Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-12-19
By L. L. STEVENSON

MIS. WARY SOIIleTS is OU years OlQ.
She lives in furnished room. Liv-
ing in a furnished room, especially
when one has reached threescore,
is not cheerful existence. Also it's
lonely. The house may be full of
roomers but there are more bar
riers between friendships than mere
brick walls. The turnover of the
population is too great Folks are
always moving in and out. Then,
too, there is no telling who a neigh
Dor might be. He or she may look
respectable. He or she may have
satisfied the landlady as to RELIABLE
ity. But, with rooms often going
begging for occupants, that isn't too
hard. So it is just as well to keep
to oneself and thus avoid getting
mixed up with something unpleas-
ant. But getting back to Mrs. Som
ers. Loneliness and lack of cheer
are not decreased when one has to
! live on home relief. Home relief
provides food and shelter but not
much else.
Mrs. Somers was on her way down
to the home relief office to get her
weekly dole. Possibly she was
thinking that few extra dollars
would make a great deal of differ
ence to her. / can't say as to that
because when / called at her room
ing house, she was out. AT any rate,
on Eighth avenue, between Twenty
sixth and Twenty-seventh streets,
she saw what looked like roll of
green paper. Something caused her
to turn back and pick it up. But
instead of being mere pieces of
paper the roll consisted of SIS and
$40 bills which, when she had re-
covered sufficiently from her sur
prise to be able to make a count,
totaled $3.50. And to Mrs. Mary
Somers at that moment, 1870 was
fortune indeed.
So far as she knew, no one had
seen her make that find. There
was nothing about the roll to indi-
cate ownership. Five-dollar and ten
dollar bills awaken no suspicious
when presented at stores and thus
can be exchanged for necessities or
luxuries without question. But in
stead of slipping the money into her
all but empty handbag, Mrs. Somers
went up to Patrolman George Nc
Nulty, who accompanied her to the
station house where she turned the
1910 over to a lieutenant. Then she
went on down to the home relief Of
fee, walking to save a nickel. In
her mind had been the thought that
perhaps the one who lost the money
needed it more than she did.
The $3.50 is now at police head
quarters in custody of the property
clerk. It's up to whoever lost it to
prove ownership beyond the shadow
of a doubt before he or she can
get 1t back. If no valid claim is
made within the next six months,
the money will become the property
of Mrs. Somers. And it's my ear
nest hope that next March she will
receive notice that she is $3.50 richer.
Feminine red lips are costing the
city money. That's on the word Of
Russell Forbes, commissioner Of
purchases. Recently he sent no.
tice to the various department heads
of the borough of Queens calling
attention to the fact that lpstick
smeared on towels runs up main
tenance costs. He didn't ask the
department heads to see to it that
their underlings used no more lip.
stick. Instead, he merely suggested
that there be more care in using
towels furnished by the city.
Speaking of lipstick reminds me
that at nine o'clock the other morn
ing, l saw an intoxicated gentle
man in full evening attire, white
tie, tails, topper and all, weaving
his way toward a Broadway taxi
cab. II he is a married man, I'M
doubtedly on his arrival home he
had to answer a lot Of questions,
not only because he had been out
all night but because the broad ex-
panse of once white shirt bosom was
rudy with lip prints.
Ilka Chase and hubby, Bill MUIR
ray, were having luncheon at the
Savoy Plaza and it being the crowd
ed hour, they were Joined at the
table by an impressive looking Eng
Ish couple. The Britisher and his
wife left first and on arising, he
spilled glass Of water all over his
trousers. He started to make pro-
fuse apologies until stopped by Miss
Chase's query. why do you beg
my pardon? You didn't touch me-"
mo-" replied the Englishman, sur
veying the scene. but it was your
glass of water"