Indianapolis Times, Volume 48, Number 14, Indianapolis, Marion County, 27 March 1936 — Page 39

MARCH 27,1936-

m T(day's True Stor>r—

FORTY-EIGHT

a a a a a a By Alma and Paul Ellerbe

SHE had been noticing the Southland Motor Camp signs for miles, trying not to notice them. When she came to the camp itself she drove resolutely on. She wasn't going to spend that night in an automobile camp. They were all right, but she had been staying in them every night on the iong trip down from the North and Heaven only knew In how many others when she had been driving about the country looking for a job in these six months since her old one had folded up under her.

She needed the old reassuring sense of bodily comfort, the things she had taken as a matter of course for so many years when she had been a successful saleswoman, covering n?r termcry in this same little car—a warm and quiet room with a bath in a good hotel, maid service, a leisurely dinner in the hotel dining room, a comfortable chair in the lounge afterward, and then a movie, perhaps, or a play. “And that's what I'm going to have tonight,’’ she said aloud to the December afternoon. And gave the car more gas and drove rapidly on. But, “Don’t be a fool, just because you’re sorry for yourself and can’t taka it.” warned a voice inside of her. ’ Remember what you’re up against.” What she was up against was the fact that the four express checks for $25 each that she had in her pocketbook, the car and the two suitcases full of clothes in the back of it were all she had in the world; that she had no real prospect of getting a job nothing but the hope that she might turn up one in Miami if she was on th.? ground Vhen the season opened. And the further fact that today was her forty-eighth birthday. a a a IT was being 48 that was getting her down, she thought. The rest of it could be changed. She felt her eyes fill with tired tears. She had been on the road for {our days, and the whole country, including Florida, was at its raw, drizzling, winter worst. When she had gone a few miles farther she turned and drove slowly back. And fighting hard to keep up her ebbing spirits she rolled into the Southland Motor Camp, was assigned to a cabin, drove her car beneath the shelter that adjoineci It, freshened herself up a bit and went over to what the proprietor had called the clubhouse, looking for a good fire and enlivening companionship. Without much prospect of getting either, she thought, glancing In at the window ns she passed and seeing the single log smoldering on the hearth and the group of dismal looking people scattered about the room. She sighed and went in, an alert, keenly observing, naturally lighthearted woman, very much down on her luck, who needed something warm and diverting almost more that night, perhaps, than she had ever needed it before. A lanky brown boy was rooting about liKe a puppy in a pile of magazines near the door; a pompous, judicial person, who occupied the middle foreground, looked up from his folded hands, then withdrew the look dismissingly almost before it had touched her; four of the other people in the room lifted bored, disinterested glances; the fifth, a helpless looking little 'man with nice eyes who seemed about to go down beneath the waves of silence that washed about him, stood aside from his place at the hearth to make room for her there. a tt tt “ A BAD day to be on the road,” iV he observed politely. Martha Tweedy nodded. “And yesterday wasn't any better.” “Have you driven far?” “From New York City.” A slim blond in a june-bug green knitted dress, who sat with a cheap. Broadwayish looking young man at one side of the hearth, looked at Martha and murmured; “Imagine being there and coming here!” “New York’s all right,” Martha said, “but Florida ought to be nicer at this time of the year.” I “Too much grass growing in the Streets any time.” “Give it time and it’ll get rid of the grass,” Martha said with a smile. “Time’s all they’ve got down here. Time and buzzards.” “Oh, for gossake lay off ’em, can’t you, Leone?” her companion muttered under his breath. “All Florida needs to do, it seems to nif,” Martha said, “is to spread Its feet a little wider and stand on them.’’ A man who sat reading a little way off lowered his newspaper and glanced over at her. Martha hadn't seen his face before for the paper, but she liked his rough tweed knees and compact brown hands. Now that she saw it, she liked his face too. He had a look of gumption and of competence. She began to be encouraged about the evening. But he only regarded her for a moment without speaking, and lifted his paßcr again. “Florida is a much maligned and underrated state,” said the pompous, judicial looking person. “If you will permit me to refresh your memories with a few facts .. and lie began to lay them down solid and flat and uninteresting, like so many coquina blocks, Martha thought. tt a a SHE got up at his first pause ana went to find the proprietor, to see if they couldn't have more fire. She found him in the refreshment stand that adjoined the clubhouse. He was serving two telephone linemen, who sat at the counter eating hot dog sandwiches and drinking coffee. Their leather jackets were buttoned up to their chins, and the proprietor wore an old heavy gray sweater. Back of the counter was a small partly inclosed floored space with three or four tables scattered about on it. A dreary place to eat one's birthday rapper. And of nothing but sandwiches and doughnuts, or a slice of pie. She shivered, and a wave of sick desolation swept over her. She followed the proprietor back with his scant load of wood and stood beside the hearth while he rekindled the fire. Tdrly darkness pressed at the windows, and suddenly she could stand it no longer, this stillness that lay over the rowm, and the stillness that lay over her life; the cold outside of her and the cold Inside. She gave a sort of hitch to her shoulders And a tilt to her head, as if ahe challenged anything to atop her, and, letting her friendly glance go from one to another of these strangely assorted felWw travelers of hers, she did a mosi characteristic thing.

