Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-12-02
D0iIy Short Story
Maine Housewife
3, iSAnEL JOHNSTON

tco nice q sroll
II VAS 50 clean Snc can'c
from Pittsburgh where clothes
rever dried anything bat gray In
her farilys crow ded city apart
rlent. CRIME was black ~ thr
window sils IS minutes after =
busting.
II wasn't gust 70 show OF he
fore the young first mate that she
helped the captains wife with the
dishes She saV the mess boy vas
lazy. but u WASH Synpa thy for
the captain wife working as
cook 10 be with her hushand-that
prompted Comics offer 70 ard
She really liked polishing the
cups and ssucers until they Shone
She enjoyed stacking the plates IN
the neat cupboard She loved
turning chaos into cleanliness and
order
'.She Il real Maine house
wife." the captain wife conplI-
ynented her, and the young first
mate grinned approN1ngly
1T wish ! could BE-" said Con-
ME and then blushed az the
young first mates admrlng
s<es. II think your life IL swell"
Connie fell IN love with Maine
DAYS before she admitted 10 her
self how much. Hal the Young
hrst mate, attracted her.
She loved Maine's quaint
whitley painted houses The green
h~ns, too neat 10 need hedges,
the romantic widows walks, the
clean, moist fog that wasn't Pitts
bursh smoke.
But SHE'S ONLY ~
Connie was only 10. but she
vas a wise little city girl. She
knew vacation romances didn't
last. She knew vacation kisses
didn't mean a thing. Yet il gave
her q thrill 20 watch the young
first mate haul up the sails with
strong. rhythmic pulls.
He was so different from the
city boys she'd known. They were
30 pale and wisecracking in WIN
ter, and in the summer still wise
cracking and peeling with sun
burn.
Hal was permanent golden
tan, his eyes-a clear crystalline
blue, his mouth young and inno- |
cent. He was the incest man on
board.
The other men passengers flirted
with the girls in the daytime
and on nights in port went off
stag 10 spend money on them
selves. Hal was darling. but she
uas going to keep him merely
a friendly memory.
The night they dropped anchor,
in Guilkey's Harbor il rained too
much 10 60 ashore. A number of
them crowded into one cabin,
lounging on the hunks. But Con-
nie didn't want 10 pet publicly the
way the other couples were doing. /
She sat up straight and kept her
run with Hal purely converse
tonl. She had done her share of
kissing on other vacations. but
somehow she did not want TO be
cheap with Hal.
BY the light Of the oil lantern,
he guilelessly showed her all the
pictures of the other girls he had
met on vacation cruises last sum- /
rner. Connie knew it wasn't con-
ceit that made him do il.
He showed her his gallery of
girls in much the same spirit his
mother would have entertained
visitors with an album
He was quite hurt when she re-
fused 10 give him picture Of her
self.
Fang REACHES HEART
'But when ] 70 into the navy
next winter how will I remem-
bcr you:" he asked in a low
voice so the other passengers
wouldn't hear.
A little pang went through her
With all the other girls nc would
meet on two weeks cruises this
summer, she knew he would
scarcely remember her name by
fall. But she didn't want 10 be
just another girl IN his picture
gallery.
You can remember me az the
GIRL Who didn't give you her pic
turs,- she replied with spirit =
and then added archly. you can
remember me "a the girl YOU
didn't kiss"
Let's get out OF her" he com
rnanded, su denly looking
around a. the pettng couples
with distaste.
With little trenor of excite
rnent she followed HIM up the Lao
der 10 the deck A square Of
canvas vas rugged up over the
middle Of The boat keeping =
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