The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-04-28
What Happened
to Mary
BY DORA NOLAN

wore on a certain day In January a
bright pink blouse. 1t caught the eye
of n man standing In the window on
the corresponding fioor Of u hotel d.
rectly opposite.
Fascinated, he watched her deft
fingers as, with the precision OF a ma
chine. she packed celluloid toilet ar
ticles into satin lined cases which she
took from n pile beside her. She did
not make a lost motion.
When the girl came to the end of
the pile OF boxes she turned on her
stool and looked out OF the window.
Her glance met that OF the man In the
window opposite. She smiled. He ac-
knowledged II by waving his hand.
She returned the salutation, then as a
boy deposited n fresh pile of boxes
beside her, returned to her work.
With a start Strong Lewis remem-
bered the warning words of his wife
spoken as he left their country home
for a business trip to the city. With
a guilty feeling he hustled into hat
and overcoat and out of the hotel.
The episode, however. had not escaped
the attention Of the other girl who sat
at the same table. "Ill tell Johnny
on you. Mary" she glggled.
Guess II | always keep them at that
distance, Sadie, Johnny'll not have any
kick coming" the other replied. But
Johnny did have a kick coming that
very night. and this Is why.
When Strong Lewis returned TO
his hotel room 1t wa verging on five
o'clock. With the instructive move
ment of a man who Is not used to be-
ing cooped up indoors, he walked d.
rectly to the window. The girl In the
bright pink blouse sat In the same
place. Her fingers flew back and forth
at the same task.
Been Mt II all day-nnd every day,
1 suppose the man s~oliloquized. "How
on earth can she stand it," Then his
wlfe's warning, which hadn't been far
from his thoughts all day. anne into
the foreground again. Muttering some
thing about taking n chance" and
"a man named Brodle," Strong Lewis
watched the opposite window intently.
The girls were making preparations to
depart.
He hurried down into the street.
Girls singly and In groups, were string
ing out OF the doorway just across
from the hotel. But they wore coats I
How could he tell, then, which n he
wanted? All! There she was; an
u%nbuttoned coat disclosed a pink
blouse.
Mary Cummings and her cousin,
Sadie, accompanied by the girl who
lived next door, had started to walk
home together, as vas their custom,
when Lewis approached them. He ad-
dressed Mary. Gould l speak to you
on a matter which may interest your
All the warnings which reach city
girls from every side concerning the
danger In accepting the advances of
unknown men rushed through the
minds of the three girls. Sadie shook
her head, and that decided Mary. "She
wasn't going to be bossed by Sadie
, just because she was two years older
and many degrees plalner!"
So Mary answered the stranger with
a polite Sure" Whereupon the
other girls walked ahead. turning
around occasionally to be sure that
Mary and the strange man were fol
lowing. Then they FASTENED their
pace to bear the shameful tidings to
Sadie's mother. who was also Mary's
aunt.
Strong Lewis did most of the talk
Ing until they reached the doorway OF
the fiat building where the cousins
lived. There Mary seemed to have
something to say, the while they were
watched by two curious pairs OF eyes
from an open window above. But wher
Mary entered the fiat the window was
closed and her aunt confronted her.
you're OF age, Mary, and 1t aln't
for me TO say, but / won't have any
such COINS on by anybody what boards
with me. Think of your mother whai
!. is dead-and think of Johnny"
5 "My boards paid till Saturday, and
you can't teIl-perhaps I'll leave be
Z fore then" With a toss of her head
= Mary went to the room which she
shared with Sadie and closed the door
: Soon Sadie appeared with the excuss
OF wanting a handkerchief and, re
turning. reported to her mother tina
"Mary was dolling up In best buds !
Sadie and her mother listened unit
they heard Mary leave her room ant
! start down the stairs. Hurriedly the,
/, opened the front window and looked
: cautiously down. A taxi drew vi
!, at the curb and a man jumped out I,
a help Mary in. Sadie was sure It wa
the man who had waved.
The girl from next door came ovel
to discuss the scandal and many sup
= positions were brought forward befor'
Johnny Deland came for his regular
Monday evening call upon Mary. Blu
the Joy which they expected TO deriv,