Mary?

Around 1949 a woman named Mary arrived in Whitethorn. What a show. Mary was flamboyant blond woman who claimed she was formerly married to a famous writer. I can't remember for sure, but I think she said she had been married to John Steinbeck. Whoever he was her story was undoubtedly not true. However, Mary obviously came from a well to do background. She brought with her a magnificent grand piano, antiques, bamboo screens and several Siamese cats. She played beautiful classical music on her piano and entertained everyone who knew her. She reportedly danced for some of her visitors and one bit of gossip claimed that after dancing in front of one spellbound group she turned around and exposed her bare butt to her audience.

Despite the fact I didn't have a piano, I took piano lessons from Mary. She made a cardboard copy of the piano keys and I practiced my lessons on this soundless board. While I never really learned to play the piano I did learn to read music.

Mary stayed in Whitethorn for a little over a year and it wasn't until my mother Ruby found her in Eureka did we know where she had gone. My mother told me she was walking on second street in Eureka when she past a bar where someone was playing a piano. Recognizing Mary's style, my mother went into the bar and there was Mary and her fantastic piano. That was the last we ever heard about her.