_ I\] .\ % SEAT-YOU TALK AUD fl R 1 , ! I I, FIDGET AKJD TOUCH / U M I l TUIkIGS - AMD TUAT \ TiflC H BORU TMIRT 1 / YEARS. TOO SOPH

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While the frenzied elephant was thus occupied, four more apes clambered up his sides. They sank their sharp fangs into that rough, thick hide. To the colossal Gudah, these were little more than pin pricks, but he was annoyed, and quickly he rid himself of his tormentors.

OUT OUR WAY

NOW .WHERE DYaß| WELL, PER-/// WELL, I’LL BE A DARK* DYED ) WMj RECKON! WILL YUH / PURPLE KNAVE/ HE’S TRY/NT ) CRITTER IS7/SNO USE LOOKIT OL* (7* JAM INTO TH’ GRAND /— WMyS' /ASKIN' ME-1 DIN NY/ WIZER'S CAVE/ © 1936 BY NEA SERVICE. INC. T. M. REG. U. . PAT. OFT, j

AWV\Y\Y\YVA 1! I

—By Edgar Rice Burroughs

Once more Tarzan attempted to dissuade the apes from the futile attack, but the great Hairy Ones were filled with unquenchable fury. Eagerly they returned to the fray. Now Tarzan could not stand aloof while his allies fought; so he, too, joined that hopeless conflict!

COMIC PAGH

—By Williams

—By Blosser

—By Crane

—By Hamlin

—By Martin *