The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-08-05

~ HAA
. HONH to find me in his
kitchen with a hot
SIOKY supper ready when
he came home at
night. Now, let's take stock of what
1 had. My room rent was paid for
three days more and four times
counting wouldn't make more than
two-thirty of ready cash. The date
was July l. There was the news
paper to prove it. I'd read the ads
and see what's what.
''Wanted-Expert stenographer;
a knowledge of French essential"
Nothing doing.
'Wanted-Trained hospital nurse
to take care of twins; best of ref
erences required" Still less my job.
''Wanted-At once, waitress, no
experience necessary. Apply at
once. Excellent Cafe, Beach Point,
Revere" That's the ticket.
Instantly array myself, and take
the boat and the narrow gauge. It's
an off hour, and the proprietor
welcomes me.
DINNER and lunch with the help;
a black dress and white apron, dol
lar day and your tips; be here at
IL tomorrow"
He put out his hand as if to chuck
me under the chin, thought better of
it, and turned on his heel.
$50 that's that" I murmured, as
I strolled along the beach and
watched the bathers.
paid ten cents for bite of lunch
and returned to Boston. I invested
sparingly in enough black cambria
for a slip and found a white apron
for a quarter in a bargain basement.
I went home and sewed up the slip
and put a bit of white at the neck.
The next day, ahead of time, I
departed for the shore. My room
was paid for till the day after the
next, so I left my things there, the
few there were. just had valise
with me, but I had a trunk in the
storage warehouse.
Arrived at the Excellent cafe I
was told to eat in the back room.
I went and found there a motley as
sembly of women and rouged girls.
I ate a potato ard slice of bread
and said l was ready for work.
1t was early, but fat man and
young girl had just come in, and
l was told to get their order.
The man ordered to suit himself,
big planked steak with fixings, cof-
fee and ice cream. 1t was an expen-
sive order, and I enjoyed the pros
pect of big tip.
They ate the bread before the
steak came, so l brought them
more, and more butter.
Finally l carried in the heavy
platter, and the fat man asked if
they had to catch and kill the ami
NAL first to get the steak. They
wanted extra cream for their coffee
and more bread. This time the
proprietor caught me with hurried
! whisper:
"Charge 'em extra; no double or
ders here for the same price"
The couple talked a long time
and then got up to go. The man
| COullJGO ONGI IllS SIlollSS tWlSS ctilA
reluctantly handed me dime.
Other customers came and went
and the long day dragged along.
My own supper was worse than the
dinner, which was saying some
thing. At 9 o'clock the proprietor
came to me and said:
Here's your dollar and you
needn't come again. I'd lose money
| if all my mattresses were like you.
Haven't you sense enough to know
I that you must give a customer as
little as possible?"
I think I never was so tired in my
: life, and l went and sat on the beach
right down on the sand and cried.
l had made 70 cents in tips and
worked 10 hours, allowing half an
hour for two horrible tips. 1t was
very warm. A man came along
and walked by me twice. Finally
he sat down beside me and said:
Crying won't help it any, kid.
saw you in the hash joint and won
dered why you were trying a job
that didn't suit your style. Hadn't
you sense to know by the very looks
of the other girls why they didn't
like you? l ate there today and !
watched you half an hour, and ]
said to myself: That's a home girl,
the marrying kind, not like the
bunch in that joint. Say, liked
your looks and meant to go again
and get to know you"
I was just that tired and discou-
ragged that cried more than ever.
Before I realized what was coming
he had his arm around me and was
wiping away my tears with his
handkerchief.
"There, there, child. Lies just
like a play at the theater. Make
fun of it. Laugh at it. Don't let
it down you. Come in, now, to
restaurant l know and get some de-
cent food. It'll set you right up"
Well, l went and he took care OF
me, was never for a moment famil-
lar, and let him take me home to
my boarding house. We made q
date for the next day, and that next