Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1927-07-29
Natives" That's
What They Were
BY HELEN BILLINGS WRIGHT


barrel and looked across the harbor.
A motor horn sounded and a road
ster rumbled over the uneven boards
Of the fish wharf. A girl leaped over
the two French horns captain Ed
ridge in YETI"
NO" Mary ANN answered shortly,
taking In the details of the other girl.
A blue dress, close blue hat, pearls
at her throat.
when do you expect himf"
Hes coming now" She looked to-
warp the sea.
Tell him to bring up, right away,
eight pounds Of mackerel to Mrs. Clay
ton Smiths residence. Please" She
added that as ab after-thought and alb
ruptly backed the car out Of sight.
Just for once to be a girl like that |
Mary Amp picked up cork 9ost and
twirled 1t on her thumb. Mary Ann
had an idea. She would be one Of
them.
Without waiting for her father to
dock, Mary Ann rushed into the fish
house, tripped over pile of rope
heaped on the floor, and tore a piece
from the margin Of two weeks old
Monitor. Then, scribbling the girls
message, she stuck It to the fat, red
barrel With her 60-cent gold and emer-
aid bar pin. MY husband shall buy
me diam9pds and real emeralds," he
laughed to herself and ran from the
wharf.
A week later Mary Ann was on the
beach. She wore gay cretopne cape
over short, black silk suit. Pea
cocks, bright blue and green, dropped
from her shoulders In a BACKGROUND Of
gay flowers. Would anyone speak to
her she wondered. The crowd had
come down to the beach, some play
ing bail, shouting, others rushing into
the water.
"I'll DUCK you'll Look outp
"No fair. It's Q foul"
Second base under water"
run, Sally, run. TOO bad. You're
out"
She could hear their shouts; could
see them as they played Ip the water,
diving from the hotel raft, swimming
out to boats anchored Off shore. More
and more passionately Mary Ann
yearned to escape-the Natives,
1t was nearly one O'CLOCK. Most of
the crowd had left the beach when
she saw a man-yes, dressed all In
whlte-slowly coming down the beach
A nice face. Tanned, with little red
Perhaps he had been fishing
The stranger saw her; came toward
her. He sat down before her.
Mary Ann saw Allan Hendricks after
that every day for a week. They
swan together, walked far down the
beach.
Mariana" Allan asked (they were
lying on the sand, watching the gulls
flying in great circles), will you go
to the dance with me tonightf VIII
you, MarianaT She had told him to
call her that.
She looked up at Allan. Her eyes
glowed She smiled.
"The hotelT
mo The tearoom,"
Mariana frowned. The tearoom. She
could not go there-yet. For there on
;he rough floor both summer people
md Natives danced. Danced and
'Ostled elbows to the merry tunes of
i.e Handlers. One supercllious, the
other gaping.
"Oh, let's go somewhere else" She
laughed carelesslJy. There are 70
many places on the Cape"
"lIave your own way, but we will
have to go In my car"
Mariana's heart burst. One Of the
great cars, low and powerful. BE
cause the family's using theirs to-
night. It's a fllvver," he apologized.
It was after the dance. Mariana, In
a smart pink crepe dress which she
had laboriously made for the occasion,
sat dreaming, and wondering just how
long she could keep her secret. Meet
ing him at the hotel, running out a
back door at night, then across the
flats. But she was happy, really hap
by, In spite Of the car.
Lets go down on the fish wharf
and park-Just for the atmosphere"
Allan leased. Mariana hardly recog-
nIzed her own voice.
mo" she cried wildly. "Any place
but there Please"
SO they drove Off down the boule-
ward into a pine woods-deep, dark
and fragrant.
MARY Ann"
Mariana looked up quickly. "Why
did you call me thatT
"Oh, / dunno, / hate Mariana. It's
so sort Of formal. Mary AIMS coy
and warm. You don't mindT
But Mary AIMS face was buried In
rough shoulder She was crying
softly
81 just can't help It," she sobbed,
answering his whispered question.
"Oh, do love you So but have some
thing awful and horrible to confess.
It will spoil everything"
Mary Ann could not finish. for AL
lan's arms were around her, his face
close to hers. MARY Ann, listen TO
me, darling, first. I'm not the swell
New Yorker you think me-" He rushed
headlong. "Tm just Native from up
in Orleans These clothes even aren't
my own. A bOarder's, young chap
staying al the house this summer
What shall do? What can we dor
lie looked helplessly at the pretty girl
In his arms.
Mary Ann sighed "Oh, Allan, it's
been a lovely dream" A sudden moon
beam lit her face. "a pretty dream
for both Of us. We shall never forget