Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-09-24
A ROMANCE OF AVENUE A.


strata of society, that romances are ev-
ery-day episodes in his eventful and
somewhat erratic career, and / there
fore make no apology or explanation
for the following tragic genre, which l
have written out just as it occurred. The
drdndtiS persona were all known TO me,
and much of the acting in the tragedy
was done under my eye. There are he
roes and heroes. My hero, a rough,
uneducated laboring man, takes a posi-
ton in the latter class. He gave his life
for another, when the sacrifice required
an exercise Of the noblest qualities Of
humanity.
The scene of my story is laid in the
American metropolis, and most of the
action takes place in a tenement house
situated on that great street of tenement
houses, Avenue A. All the characters
and the historian lived together; occu-
pying between them one fiat of a tene-
ment house aine stories high. Our fiat
was the seventh from the ground, and
being the only dodgers on that floor we
speedily became well acquainted. Be-
ing a bachelor, l occupied the front
room, which was study, reception
room, kitchen, dining-room and sleep
ing apartment. My next-door neigh
bors were an elderly Irish woman with
her two sons, Patsy and Teddy Horley.
They occupied three rooms. The two
back rooms had rs an occupant one of
the loveliest little maidens it was ever
my good fortune to meet. l think she
came originally from Massachusetts.
She worked at shirt-making in u large
Canal Street establishment, and her
name was written on the payroll as
Alice Layne. The Horleys and Miss
Layne had been neighbors some time
when became an inmate of the house,
and were already quite intimate.
Patsy Horley was the Oldest of the
brothers, large formed, red-headed, and
with irregular, homely features. He was
heavily freckled, and 1 never saw him
during a six months acquaintance time
that he didn't have three days growth
of red stubble on his face. He had large
gray eyes, and these were the most
striking of his facial organs. They had
but one pression-unswerving hon
esty in their every flash. Patsy was a
member of the corner "gang," and fire.
quently came home much the worse for
liquor, which grieved his old mother
sorely. She was blunt, plain-spoken
woman, 60 years old, fat, and much
given to weakness " in all parts of
her body, which prevented the posi-
bility of labor. So she was content to
sit by the window all day long knitting
at never-finished. blue woolen stocking
Her "byes" were very good to her.
Teddy gave her all his earnings. Patsy
most all. Teddy was the reverse of his
brother. He was six feet in his socks,
finely proportioned, handsome. His eyes
were black, his hair and mustache bark
brown, but curly. He was considerable
of a dandy and "dressed up" every
night after work. There was deep
affection existing between these brothers
They loved each other, and this devo-
ton was apparent in every act of their
lives.
Miss Alice Layne was, as 1 have be.
fore stated, a lonely little maiden,
pretty, and with a tender heart, suscept-
ible to the slightest variation of life's
compass. Less than week after tax,
ing up my quarters in the front room !
made a discovery. Alice Layne was in
love with Patsy Horley and Teddy Hor-
ley was in love with Alice Layne. II
was an interesting study to watch the va
rious phases of this cross passion, and
| never tired of it. 1t was very evident
to me that Patsy Horley admired the
little shirt-maker, but he kept the secret
safely locked in his great big heart, and
only took it out at odd moments when
he thought no one would notice the
treasure to gloat over it and adore il
and worship it as his mother did the
figure of the Virgin at the head of her
bed. don't suppose the honest fellow
ever dreamed that his love was returned
How could he when he so blindly wor.
shipped the superior physical gifts of his
young brother. For Patsy was very
proud of handsome Teddy, and never
tired of praising him. Alice, with 6
woman's intuition, saw the noble in
Patsy's character, and although Teddy's
good looks and fine dress and 20 flowers >
made an impression upon her it was
only transitory one, which vanished
as soon as she caught sight of Patsy''
big, homely face and honest gray eyes
Like all good-looking men, Teddy Hor
ley was Just the least bit conceited, anG
he imagined that it was only necessary
to declare his passion to find himself il
undisturbed possession of Alice's heart
One warm afternoon l was lying on {
lounge in my room, endeavoring to in
terest myself in the d" Light of Asia. ;
Mrs. Horley was down stairs visiting {
neighbor, and was nodding over thu
poem, when Alice Layne tripped up thl
stairs and entered her apartments.
heard her singing softly to herself as sht
made preparations for supper, and, mis-
anthrope that am, envied her tina
bird-like lightness of heart which trilleC
through every measure of the song.
was brooding over the melancholy past
when a heavy footstep sounded on tn,
stairs and Patsy Horley, in his rougl
working clothes, and little under tn
influence of liquor, opened the door 0
the room adjoining mine and threw him
self heavily on the bed. He got up di
rectly, opened little window over tn,
door which separated the two rooms
took a drink of water and lay dow
again. It may be well to mention tha
this chamber was dark room, and wa
occupied by the brothers as sleeping
apartment. A few minutes after thi
Teddy Horley bounded up the steps ant
entered the living-room, which was be
tween the dark chamber and his moth
er's bedroom. Finding his mother alb
sent, hecrosscd the hall and knocked a
Miss Layne's door. The little maidel
hushed her song and opened it.
"Oh, Teddy, it's you, is itP' sh
said.