Beverly Gray's Career

Picture: Beverly, Lenora and Lois loooking at the crystal with Omar El Hamel.







Beverly is not content at home in Renville. She has been home 3 months and has not been inspired to write anything of worth.
Shirley and Lenora turn up the same day. Lenora has inherited a lot of money.
Rosalie we learn very quickly is engaged and set to marry in spring, Shirley was correct about Anne and Rosalie it seems. After 4 books I still don't think I know enough about Rosalie to fill two sentences. For the frost 4 books she seemed to just say things in conversation, she never had a truly identifiable personality. She was simply referred to as quiet.
Lenora decides to go to New York and asks Beverly and Lois to join her. Lenora's motto for New York is " watch our smoke, and learn"
Beverly, Lois and Lenora share a one bedroom apartment. They have a large lounge room, kitchenettes, bathroom and bedroom. They get one double bed and one studio couch that opens to a full size bed.

I love the contemplation by Beverly in the early chapters as she often spends the evenings looking out the apartment windows. Looking at the skyscrapers in New York ( p59-60)
" Didn't the desire to better oneself, the love of friends, didn't these things count for something? Did one always loose idealism in the scramble for existence in the working world?" (p60)
" If she could and would refuse to see the sordid, unpleasant side of everyday living she could be just as happy as she had been at Vernon."(p61)

" There was something somewhere in the world that she wanted- needed. There was a great lack in her life."(p61)
Does Beverly find that something? I don't think so in " Career" Does she find it in the series and what is it? I'll have to ask myself as I re- read the series.

Hope Rodgers is a new character that is introduced that lives upstairs. During the story she opens a shop with Lenora to sell the latest fashions.
The girls play Bridge for entertainment.
Larry Owens turns up and we learn that although we gave not seen him since the night he proposed to Beverly in Junior, they have both sent a few letters but neither was a studious correspondent so the letters laxed. Funny how we know that Jim and Beverly also have written letters throughout the series but the pair manage to keep up their correspondence. It is even mentioned that Jim has asked Beverly again to marry him in one of his letters.

Again in Career we are entertained by Lenora's prowess as a would be detective, she really did miss her calling. A shop owner is too pedestrian for Lenora.
" Lenora was of the opinion that the detective didn't know much of this murder - or of anything. For one thing she didn't like the angle at which he wore his derby. And why did he have to wear a derby?" ( p115)

Beverly does a good charitable deed one Christmas eve helping two poor boys with a good meal and Christmas gifts.
Beverly starts to get short stories published and thinks of writing a play or novel.

Roger Garrett is introduced as a new suitor for Beverly after meeting him at Shirley's new years party she went to with Larry. Lois gets a new date called Paul Benson for the party and Lenora dates Ralph Mathew. Lucky for Larry his competition Roger is called away on business so Larry is able to step in to take Beverly out to see Shirley's play.

Lois is the first girl slotted for international travel as she wins an art competition with a years study in Paris. Shirley is also set to travel ( to Chicago) as a part of a play she has a minor role in.

"Why wish the past back again?" murmured Beverly. "The present is exciting and the future - well, we can make the future exciting if we want to." ( p214-215)

As the girls return to Vernon a new mystery starts with only 3 chapters to go. We also hear of the plans for the second generation of Alpha Deltas. Virginia is going to medical school, (Chicago) Ada to the conservatory of music, (Chicago) Connie school of design, (New York) Kathleen studying to be an interior decorator (New York), Evelyn to business school to be a secretary. ( Philadelphia) and Phyllis to do commercial art. (Philadelphia)

It is mentioned in the last chapter that the girls would not see Shirley again for some time and with Lois going to Paris for a year, Connie and Kathleen are slotted into the story with a move to New York after graduation.
And of course the next book in the series is the ever illusive Beverly Gray at the World's fair.