The Washington times., 1938-01-03
"Vac0ti0n Lies .
By ISABEL JOHNSTON

Marla's letter announcing h
Mason's thin and shabby wall
to his $35-a-week shipping cler
Maria was 10 to Pauls 26 and
had never been to the big city
Paul never expected that she
actually would come.
without a doubt, she expected
him to make good on his vaca.
tiCn promises, shcw her the night
clubs and cabarets he'd Dragged
about so safely 300 niles away
frcm a cover charge.
Up in the mountain resort there
hadn't been mdny ways a fellow
could spend much on girl.
Paul had taken Maria to the 25-
cent movies in a nearby town,
spent so cents apiece at the local
dances, entertained her for hours
at the beer and hot dog stand
with tales of city glamour and
night life.
MS big, trusting brown eyes
were inspiring. She was SO young,
sh& really believed a mans vaca-
ton lies. Without a doubt she
accepted him as the man Of the
world and financier her admira-
ton made him long to be.
Maria was SO sweet and pretty,
Paul really would have liked to
spend a fortune on her-but since
he couldn't, ne thoroughly en-.
joyed the two weeks summer idyl
and promptly forgot about her
when he went back to poverty and
work.
LITTLE MONEY
Now she was here, staying at
the Y. w. C. A eager for the high
life Paul himself only knew from
reading.
After swinging the final pay
ment on winter overcoat on last
weeks salary, Paul only had $3.50.
He figured ne could at least
rUr to a movie-and still eat.
Maybe he could trick her into
thinking it fun to see how the
other half played, squandering
dimes and nickels, patronizing
Second Avenue dance halls and
rev veling in penny arcades.
But when he slipped away from
his desk to the phone booth down
stars, her eager eXpectancy-the
young happy innocence in her
tones-carried him out of his
depths again.
How about hitting the high
spots with me Lonight?" he found
himself carrying on his vacation
role.
I'D love it," she cried. you're
sweet to give me so much fun.
Shall I dress?"
"Of course" he agreed rashly,
his head whirling. Cant wait to
see you. I'm so glad you came to
town"
1t was true. He was deliciously
happy. The very sound of her
voice turned him into capitalist.
He actually borrowed SIS from
his misery superior. jenkins,
touched lunch acquaintance for
five, persuaded his boss to give
him a $40 advance on next weeks
salary and hooked his grand
fathers gold watch.
After work he hurried home and
talked the loan of a tuxedo out of
his next door neighbor, musical
chap.
At 7::30 Paul appeared in the
parlorS of the Y. w. C. A. with
flowers in his hand. immaculate,
clean Shaven, handsome and to
all appearances-rich.
A vision that was Maria swept
toward him, dazzling the precise
parlors of the girls residential
club. Irrelevantly Paul thought
that if jenkins. the boss. and his
bunch could have seen her they
would have felt amply repaid.
She was groomed to perfumed
perfection. exquisite in simmer
ing white satin under rose velvet
evening cape. Paul gulped as her
face lighted up with artless happi-
ness at seeing him.
He swept her into taxi as II
he had been born to them. He
flung out the name of their costly
destination casually, every inch a
man of the world.
At the roof cabaret he COM
mandeered the best table. The
head waiter, the menu-not even
the price list had the power to
intimidate him.
AS Maria hesitated before the
exciting. bewildering Array of
unknown dishes, Paul was un-
aware that the walters tactful
suggestion of the regular dinner
was all that saved him from fu-
ture disgrace.
GLORIOUS EVENING
For le whole glorious eve
hing, Paul thrilled to an extra holi-
day not allotted by the firm. He
was completely on vacation. not
only from the office out from
being poor young shipping clerk
BY miracle rather than merit,
Paul left the cabaret with enough
money to taxi Maria home. They
fingered for a moment on the
shadowed doorstep Of the girls
residential club.
It was then aul noticed that
q light sprinkle of rain had be
gun to fall. All unheeding, Maria
raised her face artlessly toWarc