Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-13
BY RAY THOMAS

Peter and s-year-old Jane. were
foreigners in the little Long ISLAND
village.
They came from WeStcheSter.
Sea Cove wa, beyond commut-
Ing distance. Most Of the natives
hadn't been TO the city for 10 OF
20 years.
They retained their Long island
prejudice against strangers.
The people in the big estates
probably weren't as provincial
hut unless you belonged 10 tho
Yacht or Hunt Clubs. there was
simply no chance OF ever meeting
them.
Sometimes they drove by the
PRISONS cottage on sleek horses
OR they drove by In station
wagons on picnicS or 10 meet
weekend guests.
The tounSpeople even the
poorest of them, sped by In cars
But no one ever turned IN 10 call
II Marion felt left out, she
never mentioned IL. Her mothoI
did that for her.
SHOULD BE MAKING DEBUT
why did we have 10 leave
Yonkers," her mother lamented.
Just when you were At nm age
when you should be making n
debut"
But the rent IL 90 cheap
here" Marion. the practical
member OF the family, reminded
her
You know we couldn't pay
Yonkers rent on what papa left
US, and certainly not a social
sendOff for me-"
Even here in Sea Cove. Marion
soon saw that their small income
wasn't going to be enough.
The electric pump supplying
baths for all five of them made
their electric bill shockingly high
Meats and groceries cost more
too.
In Yonkers, Marion might have
found a job, but she knew her
mother was too frail TO do all the
homework.
Peter and Jane were too young
TO relieve their mother of cooking
responsibilities.
Any work Marion might have
found wouldn't have paid for q
maid and the extra clothes the
daily appearance at an office
would have required.
Marion was lonely, but she
didn't admit il.
Gaily she wrote a Yonkers
friend about how she and Peter
and Jane were digging up a gar
den plot to reduce the cost o.
food.
The friend wrote back saying
that her fathers business wa.
introducing a new plant food ant
would Marion like the agency ir
her village?
Marion was overjoyed.
Here was a chance TO max,
money on the side and still
superintend things at home.
SELLING fertilizerw Peter
whooped.
The people here are stand
offish enough already" her
mother worried.
"Peddling fertilizer from door
"a door might prejudice them
against you all the more"
It's something people need"
NOT ROMANTIC
I'm not sure there are any
nice young men here for you,"
her mother pointed out, "but II
there were, well, fertilizer Is
scarcely romantic in Its appeal"
"The people aren't calling or
inviting me 10 any of their
parties anyhow" Marion in
sisted, $50 l might rs well make
a living out of them"
For all his jeers. Peter coul
hardly wait until the mail orde
bicycle arrived.
To tell the truth. Marion felt
little frightened al Drawing the ur
friendly natives with door to doc
selling.
But she put on her best sport
skirt, her hand knitted yello'
sweater. tucked her dark curl
under a bright tam and starte
out.
With as much dignity as
she were selling tickets to
Junior League Ball. Marion OF
fered her 25-cent sample of Plar
Gro at the first house down III
road.
A crotchety old man announce
he had been raising vegetables fo
30 years and would have none {
il.
Natives in other homes wer
equally decisive in condemnin
such nonsense as plant vitan1ins.
In the little house down Walnu
Lane, the lawn and garden locke
so spruce and well cared 70
Marion hesitated about going In.
ADVERTISEMENT
4 =