Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-09-17
Longing for the
Moon
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BY CYNTHIA BLAIR
(Copyright.)


TT WAS a cold, rainy day; one of
L those days that are hard to endure
And Emily Eaton's life was so far
from being satisfactory that 1t didn't
give her the least bit of help when she
left her office at noon and faced the
prospect of walking through the rain
to the noisy, crowded restaurant which
was the best eating place she could
afford. .... .. ..
She had Job, not very good one,
and one that didn't pay her very WELT
she reminded herself quite frequently
that she was lucky to have any posi-
ton at all, In an effort to appropriate
It. And she had home-that is, she
had a room in large, uncomfortable,
badly run rooming house.
Those weren't the things that really
bothered her, however She could
have endured them. The trouble was
that she wanted big things. She went
ed to travel She might as well have
longed for the moon, she told herself,
as she walked along the grimy streets
that day.
And then the moon faced her. 80
to speak, In the shape Of large wip-
dow full of travel booklets--booklets
advertising trips around the world.
There was blackboard on which we're
written the temperatures OF various
enchanted places that day. There
were pictures of people going In bath
ing, playing tennis, doing all the d.
Hghtful summertime things. Emily
stood for FIVE full minutes staring at
that window and It's contents. Then
she boldly opened the door beside the
window and walked into the travel
companys office.
IL want to ask about your round
the-world tours" she told the young
man behind the desk
He was delighted to tell her all
about the round-the-world cruise.
Sailing from New York on Januqry
19-or she could Join the ship later
In San Francisco II she didn't care
to go through the Panama canal. Liv-
ing on the ship was Just like being in
a wonderful hotel.
"Yes, Of course very comfortable"
Emily agreed, feeling like traitor
He thought she was likely TO take one
of those trlps-thought she had money
enough to- And she was deceivlng
hlml He'd never have thought so II
she hadn't been wearing that suit her
cousin had given her, an expensive
suit
Emily was fascinated. She stayed
half an hour, talking with him. Won
derful He must have made the trip
himself several times since he knew
so much about all those enchanted
placesl
She asked him finally how many
times he had made It. Then came n
confession. He'd never taken It at all
"But I'm so crazy about travel that
I'd rather work here for less money
than could get somewhere else, Just
to be In touch with what | want to
do he told her Longing for the
moon-that's what I'm doing, guess"
ooh, me, tool I" cried Emily, forget
ting that she was supposed to be
young woman with money who could
take trip around the world II she
wanted TO do II. I'm crazy to travel,
but can't afford It. ! guess I'll never
see those pnces-and feel as II ia
give anything In the world to see the
Tai Mahal before der
1t was a short step then to the rest
of her story. They were old friends
when Emily left the Office, with an
armful Of fascinating booklets under
her arm. She hurried to the cheap
little restaurant, and was half through
luncheon when friendly voice said,
"DO you mind II sit hereY
II was the young man from the
travel office. She was delighted to see
him. He slid into the chair across
from her, and they began their CONVEX
sation Just where they'd left Off.
He walked back to her Office build
Ing with her, and when he said good
by he had asked II he might come to
see her, and she had said that he
might. They had an argument to fin
lsh, you see; he thought II would be
better to go around the world one way,
and she preferred the other.
lie came that evening to the dIngy
rooming house, and they sat In the
parlor and talked eagerly. When he
left they had decided to join French
class, an inexpensive one that Emily
knew ab0ut-you really had to speak
French If you wanted to travel
tnA In, nnnarnhar Enk
ruary when they discovered that they
both wanted something else more than
they wanted to travel The something
else was each other. Even though
they couldn't afford to marry they
could be In love-a luxury richer
people than they could not afford.
And then one day the moon fell into
their laps. He came rushing TO Emily
in the cheap little restaurant.
"What do you thlnkT he cried. TITS
come. I'm promoted. They're going
to send ne with Que Of the cruises, the
Mediterranean one; somebody always
goes, to act as head man for the com
pany--take charge Of the people who
go on the trip, you know see that
they have good time on shipboard
that they all go ashore as they should
all that Sort OF courier, you know
I'll be sailing next week"
"Oh, how wonderful cried Emily.
"Yes-and the best part Of It is that
I've been given n raise, and can take
my wife" he added "Come On-glve
up your job and let's go buy that trunk
we saw for sale yesterday. Longing
for the moon has brought II TO u.s."
large cellulOid factory near