Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1926-12-23
Bothersorrae Odds
and Ends
BY RUBY DOUGLAS


been held in the village.
at is a direct answer to my suppl
cations" she said, happily.
'What do you meanf" asked her
motber. "You surely can't mean that
you would resort to prayer In any
thing so lawless as a rattle, my dearf
Gloria laughed. "Of course not,
mother. I mean that for weeks nave
been casting about in the air. search
ing the future for what 1t might hold
for me"
"Well-what has the car to do with
it?" asked her mother.
Everything" announced Gloria, y
shall call my Professionalism and
Ends! shall advertise myself as
persop who will attend to all the
bothersome little odds and ends OF the
daily routine of husehoid-and' w1th
nv nice little new car, l shall be aDie
to carry on big business.
II do not understand" persisted her
mother. II have never heard OF It."
"Of course you haven't. Neither
has anyone else"
Gloria was practical enough to nave
a working knowledge of household
affairs and she knew all the petty
needs, from going for the wet WASH at
half-past eight In the morning to col
lecting the rolls from the bakery on
Saturday night.
She made out her list Of housekeep-
ers tn interview and ascertained what
their needs might be in the way OF
odds and ends She gave them
weekly price to be charged for having
all these errands done. For instance,
Mrs Smith had a washing that had TO
he delivered to the laundry at seven
o'clock Monday morning and called
for at $50, thus making it possible
for her clothes to be hung on the line
nv the maid of all work by nine
O'Clock. Gloria decided she must sug-
gest this idea to about five other
women so that she could make the
Monday morning trip profitable. Then
at twelve o'clock, noon, she maze ar
rangements to call at the schoolhouse
for four different children who were
| too Young to walk all the distance and
| get back to school by one O'CLOCK
| Their mothers wanted them to nave
hot lunch but could not take the
time to 20 for them. There was a
weekly visit to neighboring market
where fresh fruit and vegetables could
he purchased. She managed list OF
eight housekeepers who wanted this
service. Then there were children to
take to the barber shop after school,
little girls to 60 to their music les
sons, the monthly bills to pay the first
week of the month for others and a
score Of other odds and ends that took
much time out of busy woman's day.
At the end of two months Gloria
found herself having all she could pos
sibly do. One person told another ana
her telephone was kept busy.
"My dear, I had no idea how many
people would need this kind of service, 4"
! Mrs. Tanner said to Gloria one night
when her daughter arrived home with
packages Of vegetables and fruits. some
picnic outfits, a pair Of shoes that had
been halfsoled, tire from bicycle
she had taken to be mended, some ma
spn jars, bundle of shirts from the
Chainaman, stamps and envelopes
from the post Office, a suit OF clothes
from the tailor's.
Gloria laughed. What's on the list
since I leftY' she asked.
"Oh, Helen Morris is having
bridge Wednesday afternoon and
wants tallys and some one to take her
two small girls for the afternoon.
And thus the little business Gloria
called "Odds anl Ends'' grew so fast
that it took most Of the time of both
mother and daughter.
In the background-much farther
back than he would have liked to be
was a rather doleful young man. Ar
thur Nudge. He and Gloria had been
childhood sweethearts.
One day he came upon her on the
dirt road she often used because 1t
was a short cut between her home
village and Hampstead. She was look
ing disconsolately at very fiat rear
shoe on her overloaded station wagon.
"Kind-a fiat, Gloria" Arthur re-
marked as he parked his own roadster
just ahead of her.
Gloria laughed but she was tired
and in a hurry and Arthur felt that
there were tears close behind the sur
face.
81 was just wondering what to do"
she said.
"And along comes-the man who
wants always to be near you when
you are in trouble" he said, pulling
off his coat and getting out the jack.
"Yes-I know, but"
Never mind. now, dear. Get busy
with the lock on that spare tire and
we'll have you on your way in min
ute. This was not the time for me
to say that"
In a surprisingly short time the new
shoe was on and Arthur was leading
the way toward home. Meantime
Gloria, driving mechanically, was
thinking. Why could she not get Ar.
thur-since she knew they would be
married eventually-to go into her
business with her. His real estate |
business was not so flourishing but
what he could give her hand.
That night she called him up and
together with her mother they
planned an extended business.
"And eventually, GlortaT he whis-
-..l q, ho- oor ac thov nfo01 aaviuu |