Detroit evening times., 1942-12-29
Daily Short Story
Mixing Mothers
Ry BELLE RRUCk

quiet, unaSSuming man on the
reticent Side-like Ben.
/ Mrs. Weston arrived first. She
looked a great deal like the snap
shot. She made a grand initial
fuss over Ben'S pretty new wife,
over Ben. over The house, over
Mans cooking.
Nan liked her a lot and almost
didn't mind asking Stoutly, would
YOU like TO do New York tomor-
row. mother. or would you rather
wait till my mother gets here?
We could start with the Empire
state, have lunch at"
Mrs. Weston interrupted gently:
Thanks. honey" she said.
"But l have some plans of my
own. DO you mind: All that
sightseeing stuff can wait till
after the war. 1 have list OF
people l want TO see and 1
thought Id start tomorrow.
Don't wait dinner on me"
DRAMATIC ENTRANCE
The following evening Mans
mother arrived. She made her
usual DR. m a ic entrance, she
looked glamorously out of place
in Mans efficient kitchen, she told
Ben.
"You seem like strong per-
son.
you'll be good for Nan, she's
inclined To he bOssy," and she
said wonderingly at least thee
times: "How ever did you people
find this place? II must be
easier to get TO Times Square
from Pittsburgh"
Around 10 Mrs. Weston came IN.
She looked a little tired and dis
couraged, Nan thought.
II didn't have much luck find-
Ing people in," she said, indl-
eating her list.
Nan introduced the two woemn
eagerly. She was glad when they
seemed 10 have a lot to say 10
each other and retired 10 their
Joint room TO say il.
As she dropped off to sleep quite
a bit later Nan heard them still
talking.
THEY BECAME PALS
The following morning Mans
mother said briskly:
Darling, do you mind II We
run off Some OF those people !
Ben.s mother wants to see are
Air Force officials, and shes
had trouble. After 20 years of
knocking around theatrical Of
fees. I'D like TO see the military
man who can get past his door
without seeing me II I'm wait-
ing for him. I'm going to help
her get to these people"
So il turned out that for the
next couple of weeks Nan saw
little of her guests. Sometimes
they rose early, sometimes they
rose late, but they rarely fingered
about the house after breakfast.
They left, separately or to-
gether, for appointments or tasks
in Manhattan. Still in all, the
house was affected by their pres
ence.
The phone was constantly ring
ing for Mans mother. Several
times at odd hours she brought
back with her old theatrical
friends who were accustomed tot
turn night into day.
And Nan never knew when Mrs.
Weston. who had a habit of not
remembering 10 eat, would barge
back from the city and suddenly
decide she was hungry.
The precious honeymoon pri-I
vacy was a thing of the past
One morning Mans motherI
called 10 her from the guest
room:
"Come on In, dear. We want
to talk TO you"
Nan stepped into the room and
regarded the two of them, and
tried hard not TO think it inn
portant that the room was really
always in a perpetual mess.
"We're leaving, both of u.s."
her mother was continuing.
We've taken suite together
at a hotel on Forty-ninth street"
"Oh, but mother"
"Now. don't pretend you're
not glad TO see us go. You've
been a perfect treasure, hasn't
she, and we've been a terrific
nuisance, both Of us.
Were going to be around
New York indefinitely and we
certainly can't go on indefi-
nitely being n nuisance TO you
two kids. Besides. this Is much
too far away from things. Hon
estly, I don't know how you
stand IT,"
Mrs. Weston spoke up.
II never really intended inn
posing on YOU In the first place,
Nan. was going To a hotel.
But your letter was so inslstent
about putting me up. was
afraid you'd be hurt II re-
fused"
BUSY WITH OUR JOBS
/ "Me, too. honey" put in Mans
j mother. You know how l de-
! test domestic fuss. But l was
afraid Bens feelings would be