“Folks,” she said, “this is my birthday. My forty-eighth. I'd like to forget it tonight if I could. And I can’t do it alone. But if you’d help me, maybe we could pull a nice little party. I noticed a sea food place that looked good back up the road about a mile or so, and if you will all be my guests I’ll hop into my car and drive back there and see if they won't serve dinner to us here.” They were naturally a bit taken aback; but they met it with a sufficient show of pleasure. And within the hour the dinner was being served there at a table drawn close to the hearth. Clam chowder, broiled sea bass, fresh green beans and boiled potatoes. The coffee and pte came later from the hot dog stand of the Southland Camp. a a a T'O everybody’s surprise but Martha’s the affair -went off well. Martha jected it to go well. She wa.. ’ to making things go. She ~.*o, . i fact, a natural bom mixer. Not the hearty, hands all over jnu type, but she liked people and hid a natural talent for putting them at their ease. When they finished eating, the judicial looking person arose and made a congratulatory birthday speech; the blond woman in the june bug green dress sang one of Helen Morgan’s blues songs at her companion’s suggestion, and when they encored her she sang another in which he joined; the lanky brown boy rolled out the old victrola from the corner and unearthed several dance records, and everybody danced, even the man in the rough tweeds whom Martha liked better than any of them, but who, while he had been entirely polite, had remained curiously dr’. ,ched all the evening, more an onlooker than a participant. Then they played several hands of bridge and said good night. Warmed and reassured by the pleasant, casual comradeship and her ability to turn what had promised to be a boring evening into a cheerful one, Martha walked briskly back to her cabin. When she closed the door afld before she turned on the light, the voice of the slim young blond came in to her as • ne and her companion passed. ”... spending all that money on a lot of people who would rather have been let alone.” “Oh, pipe down, can’t you? It was a hell of a nice thing to do and a damn nice little party.” “Hardly worth the 10 or 15 bucks It must have cast her, if you ask me,” the husky voice replied. Something like this Martha had been holding off at arm’s length all the evening. She had known she couldn’t afford what she was doing. She had been aware of the $10.75 It was costing in the very fibers of her body. But you couldn’t go on forever just buying food for your stomach and a pillow for your head, she had told herself vehemently. Your spirit should have something to live on. But—“people who would rather have been left alone.” A painful color.suffused her face. a a a SHE moved heavily across the floor, lifted her arm as if it were a weight and turned on the light. Slowly and heavily she sat down. She dropped her hands into her lap. She clasped them tight, one rolled inside the other. Her face was bleak and old in the light of the unshaded electric bulb. All her 48 years were upon her. “I’ve not only been a fool,” she thought miserably, “but a public nuisance as well.” “May I come in?” someone outside called; and when she opened the door it was to the man in the rough tweeds who had been so aloof all the evening. “I’ve been looking for you," he said, and came in and stood just inside the door, his hand on the back of the only other ch'air in the place except the one behind her. “—for six months or more.” he added amazingly, with a smile on his keen, intelligent looking face. She stared at him in surprise. "Do you know someone I know?” she exclaimed. “Who on earth ever told you about me?” “Nobody ever told me about you. but I knew you must exist. I'm just about to launch a comparatively new sort of enterprise, a thoroughly equipped cottage hotel with twenty pleasant cottages scattered about among the palms and live oaks, where guests may stay a day or a month or the season through if they like —and I hope they will find it attractive enough to hold them that long. My wife will be there with me, but she is not well enough to assist me. But from the way you picked the situation up tonight and carried it off, you seem to me the very person I’m looking for—if you happen to be free and would consider it, after you've looked the ground, and me, over. Do you think.” he asked earnestly, “you could manage it?” Her heart beat in quick hard strokes against her side. Her throat was full of her excited breath. Life swept through her again like a strong keen wind. She nodded, and as she looked at him a light flickered up and began to burn in the depths of her steady gray eyes. “Yes.” she said, quietly, “I think I can manage it.” THE END. VOTERS MAY REGISTER AT CITY DRUG STORES Branch Offices to Be Open Tomorrow Are Listed. A list of branch offices where voters may register tomorrow were announced today. They are: Ewing’s Cutrate Drug Store, 1313 Oliver-av. Michael Pharmacy 2, 2177 S. Me-ridian-st. Nunnally Pharmacy, S. West and Raymond-sts. Comisky Pharmacy, 1702 E. Min-nesota-st. Albert S. Fritz, 4101 E. Michiganst. Thirtieth Street Pharmacy, 801 W. 3<hh-st. Loudermilk Pharmacy, Belmontav azyl Michigaa-sft,

OUR BOARDING HOUSE

fHE'S WE'RE, iSOMEONH. SOLD MA3OR? VOUR HIM A SET || WEALTHY COUSIN OP USED TIRE'S M|||||g|pp£ I'm ALL MICHAEL, IN HIE AMD THREW 'A TWITTER* , eUKTDER CHARIOT, } iKi THAT YES— JA iNG OKI ALL TODDLE- JV \T ISN’T TOO % ! IT 3UST 2&L HOPPER \ W LATE TO LOCK EZED Ik] OH -voovz > LAST LUC 6E! AM 1 PULL lk\ 7)

