The Washington times., 1935-09-23
NOW
France ShOWs
Its EFFICIENCY
FAST SERVICE
BY HELEN ESSARY


Few Americans come to our
hotel.
French provincials-MammaS,
plainly dressed; black-bearded
Papas, and French children gay
as paper dolls-stare happily
in the dining room and in the
lobby at "those Americans"
The atmosphere is definitely
French.
So is the plumbing. In the
bathroom, zigzagging pipes,
punctuated by fat buttons, look
like Rube Goldberg drawings.
Tonight we are trying to settle
ourselves for week in Paris.
I am placing crumpled clothes
in a great, high-mirrored ward
robe without coat hangers.
Marvelling at the length OF
the linen sheets. Working the
hard bloster roll out from under
the soft pillow. Wishing the
bolster roll we're not too high to
tuck out of sight under the bed.
Wondering why the telephone
hook has to be sent up from
downstairs when needed. And
wishing the wall paper were not
so full of purple grapes.
Peggy is taking a bath. Sud
denly the sound of pleasantly
splashing water changes to the
noise of a rushing flood.
Peggy's head pops through
the bathroom door.
"MOther, the water won't
turn off! What shall 1 dO?"
I twist and turn faucets
Push buttons and curse. But the
flood continues. Peggy wraps
herself in a scanty bath towel.
I hurry to the phone for help
I say-in French, of course:
"Monsieur, the water in our
bathroom, he runs very, very,
fast, He keeps the running on"
pardon, Madame?"
Next, a woman'S voice. very
sharp-in English.
"What eeS eet?"
81 can't turn the bath room
water off. The plumbing won't
work. The water, it is broken"
"Un moment, Madame, / shall
Send Service"
Peggy's bathrobe is in the ur-
packed trunk. She wraps her
self in her steamer coat - in
deed, she doesn't want any
strange Frenchman to see her
and hides out on the balcony:
Below her are the lights OF
the Rue de Rivoli, the flower
gardens around the Tuilerles.
And beyond, in the Louvre, tne
Venus di Milo, in a scarf.
Peggy, as I have said BEFORE
Is wearing a steamer coat.
A discreet knock on my oeo'
room door-knockS on French
bedroom doors are always dis
It is the night concierge
notwithstanding. He cocks an
attentive ear to the rushing
water and says: "a
"Do not worry, Madame. 1t
often runs so, in chambre 6O9'
Tout de suite, l send the plumb
er."
He departs, bowing. Peggy
emerges from the balcony Sne
say:
"All fixed?"
Say I:
Again a knocking at the door.
The concierge returns. He Is
desolated but he must turn tne
water off. Completely OIL. IN
an hour or so, the plumber WILL
come, if it is quite convenient.
An hour and a half passes
Peggy sleeps apprehensively un-
der a fat yellow eiderdown: "A
third knock on the door. Ihe
plumber himself!
Peggy awakens, jumps out OF
bed, hides again on the oalcony
IN her steamer coat. The
plumber is surprisingly young
end cloon h,1t husineSSlike. He
carries an armful of tools.
There is now great knock
ing on the bathroom pipes
peggy peeks at me through the
rose, tie-back curtains (Marle
Antoinette period, prooaoly'
The plumber emerges from the
bathroom, smiling. ,
"Splendid! Have you mended
the pipe?"
"But no, Madame!" Il strain
nv ears to understand the
French.) 81 have turned the
water off tighter. Tomorrow 1
come again and finish-per"
hapS."
I gasp:
Tomorrow! Perhaps, to-
morrow"
"YOu forget. Madame, tOmOr'
row is not a working day. 1t is
Sunday. Good night, Madame.
Thank you"
Cnntrart Granted