Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-03-14
The Percale
Ladies
By ADELAIDE D. HUFF

Doggy COMSTOCK was vivid and
small and young and poor and
happy and winsome and gay. Her
total possessions were a diapidated
old four-cylinder car and a spirit of
impulsive generosity that was always
getting her into trouble. She had
bought the old car for sos and had
promptly named 1t Runalong.
Before Runalong had come into her
life Peggy had walked to church
every Sunday morning but now she
drove in state, blissfully unconscious
Of the rattle and clatter that Run
along made. On that first Sunday as
she progressed rather uncertainty
down the street she spied the Misses
Fanny and Cora Jones standing at the
corner waiting for a street car. They
members of that old-fashioned order
Of perfect old maids; the kind that
wears black and white percale dresses
with tiny white flowers on them.
"Going to church," called Peggy
gayly as she brought the quivering
little car to stop.
well, now that's sweet of you,
Peggy" said Miss Fanny as the two
settled themselves and the car got
once more under way.
OF course Peggy sat beside them in
church and shivered little when her
boss who took up the collection gave
them slight interrogatory glance.
She did so want to make a good i'm
preston on William Walters because
. well, because she wanted to.
And these old ladies were undoubted-
ly common.
Peggy, you ought to be ashamed
Of yourself" she whispered inwardly.
snow, you'll have to make up for that
wicked thought somehow"
"Well go to church together next
Sunday If you would like to-" she told
them as she dropped them at their
door. And Of course they accepted,
willingly. gladly. Peggy soon found
herself saddled with the Misses Jones
forever and a day. At last she was
nearly frantic. For awhile she
thought of neglecting church, but she
realized that she could not forego
the strange happy thrill she got when
she saw William Walters kneeling in
prayer, devout, humble, utterly unlike
his business self that she knew so
well in the office.
tits always so nice to see you here"
he would say at the door. "and these
are your friends? So glad to see
you"
He's just being NICE" Peggy told
herself, because I'm member of the
church. He says the same things to
everybody"
1t was one Saturday night not long
afterward that Peggy was sitting In
the swing on her little front porch
dreading the coming Sunday morning
when her telephone rang and her heart
stood still when she recognized Wal
ter's voice as 1t came over the wire.
May / run over a few minutesT
he asked. "Got some important nat
tiers to talk over with you about the
business.
Sure" answered Peggy warmly.
an be right here waiting for you"
Quickly she hung up the receiver
and rushed upstairs to change her
dress and powder her nose. NOW,
what could he want" she wondered.
"Am going to lose my job? Ora
ciOus, my hands are so cold. l must
keep calm. II he were to find out
how feel about him IBID simply
die! !"
The slamming of an automobile
door, the quick ringing of the doorbell
and Peggy flew downstairs, her eyes
shining and her face aglow.
Heavens You do look sweet to-
night" he exclaimed, as they found a
seat in the old swing. "Well, the
home office has ordered me to San
Francisco to open a branch there" he
told her as soon as they were seated
"Oh," said Peggy with a quick cry
of pain, "then I'm going to lose my
nice boss. Please don't go. Can't you
stay?"
"Would you really care?" he asked,
trying to read her face in the half
light, "You know, Peggy, I'm not
JOhluB duu III ulIuiu yOu uIc ulCc u
everybody. You talk as If ] really
meant something to you and don't
dare believe this is true"
But 1t is true, it is true. You just
mean everything to me-" Peggy
clasped and unclasped her hands in
her earnestness as she sat tensely be.
side him trying to make him believe.
Then suddenly she laughed
But the expression on Walters well
chlseled face remained serious. "Then
Peggy, II you aren't just playing with
me how would you like to go out there
with me as-my wife?'
"Td-Td absolutely love IT," said
Peggy frankly, and a moment later
the boss was taking her In his arms,
kissing her whispering words of love
to her.
Peggy was sure she was dreaming
She had so often pictured this little
scene in her very most private
thoughts. Then she knew for certain
that 1t was all actually happening for
Walters was saying something that
she had never imagined In her life:
"rve loved you ever since the first
day | saw you walking in with those
absurd common old maids. said to
myself then and there. That's the girl
for me. There's genuineness about
her and goodness, too"
After that Peggy took the Misses
Jones to church twice every Sunday
and to the "moyies" two or three
times week that Is. until she left
for California NJ the bride Of Mr.
Walters