FRECKLES AND HIS FRIENDS—

'please let F YSU *l^. DIDNT_/* I I LISTEW, OFFICER, 1 9 YOU'RE NUTTY COOK, ME G 0... I'VE BROKE INTO got id GET J THAT DRUG opew a _ I HAVE id I GOT HERE AFTER : BOf WHO HAS SUCH A ■ THIS ] STORE ! JUST uuq yz /'MIT UNTIL HOURS THE i BAD NAME AROUND THIS MEDICINE i WHY? > GET THIS MEDICINE WAS ' TOWN I Hi <M...LOOKS feAD, VER * IMPORTANT ! CKOK! fr * HSAUN6

WASHINGTON TUBBS II

(AAORNINIQr WHAT? A V STRANGER.)/ HE PONE K N AJOONA TO I, SHERIFF/) I SETTEIh LONE BANDIT'S GOING \ VOU DON’T// IT ONCE. HE’LL) (WANTA BET? / NOT,SON, iTO HOLD UP A SALOON, KNOW /(DO nAG'IN J IT MIGHT WITH A SHERIFF AND / PUNKY \ V ( NOT BE TWO DEPUTIES INSIDE?/ MAGLEW./ T 2 TO V LEGAL.

ALLEY OOP

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BOOTS AND HER BUDDIES

PERFECT l \T COOLANT HAME WORVLEO OOT I W>\SH 1 COOYD YAAVft 60NE AKW BETTER \N 1 ALONG HOW) X*D LONE TO TELL THE MOUYES THFT BRAT OR. TWO - ~ -.1 and slap wer. eace ,eoq. t GOOO VAEAGOteE U\ BOT > I ?ssb ' S ' f v/ haven't t\me to bother pll

THE TARZAN TWINS

* fIUSIW I 1 ” -Tt\ - p\ 'v I I M Z-si'A, wij

When Gudah the Terrible seized Tarzan in his trunk- the apes w-ere dismayed by the impending death of one whom they called master. And new with fury and utter abandon they flung themselves upon their common foe. But they were as starlings attacking an eagle. *

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

Two met death under Gudah’s massive feet. Another was pierced by a sharp tusk. Maktak, the leader of the warrior apes, leaped up to clutch one of the elephant’s ears. It was his plan to climb up and gouge out the eyes of the beast. But Gudah shook him off.

—By Ahem

BVOU KNOW A COWBOY "V RATES TO MltK A CoWvell/that's JEST HOW 3AD THEY RATE TO MILK ... . V . . BY NE* StBVICt, INC. T. M MO. U. S. FAT. Off. Z’ZI J

(SURE Y HAW, HAW! THE SHERIFFS) WHEE?\ WHO \ COME ON , EASV\ MIGHT. / YEAH,THEv\ IT S IeOT COLD FEET - SHE’S/ 10 TO 1 SAVS | HERE'S WHERE SAY EVEN LEGAL./ SCARED to Bet, f ON / I'M IWE CLEAN UR/ WHAT/ S. MAG LEWS I MA&LEWySCAIRT W Z/' PUPM MOMFY UNEASY—- \ 0 BET?/ b v / BELLE \ \ / V — n*(JYi : ANP THEM N 1 ( / v T deputies are

Meanwhile Tarzan could see no hope. Under other circumstances he might have looked death in the face with a challenging smile, tut now he was filled with self-reproach because he failed in his mission to save Dick and Doc from the perils of the w T ild. . . .

OUT OUR WAY

'keep a stiff upper ) oiMkjy, iou waot-hidep fFTTg UP,GRAND WI2EE, J WUiiMi Os FOOL -CUT OUT THIS Os BOy-TMOOMIM/ ) MONKEY BUSINESS AN' K 'f

r I HANE TO HORRY ANO CATCH THE , 1f AI THAT, L MOST PEHEbAEER. ,TO GENO NEXT BOAT HOME-‘TO THE PR\X)CE \ THE TUTTG tNORD , ATTEQ. X M HE'G THE ONE WHO \NTEREETS ME ABOARD SHVP.VNHERE LNE HAD OOM'T 'j... k, s © >Y WEA Off.

IT ISNT gi EALING WHEW OH,'YEIAH ? WE’LII YOU PAY FOR WHAT MX) TAKE, ) GO INSIDE IS IT? I LEFT MONEY AJ AND HAVE A J I * r ls*’'. UrnZ jSH'' Bp 7;lv NEA SERVICE. INC. , . '9.

... In their flight from the Bagalla village, it seemed that the Tarzan Twins could be savea only by a miracle, for they were not as fleet as their pursuers. Already the imaginative Dick envisioned re-capture and a horrible death in the cannibals* boiling pots!

—By Williams

—By Blosser

—By Hamlin

—By Martin

—By Edgar Rice Burroughs

COMIC PAG*

—By Crane