Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1950-06-08
Montgomery SideIights
ELSIE WHITE HAINES

(Which one stops the train?" I
asked the porter as l gazed on the
dozen or so gadgets which operat-
ed the facilities of the roomette l
occupied Wednesday night on the
West Coast Champion, one of the
Atlantic Coast Lines crack trains.
"W'at yo' want to stop the train
fo'?" he answered quickly. 81
don't - just want to know which
one not to touch" replied /.
"Now this'un puts on the top
light this'un the blue night
light - this'un lights the mirror
push this to call the po'tah - the
bed light is over the bed when
yo' pull it down." Good gracious,
do 1 have to pull it DOWN." eyes
Ma'am, it's easy = I'll show yo'
how" And so to the amusement of
the handsome, white haired woman
in No. 8, learned how to go to bed
in No. Z as z roomette. After
one gets the hang of it and learns
to do first things first, it's sort of
fun.
Did have few unpleasant mo-
ments later when the bed refused
to stay down unless 1 sat on it :
every time l got up to undress, the
bed started up, too. Having a
vision of being closed up in the
roomette wall, upside down, des-
perately sat down hard on the bed
when it almost got away from me
and heard a click = it was fast,
and all l had to worry about was
how to unfasten it when / wanted
to. Really if one can read, and has
any mechanical sense, it is very
simple = one soon gets to learn
ing the double uses of conveniences.
expect to feel like a seasoned
roomette traveller on my return
trip.
AS l write this Saturday noon
in the breezeway of the Billhimer
home in Sanford, Bobby, a much
larger boy than the one who left
Washington Grove three years ago,
and two of his smaller neighbors,
Russell (Bubba) and Ronnie
Davis, are reading comics nearby,
with appropriate, if noisy accom-
paniment. Bobby's best friend is
Erwin Eugene Estridge, best known
as Sonny" Both are learning to
drive and casting eyes at the girls.
Betty Billheimer, who is enjoy
ing being seventeen, awoke half an
hour ago, turned on a radio full
blast, and is now making cup
cakes. She is having a party to-
night for fifteen girls, in honor of
four girls in her high school band
who will graduate next Thursday.
Betty, who plays the clarinet, will
graduate next year. She is a gay,
popular girl. 1t is nice to be in the
midst of happy family once, more.
! Hamlet, and orange tabby, has
become fond of the visitor from
Maryland, and is putting out ten.
tative paw at the paper .futtering
in the breeze. Fluffy, Hamlets
half sister from next door, comes
in occasionally. She belongs to
Barbara Bradley. The Billheimers
seem to make a practice of living
next door to the Bradleys. Remem-
Der when they were neighbors of
the Washington Grove Bradleys?
Barbara Bradley who chatters all
the time, has no front teeth. She
wanted them for Christmas, then
for Easter = and here it is al
most the Fourth of July = still no
front teeth.
Tho it is very hot and getting
dry here, the flowers are bloom
ing profusely a gorgeous pink
vine climbs a trellis at the front
door,. Hibiscus, gardenias, a love-
ly spidery red lily and other semi
tropical flowers bloom among the
more familiar petunias under the
windows. Several kinds of palms
= orange, tangerine, guava and
other fruit trees are growing in
the back yard. The Billheimers
have indeed settled in a pleasant
place.
Maryland, with the bewildering
events of the past three weeks of
sorrow, thunderstorms and almost
constant rain, seems very far way.
While one never gets away from
himself or his troubles, change of
environment does change the view
point somewhat.
In the two days I've been here,
sleep and sunshine have been the
only things l have craved. Next
week l plan to use Mrs. Billheim-
er's car and visit some nearby
places of interest. This afternoon,