Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-20
Daily Short Story
Reflex
BY MAUDE WILLIAMSON

THE Celestial restaurant was not
IL Chinese. as you might mag
inc. 1t was run by woman thor,
oughly American ~. All WOOL
and yard wide known far ana
wide as Miss Lottic, And her res
taurant was named after her cat
Celeste. \,NN
Miss Lotto was fat fftyiSh. and
a born mother II ever there was
one. For years she had cooked
and served the best 60-cent din.
ners in Tuckahoe, and she could
have got IS j.. she had asked it.
without adding a gram OF salt.
But what's the use being
greedy q" Miss Lottic would say,
Good luck amt something YOU
can buy. You only get IL by
doing good"
Wei. maybe so. But there were
those who disagreed with her PHI
losophy. even while they ate her
delicious dinners.
You're too good 10 people
Boy Day told her turning that.
hundred-candle-powcr smile Of
his right into her blinking blue
eyes. You're too young
woman TO work without profit"
Miss Lottie's ford face Wrinkled
IN fat grin.
Con, Bozy You're
kidder, that's what YOU are"
But she pattcd her nice craving
hair into place Beside, you'd
he surprised at the nest egg I've
got laid away"
"You don't say" Boy muir
INJURED sbSently. letting his
brown eyes rest admiringly on
her plump figure. But Boy
was thinking fast.
SAME OLD TACTICS
Mr.. Bozly Day would hard ! Y
keep his face straight. To think
of using the same tactics on old
Miss Lottie that he'd used success
fully on DANES in Broadway 4.
Real lockers. Kids that really had
something! Well. il just went TO
show how easy women were. and
what ideas they put into mans
head.
Boy honestly thought that As
near as he could figure. Miss Lottie
herself was 10 blame for the idea
which began TO gnaw at him.
II wasn't a nice idea; even Boy
knew that. But the fat old woman
had brought il on herself. hadn't
she? Did she imagine he was
hanging around Tuckahoe all these
we e ks just to stroke her cats
head?
Boy hated cats. Did she
imagine he enjoyed kidding around
her dumb little restaurant? Look
at his Times Square clothes
Listen 10 his line of patter. Why,
II was so fast, 1T met itself coming
back,
CELESTE'S BAD MANNERS
But Lottie was too happy 10
question Fate. II did not strike
her as odd that Boy should pet
her well fed Maltese pet. What
bothered Miss Lottie was Celeste S
lad manners: her Discrimination TO
.iake friends with Mr.. Day.
"What do you get your back
IN for? she whispered to the
rat one night. "YOu show your
ignorance that way. It's just like
'ettin' him know you and me
ain't used 10 handsome young
men helpin' round the place"
BY this time Boy was writing
the daily menus, and-taking
charge of the cash register.
"You ought to buy yourself n
car, Miss Lottie," he suggested
one night, as he locked the door
of the Celestial for her. ITS
getting near spring. II would
do you good TO ride some eve
nings."
His long white hand. with its
shiny nails, closed round her fat
allow. Just the right amount Of
pressure slid from his fingers
You aren't half good enough 10
yourself. You need somebody 70
look after you
BoZY PROPOSES
1--WE got Celeste" Miss Lottie
SPARED. She felt almost COY.
IL was spring.
"Oh--a cat" Boy poo-hooed
"You need somebody 60 protect
YOU" In the dark. his thin lips
twitched. but he kept the
chuckle out of his voice. "You
need a husband. Lottie."
Miss Lottie, too. was grateful
or the dark. To have Boy call
Ter "Lottie" As though she
we're a very young girl. No miss
lacked on to remind her
ooh. BoZy -. You mean--you
means"
81 mean want 10 marry
you" He seemed even taller
than his six feet one.
They were married the follow
ne week. Summer was not long
,ff. and Boy had large plans made
or summer There was Holly
wood Too far 10 walk And
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