Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-13
The Tired Girl.


MARY MAYO came out of Brink $
small, Cluttered variety store,
where she worked nine years. anH
walked slowly toward Miss Rohinson's
great rambling old house. where she
had room with the privilege Of
cooking. Mary was -. but she felt as
Old as Nancy Baker. who had just
celebrated her eiChty-tifth birthday.
1t terrified her to think that she, too,
might live TO he 50. Fifty-eicht more
years Of Stiesville, Her face was
grim as she stepped along.
Mr.. Billings came 'out Of the drug
store, where he had been waiting to
See Mary pass. Mr.. Billings sold a
reliable line Of goods. which was pop
ular at Drinks. He WAS 4G stout.
good. natured and widover He
liked Marys honest gray eyes and
rare. flashing smile. Lifting his hat
respectfully he walked beside her.
Mary accepted this attention indiffer-
entity. She had known Mr.. Billings
eight years. and realized that she
could marry him if she wished. hat
he did not interest her. Marriage
was not what she craNed. Therefore,
when he asked her to have supper
with him at the Royal cafe and go TO
the movies afterward she shook her
she answered briefly.
Reaching her own room she sat
down wearily before the glass. She
looked cold. pinchcd. Her black serge
dress was plain and unbecoming. She
wondered what there was about her
10 attract a Way-Wise man like Mr.
Billings" As for her mea nS-She got
her savin@s-hank book from the hu-
reau drawer and opened it, She had
S900 to her credit-S100 for each wear
she had been at Drinks And she
had saved vigorously. Nine hundred
dollars wasn't much to depend upon.
No matter how tired She was she
couldn't rest on that Closing the
small brown book she sat staring al
III" faded wallpaper with unSceing
eyes
Mary read herself TO sleep as usual
She awoke with a raging headache 10
md the town in the grip of n blizzard
Miss Robinson came upstairs to apollo
Elze for the lack Of heat. Something
mad gone wrong with the furnace.
Two days later all Stilesville knew
that Mary MAYO had quite unexpected
~ to herself and everybody else fallen
heir to money. Her mother had been
Warren and the Warrens had rich
connections. Mary had never seen
the distant relative who had divided
his last million among his remaining
klth and kin. She wasn't even CRATE
ful 10 him Al first. After working at
Brink s for nine years at ST. a week
she simply could not grasp the pos
shility that lay in $4,000. She de-
cidod TO 60 to Bingham and consult
With Wilbur Jordan. Wilbur Jordan
was her cousin by marriag e-he had
married lovely short.lved Lucia War
jpb
fine lawyer. Mary knew she could
trust him. But she never dreamed
until she saw him after all those
years of separation that she was still
just as much in love with him as she
had been at IL
You won't have to so back to
Drinks, you know" he said. smiling
down into her face with kindly toler-
snce
"N-no-hut what can l find to do
In Stilesville?"
Think it over. Think il over
Mary
Mary thought it over. sitting chiefly
in her chilly room at Miss Robinson's
AT last came an idea. then another.
and still another. She began to pulse
with project. Miss Robinson hadn't
made a success of her rooming house
She vented to sell out and go to live
with married sister. Why not buy
the house outright refurnish, perhaps
remodel il. make it into real home
Tor the GoZen workers who, like her
self. We're obliged to live under other
peoples roofs? Pleasant chambers
with closets. a cafeteria attachment.
big living room with books ma ga
zines. radio perhaps, and her own
small apartment separate from the
rest Lucy Pratt could housekeep like
anything. And she should have the
tnh. 1t would come in handy to Lucy
now that the new laundry was putting
her out OF business.
Comfort House was therefore the
first OF Mary's achievements. Others
followed in swift succession. Just as
one idea leads to another-a clubroom
properly supervised for Young folks
gatherings. a playground for the chill
dren. the transforming of some I'M
slightly waste land into a neat little
park, rest room for visiting
strangers. private donations which
kept Nancy Baker from the poor
farm, sent the incorrgihle Jones hoy
To a good training school. provided
Rose Corella with instruction for her
wonderful voice and mendod Alec
Hays broken back so that he was
again able TO provide for his family
She even helped Joe Brink and his
wife fix up their store by lending
them the needed funds And parties
well. Mary had never been To real
party in her life until she gave one of
her own, yet her parties We're notable
successes. They We're. Of course, held
At Comfort IJouSo and all tho Inmates