After Elle’s marriage to Skeets was annulled he was heartbroken. When she ran away to marry him he took her to stay with his parents since he was in the military and had to leave her soon after the wedding. Elle was a teenager and had married him after a fight with her mother that made her want to run away from home. There was no place for her to run so consenting to marry Skeets was a viable option. She told him the problem with the plan was that she did not love him- at least not as more than a friend. Skeets was a bit older and assured Elle that he loved her enough for the two of them and that she would grow to love him.
Elle was fond of Skeets who was a good man, adored her and would have been a good husband. The main problem was his departure so soon after their marriage. She was such a young girl and needed him to be with her. Of course he could not be since the military required him to go where and when they sent him. He went on ships so it was impossible for his new young bride to join him. Years later Elle received a telephone call from Skeets because he was considering remarriage to someone else and could not find legal documentation about their annulment. He needed her help but it turned out that she needed his help even more.
After Elle’s annulment she returned to living with her mother and attended college during the day and got a job working nights as a car hop at a burger and milkshake place. The all American hamburger started gaining popularity before World War II. Of course it wasn't until the milk shake machine salesman Ray Kroc met the two McDonald brothers that burger history would be forever changed and the burger would be placed next to mom's apple pie as an American icon. McDonalds eliminated carhops to make everything self serve.
Elle became one of the restaurants best car hops. She was not on roller skates as car hops later were but she ran constantly all night. She was paid a small percentage of her sales plus the tips that really added up. Since she was good she did well in tips, enabling her to afford to attend college and join with several other girls for an apartment within walking distance from the burger place. The carhops were assigned to numbered stations and Elle acquired favorite customers who would sit in their cars and wait until her station was available. One regular customer was a group of guys who came there several times per week to eat dinner after they got off of work. They liked Elle and one of them named Sam was especially fond of her and started asking her out.
Elle herself was surprised by the focus of her college studies- accounting. Math had never been her strong suit and she actually hated it. She wanted nothing to do with any career involving math yet there she was studying bookkeeping and accounting. Life is sometimes filled with mystery and surprise.
Menu at car hop burger place
First McDonalds in San Bernadino, CA
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