The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1946-01-18
Observations
Traffic Signs in
National Capital
Prove Confusing
BY HELEN EssARY

There are things about Washing
ton, things that
Well, for example, there's the
traffic problem. Three days in Il
row I've tried 10 drive down town
for lunch. Three days in row !
couldn't find a parking place any
where. Full, Full. said the big
boards set contrariwise across the
entrances TO parking lots.
After half an hour OF this fruit
less trailing and snubbing, | turned
the car north by northwest three
days IN a row and returned TO the
old home place TO eat a sandwich
of the card table. Why didn't ]
20 down town in bus or street
car? Because I've had the flu and
| didn't feel strong enough TO stand
up in a moving mob scene. Couldn (
get that show dog stance required
for streetcar and bus riders TO keep
from falling on the face on the
wind-sweDt, brakeless curves.
Yesterday l started down town
Rgain-for lunch. ! got the lunch,
q parking place and-a ticket. The
last was the gift Of the metropoli-
tan police. II wasn't my fault l got
the ticket. II was merely my re-
ward for believing in signs.
For when ! saw a nice new Sign
on / St. opposite the Army and
Navy Club, saying in dashing black
type on brilliant gold, NO parking
between and S a. m. | natural
" thought il was permissible 10
park there at other hours.
was wrong ! was wrong be
cause l should have driven the car
down to the end OF the block. There
/ would have seen the gold and
black sign supplemented by another
sign saying something about never
parking here at any time nohow.
That the second sign was pale and
dirty had nothing to do with the
case. SO the captain at the Third
Precinct said. He knew there
wasn't enough signs to make any
thing clear in the district. But
what could he do? The signs were
ordered. Sure, the taxpayers mon
ey would pay for them. But the
signs hadn't come.
So he had the boys tack up the
signs they had. The public ought
10 guess the rest. He couldn't help
II II the signs didn't match. They
weren't his responsibility. So:
Three dollars, please!"
Speaking OF interesting expert
einces, there was the chance TO
look at and listen to the capital au-
dience reaction TO "The Lunts" in
their National theater play. 20 Mis-
tress Mine. Undoubtedly It was
an amusing play. Mrs. Lunt Owe
always heard her mentioned as
Lynne Tontanne). was, according
to her own designation and the
designation OF the playwright and
producer, a modern version OF the
old-fashioned character, THE Kept
Woman.
She was kept very nicely indeed
in Molyneux gowns and such trap
pings by Sir Charles, a cabinet
minister, who had wife knocking
about somewhere. Miss Fontanne
had a son knocking about in Cana
da. But he came home.
And wasn't II the most delicious
thing in the world, try comic, the
way the poor child objected to the
love nest in which he found his
mother? Every time the son would
inquire about mammals diamonds
and chiffons. the audience would
shrek with laughter. Silly boy. he!
Adolescent! And how sweet his ex-
Quisite mother was. What kind OF
a world did he think this is any
how? Poor little squirt.
OF course the play ended happi.
". The wages OF what used TO be
evil was a house on Park Lane
and more Molyneux gowns.
20 Mistress Mine will have big
vogue. II will be adored by every
body who has lived In sin or yearn-
ed TO live in sin. Reservations will
probably be booked weeks in ad-
vance. Only THE Lunts" could
manage such a gaudy theme. Per
haps this is because they never at
tempt to conceal gaudiness. They
play It straight
Or It may be because The
Lunts" are married to each other.
This gives their charm and talent
a substantial background
In an almost concealed manner.
II puts blessing on domestic viz
tue. Certainly II makes 1t profit
able.
No. I'm not mad. I enjoyed 20
Mistress Mine" enormously. But
when I got home and began to think
the situation over, I was little en-
barrassed that I had laughed 80
hard.