Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1921-10-22
Mary's Dream
Comes True
BY DORA NOLAN.


business depression spread over the
land. Caused BY word Of three let
ters-though certain often quoted
general OF Civil war fame pre-
ferred to spell ii with four-its con
sequences could not be enumerated
were all the letters Of the alphabet
utilized in every possible combination.
But to quote just two.
John Smith. who. with the help Of
\ friendly pull. had climbed into
snug little S75 berth In that fairy.
land called FINLAND soon after his dis
charge from the service, found him
self gently but none the less firmly
kicked out with the cushion of an
extra weeks pay to ease the jolt De-
Gliding that sixty week might have to
do while the depression lasted. John
ended By accepting forty-and Icing
nightly glad TO get IT,
Mary Brown was the other victim
In whom we are interested. Mary
found herself unceremoniously showed
of the S35 rung OF the salary ladder
and with difficulty caught on TO the
one numbered -. But Mary was
sunny-souled person with liking for
budgets She set aside little sums for
this and for that and kept track Of
them after her own fashion.
So II did not take weeks OF trying
On Mary's part 10 make S25 do the
work OF S35-in vain. She moved at
I IN ..h toll
cheaper room. Mary could no more
resist making home of any place
where she happened To hang her hat
than bird can withstand building Il
nest In the spring. SO 1t was light
housekeeping" room, Of course, and il
cost Mary sum which her budget
instinct told her was out OF all pro.
/ portion 10 her income. but IL one must
have a home In these days of prof
iteering pirates. why one must pay the
price.
John Smith. on the other hand, came
down by stages Being by inclination
stranger 10 personal accounts and
BY nature an optimist. he gave up his
two rooms at So month for one nj
$50 and considered his reorganization
on smaller capital completed. OF
course. John had il Ia do over again;
and finding himself one Thursday with
Il 5Qcent piece To last till Saturday
convinced him OF that. So il hap
pened that he took the six dollar non
housekeeping room next To Mary'S
some three weeks after She had moved
in
They had been a busy three weeks
for Mary. For after business hours
She had arranged and rrarranged her
few lares and penut"S, made over her
curtains 10 lit the windows and de-
signed and carried out various camou.
iiages which transformed her own
room into four with imaginary chalk
marks in lieu Of walls.
Mary arose promptly every morning
at six. prepared herself Il dainty
breakfaSt a neatly wrappcd-in-ihr-
wax paper lunch for the midday re-
past and set her home in order for the
day. At night she FASTENED back ear
rylng bags of various sizes From
their contents she connected meals
which no hundred a-week chef could
improve upon were he given the same
materials To work with. II Mary
sometimes wished that she might ex-
pertinent with twice the quantity OF
foodstutls and. perhaps. receive a com
pllment, verbal or otherwise. upon her
culinary skill from someone who
might just naturally belong on the
opposite side of the little tuble-well.
it would only 90 To show that she was
the very human. normal sort of girl
she looked To be.
As for John Smith, he ate in restau
rants. Twenty per week. John had de-
cided, would c0ver meals, but II didn't.
And. at that. he was indficrcntly well
fed. There was door between Mary'S
room and Johns. Il typical. between
Occupied.rOoms rooning house door,
locked on both sides and all the GREY
ices stuffed with denim or something.
Whatever IL was. ii did not keep out
delicious Odors of boiling coffee and
hroiling chops. TO John these aroma-
seemed sort If intangible, and in the
end disappointing, cocktail, creating
an appetite which restaurant meals
could not satisfy.
OF course John and Mary met &C.
casionally as they passed in and out.
and, of course, they took healthy
interest in each other, for they were
young. I'D like that girl; she's the
sort good pals are made Of" John
cOniided TO his pipe. He allowed him.
self Ia dream biz before his sober
Judgment made an answer, "On forty
per? You poor mt"
Then came "A day when il ralncd,
raIned rained. John came home
rather wet, and after changing de.
cided that he would not 20 out again
in such n downpour even IL he