January 2013

Page 29

by

THERESA

EIL

COTY-O’N

national jourok was lauded by bo e Th s. es Pr s butu t Jim Lehrer, passenger by Ar s bus ticket agen ay lw ai Tr er rm e this … and fo another book lik in 1946 nalist be t r oi ve tr ne De ill w to re ed ad “The stealyhound bus he an who wrote, back on drunk, om rt w po g re un d yo an d boarding a Gre ot se sp dres She was there to should be fired… rved a sensibly embroidering. bus drivers who d y might have obse tt an nu er d iv an dr ss e le ise.” reck behind th and a half. I prom it up” with ing, t g ea in tr in black sitting tt a ha is “c s Bu en e up on a y on th likely have be oman who grew ke covert A Sp w ta g to un g She would very yo in a us pa es hool But how do ger, all the while a one-room sc ed nd te at , . a fellow passen rm ve fa ee r sl graduated early Galesburg dairy es in a pad up he tional #1) and notes, sometim ac Fr k oc st om degree in souse (C e up to? niversity with a ly graduated ho U nt n What was sh ce ga re hi d ic M ha rn ho te st Gladysz, w e of from Wes on a bus? Margean Wor at the tender ag ity rs s become a spy ve ie ni farming,” U ud n st ga al hi ci ic a M as rn w te geography and e es in Sh ed b. st jo from W re te ng in yi s er, and here was “I was alway her first well-pa t was officially been anyplace ev 18, was working r ha w ve ne or d t, ha ra “I ny . ys a compa ays and she sa “spy on the bus,” reyhound, Trailw G by ance.” id aid for colch pa y r, m ke try to re ar era, financial un -w co st e known as a chec po th e ss th ro in ac , then . Gladysz to ride buses It was Back War II veterans . ld ce or an W m or other companies to rf d pe te d raphy alloca ers’ behavior an degree in geog was lege was te ch ua hi ad w t gr a bu port on the driv e on ar set e aw get the degree, had her sights hich drivers wer Chicago, but to a position of w of ity rs ve ni U to see the om the e money. Eager th few women fr at rn very hush-hush. th ea b to jo a ve so ld ha applied. 940s, it was al nically she wou checker job and e ch th te ed as w er In the mid-1 ov sz sc dy di Gla ladysz ography, one for which g course in ge a bold world, G in in liv ho a w , on occupied, and sz ed dy rk Gla l terrain, people She then emba is did not stop the cities, natura at it would be underage. But th il th ta d de te in es g gg tin su en ay. ture boss into the docum red along the w letter to her fu d ready to step at she encounte an th d es ed right,” ne ic is ai pr ra tr d e re an er w raid if you’ .” af ed be rr cu to “timesaving if I g oc y un nc yo . They too ent that a vaca it, a “You’re s had utter faith lk ve fo y ha M ld . le ou position the mom ib w ns ck se lu ways had their she says. “I was resist? And as ere worried. I al ray into life as w How could he fo ’s ey sz th dy e la m G n ld ver to find out what’s ed. So bega d her travel ne r eagerness to ha ei vacancy occurr th ly s al ay tu w en al ev d an s, work that es. In support a spy on the bu ar II United Stat W ld or .” g buses, -W on st g po in the miliar with ridin ures in go fa nt as ve w ad r sz 138,000 miles of he dy la ed G oo nicl It helped that ay, Gladysz chro burg to Kalamaz other preserved. her observant w bus from Gales m r by he es ed ch us el hi “B av w . , tr llege having 4 of them she attended co oir, The Spy on s ar letters home, 38 em ye m a us e pl m oca tw ultimately be 2008 for the Those letters t, published in Ra ny pa m Co a r of The Bus: Memoi a ring her days as she appeared du as z ys ad Gl st Margean Wor

company spy.

www.encorekalamazoo.com | 29


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.