Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-08
A NEW ACQUAINTANCE

SaAELA AA1Ah
Up to the time when the Model
Farm was opened Pennington had
been nothing but an ordinary small
town II looked much like any other
town or village of its size In the
country. It had its business section,
mostly old wooden front houses dis
guised more or less by show windows
where front parlors a been. 1t
a Its movies, and its opera house
for town meetings and the occasional
road company hat came, playing
old-fashioned shows. badly acted.
II had Its swell" residence streets
nearby. and further out the more
modest dwellings. 1t had It's foreign
section. where poverty was more dull
and deadly n more hopeless thai
1t is in a big city. The factory dis
trict was ear this quarter, but play
ed little part in the life of Farming
ton. The town grew up because 1t
was in the centre of a splendid farm
ing and agricultural lands. Hence
its name. hence its life.
Hence. too. the choosing of this
community as a place for the big
state-run farm and experimental
station. An old place. rather run
down. had been purchased from
Clara's father. and done over. That
was why David, fresh from an agri-
cultural college in the big city. had
come down there. That was how he
came to know Clara, and that was
how he had met Alice.
Most went run in circles. Alice's
sudden happiness and sudden sorrow
in her W affair had beer due to the
Model Farm. Indirectly. 1t had ap-
parently made, then blasted her life.
But of II. too, came the means Of re-
building her life again.
Pennington had a Woman's Club,
as sleepy an organization as the town
itself. But the Model Farm brought
IN some new people from the city,
among them a Mrs. Godfrey, wife of
the man who had complete charge
of the farm. Mrs. Godfrey was only
an incident in Alice's life. merely one
of the many who helped the girl to
her salvation.
She was the sort of woman who
must have something happening"
In the city the life was provided: In
this small community she had to
provide it for herself. She was quite
capable of it. She fairly took over
the Woman's Club, and made a Tive"
from a dead society.
Among other things, she saw the
need of reform in 'Shanty-town."
So she persuaded the Woman's Club
to open q social centre there.
Clara met Mrs. Godfrey as she
met everyone connected with the
farm. When Mrs. Godfrey wanted
social workers, Clara brought in
Alice. And so 1t was that Alice
promised four afternoons and three
evenings a week to h social work.
In the summer she was to have a
little garden behind the house the
club had rented there, to teach SIM
pie flower and vegetable raising to
the children and such of the mothers
as might be dragged in. Later they
were to take over some vacant lots
and make garden plots" to be farm
ed by the foreigners and the very
poor.
And that was why Alice was ener-
getically helping Mrs. Godfrey put
up curtains one winter afternoon,
when she met Lawrence Marlowe.
Mother sent these over" was the
newcomers introduction. as he came
into the room, a fur coat powdered
with snow, his arms full Of bundles.
Mrs. Godfrey turned.
"Ah. how do you do? I'm glad to
have all contributions"
Mrs. Marlowe sent them-my
mother. I'm Lawrence Marlowe."
"Anf1 I'm glad to know you," Mrs.
Godfrey answered, going right on
with her work. This is my assistant.
Miss Fairbanks"
Alice shook hands. her frank smile
and boyish handclasp giving an in
stantly pleasing impression. She
looked this young chap over-she
loves had plenty of money N were
looked up to in the town.
Lawrence was small for a man.,
though taller than Alice. He had
brown eyes and ~tan-colored, straight
hair, q rather thin nose, n the
high forehead of the thinker. His
face was usually serious. He was