The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-06-10
What Kind of
A Girl
By MARY ARMSTRONG
released by Associated Newspapers
WNU Service.l


girls to tease her so much. She
was small and meek and her hair
was straight and ash blonde and the
only time her face had any color in
1t was when one of the office girls
razzed her about boys, and then her
whole face would mantle with rebel
hous color, almost as though in uni
son with the blazing thoughts she
controlled so well.
Sally Travis was the worst hec-
tor of all. Sally, who had not one
beau but dozen at time, to stop
and hector poor mousy little Mary
Jane White, who somehow was new
er called MARY" by any one in that
vast office, but simply prim, proper
"Miss White.'
Miss White didn't go to lunch till
last; she was forever finishing up
some extra work for some one so
that some one might make"
luncheon date, and about three
nights a week she worked over
time at night so that somebody
might get away early for pleasure
or what not. And today she had
looked wistfully after Sally as she
ran lifting to meet Don for lunch.
Wistfully, because suddenly little
Miss White was weary and very
tired of being the office goat.
Because men who had loved
Sally were rarely inclined to notice
sober, sedate, mousy little girls
e. even on the rebound. For Sally
, invariably 'let them out" as the
saying goes, as soon as more eli
! gible man appeared on the horizon!
Once, long ago, Sally had in a
! wild burst of generosity invited Miss
| White to 20 on a party with a crowd
of her friends and at first it al
most seemed as though Miss White
were going to accept; she looked so
happy she seemed almost pretty.
! Then Sally had said with character
istic righteousness: "Of course,
this isn't tame affair, Miss White!
We dress and dance and, uh, you
know!" and Miss White looked her
levelly in the eyes and said: 81 sup
pose you mean it's a petting party,
Miss Travis?" and sarcasm dripped
from every word as Sally assured
her that she never went on any tame
affairs. Miss Whites slow, regret
full refusal brought a sting of color
to Sally's face as she made some
sort of muttering retort that drained
all the wild-rose blush from Miss
! Whites face and brought forth the
only reply the office had ever known
her to make under fire. 1t was SIM
ply: "I'm afraid I'm not the kind of
girl you're looking for for this party,
I Miss Travis!" and it was just ex-
actly like Sally Travis to pick up
! that phrase, misquote it and derive
, the priggish, prim defense slogan of
every unloved, unsought girl: "Not
that kind of grill"
Sally was telling Don, now, about
Mary Jane. She was drawing a
word picture of a prim, prudish,
unlovely old maid and Don listened
| in amazement; surely she couldn't
mean that quiet, sober, refined little
girl who worked in his department?
Why, she seemed like a regular
scout. But Don did not say that to
Sally; he remained discreetly silent
and let the much-made-up Miss
Travis rave on.
Two nights later Don came back
for some forgotten papers and
stopped in amazement to see Mary
Jane bent over a desk covered with
papers. 1t was almost seven and
she hadn't gone home yet! He felt
furious with the management for
this oversight and paused to speak
to the busily working girl.
"Oh, yes, Miss Travis had a din
ner date so l agreed to finish these
for her" 1t was said with no eff
fort toward martyrdom or self-pity.
''Look here, did Miss Travis leave
all that work for you? Why l sent
that through to her early this morn
ing!" he exclaimed. Don removed
hat and coat and, against Miss
Whites indignant protests, collected
half the extra work and, plunging
into it, finished it before 1880, just
as Mary Jane finished her half.
1t seemed natural enough, then,
for them to go out and find lunch
room, and over the delicious fried
chicken and waff1es, became better
acquainted.
The soft, shaded table light cast
a warm, pink glow to Mary James
face, and her hair, simply knotted
at the back of her head, seemed
somehow so much more dignifed
and feminine than the sheared,
clipped heads of the other office
| girls. And she wore lacy collar
and cuff set with her simple flannel
dress and for the first time in his
life, Don was struck with the lowell
ness of a truly feminine girl. He
became animated, eager; did his
best to be charming and interest
ing, and when he babe Miss White
good night, after the movie they
had later attended, he went home
walking on air-elated over having
discovered a girl who could fill the
place his mother had filled in his
life. Why, Miss White was a real
little lady! aren't you afraid,