Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-09-19
LOVE IN
THE CLUBS

By JANE OSBORN


20. 1924. Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
There were thlrty-one members of
the lakewood Players CLUB and only
eight parts in the play they decided to
perform for the benefit Of the Oak
wood Day Nursery. The remaining
twenty-three not wishing to be entire
ly out of the activities that furnished
lakewood with such pleasant deal Of
amusement every spring, we're as
signed to all sorts of duties, In fact,
everything that could possibly be done
In connection with the giving Of an
amateur performance was spun out to
provide occupation for the various
members not given a part in the cast
Of eight. Young Doctor Walker and
Tom Yates. promising lawyer, were
ushers, a dlgnlfied professor was as
signed the duty Of passing glasses of
cold water during the performance, the
rich and rotnd Mrs. Haslett was
given supervision Of the lights behind
the stage-a good sedentary job for
one Of her proportions.
"And l think you and Tom Ben
ham," the president Of the little club
the genial Ian Mason-informed
Maud Fay at the country club one
afternoon your job is to provide the
furnishings for the different scenes
The first Is garden scene. OF course,
the only furniture that we'll need
aside from the actual scenery-will be
bench or so, chair, or something Of
that sort Then there Is q scene on
desert island-likewise merely a mat
ter of the scenery; and then the last
act, which represents homelike liv-
Ing room-open fireplace, easy chairs
books, cheerful hangings, etc. That's
your job. You will have ten dollars
to buy things for that scene. The
rest you will have to beg, borrow, or
steal"
But aren't we to have any definite
instructions-opinion differs so as to
what constitutes a cheerful living
roomI My own taste is rather decid-
ed" Maud told him.
ut wouldn't be any good If 1t
wasn't" said Len. "Go ahead with
your own ideas as far as Tom Benham
will let you. You'll make q good pair
on a job like that. You're awfully
artistic and all that-and Tom is just
an average. A lot depends on the eff
feet Of that living room. 80 do your
dufndest."
Tom Benham and Maud Fay met
shortly thereafter In the frigldly cor
rect Fay drawing room. Although
Maud Fay and Tom Benham had
played around" with the same crowd
there in lakewood and regarded them
selves as quite well acquainted, this
was the first time that Tom had ever
called on Maud.
"Of course we don't want to have
anything like this" Tom said, waving
his hand to indicate the Fay drawing
room. "Thls is much too 'magnoliOus
you know what | mean?"
"Oh, Of course" agreed Maud, eyes
sparkling with eagerness. you know
cream walls with hand-blocked. flow
cred chlntz at the windows-and a
window-box Of geraniums, and"
Hold on" warned Tom, wondering
why he had never noticed the mellow
sweetness of Maud's voice. we've
only got ten dollars to spend Hand
blocked chintz costs dollars a yard
and 1t isn't likely we can borrow any
curtains that will just At"
The discussion continued. At the
end of thirty minutes Tom Benham
had come to several conclusions One
was that Maud Fay was much more
attractive girl in her own home than
she had ever appeared to be else
where Likewise she had wonderfully
good taste with regard to homellke liv-
ing rooms. 1t was great shame that
she had to languish there In the Fay
drawing room, obviously the work of
an interior decorator, when she had
such excellent ideas on the subject
Moreover, Tom concluded, her taste
was very much like his own. They
had agreed that in order TO get the
various needfuls for the scene they
ought to go shopping. The following
Saturday had been planned for the
time to squander the ten dollars ap-
proprlated by the club. 1t must be
spent very carefully, much more
thoughtfully than IL the sum we're
their own. Maud had agreed to come
to town and, little hesitatingly, to
have luncheon with Tom before going
on their shopping tour 1--WE can talk
things over at luncheon and so save
time" she assured herself and Tom.
So on the following afternoon they
shopped. They looked at several shops
for hand-blocked, lowered chintz, and
settled on one that filled both Tom and
Maud with delight. It was, however,
four dollars yard. At least sixteen
yards would be needed.
Hang It all," said Tom, we've got
to have It. II will make all the differ
ence in the world" He took out his
wallet and extracted therefrom sew
eral ten-dollar bills-untll he had Gov.
cred the price Of sixty-four dollars that
the chintz would cost. n can use 1t
afterwards in my ROOM" he excused.
In passing down the street Maud's
attention was attracted to q lamp with
charmingly colored shade IN shop
window. She stopped suddenly.
wait" she commanded Tom. There
is the lamp that would make the liv-
ing room perfect. It's just the sort of
lamp rd like in my own living room. "
That's great" agreed Tom. ITS