The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-26


- H~11 you want 10 come oaty7
~ Hannah Jane fastened
IN the door OF the canary's
cage open with a twist
ed hairpin. and the
bird spread It's beak at her. utsering the
lIercest scolding nj which hts little throat
was capable. She withdrew pace. and
out nc few, perehing picture frame.
from which inaccessible vantage he con-
tinued his bullying challenge.
The ingratitUds Of your SEX said
Hannah. laughing In a repressed way. az
II afraid some 6ne would overhear her.
There was no danger. The walls OF the
building were thick Hannah James room
WAS her castle. invadeo only by the Gus
toners whose old gowns she made over
Hannah James was a humble line OF
dressmakins. but none the less necessary.
She liked to 60 out by the day and SIT at
a good home table for her three meals:
but she had learned how IL heightened
her popularity To be willing TO accept odd
jobs Of sewing at her room. and so II was
that her meals were nearly all taken from
the little gas stove which heated her
pressing Iron. and were shared only by
the beilixerent canary, who considered
her his yassal.
There were some good points In the ar
rangement. because II gave Hannah Jane
was tired. and 10 read "a little poetry. She
was a bit of philosopher. If she some
times felt inclined to realize that Cherry
was n rather slender dependence as sole
companion and earetaker for q maiden
lady who was getting ON, she limited her
self to humorous literature II WAS only
In her brightest moments that she In
duiGed In the luxury Of melancholy; and
how astenished Hannah James custom
ers would have been to suspect that she
read poetry at all!
Laugh and the world laughs with you.
Weep and you weep alone
were lines she often quoted to the canary.
feeling quite worldly-wise and cynical as
she did SO, and naively unconscious OF the
loneliness even of her laughter.
A popular writer has said of one class
of women that If they. live To be 80 they
Will die young. OF this class was Han
nah Jane. The women who received her
patient suggestions for renovattng their
old clothes called her a good natured.
prim little thing and recommended her
as reasonable. She had lines I'm her fore
head and silver threads In her erimped
front hair and wore spectacies while she
sawed and To the hurri&h women whom
she fitted she was merely convenient
machine. but Cherry knew that she was
stiii n girl who giggIed at him. and who
when the moon WAS clear could scarcely
stay I'm her bed. but sat long by the win
dow murmuring rhymes Mandatory Of the
serene Queen OF Heaven. and seeing such
visions and dreaming such dreams as
come to the pure in heart.
The jaritress OF the building knew her
as well as anybody I'm the great city.
For Hannah Jane had more than once
lent her helping hand. and at one time
when the little seamstress fell Ill and the
rainy day fund had to be encroached
upon for rent. Mrs. Hogan had come. Ike
a good Samaritan. 20 her aid.
One morning Hannah Jane met the jan
itress I'm the hall.
TITS yerself ] was w!shin' fer" said
Mrs. Hogan with groan. TN fun o
rheumatic the morn. and two o the room
ers' beds left to do. MIR. jerks and Mr..
wyman. Would ye have time to help out
a poor bodyg"
.'Just as neves To as not" said Han
nah Jane, briskly. You go right and
keep warm"
Mrs. Hogan departed, uttering bless
fngs and the seamstress fitted down the
corridor and entered one of the rooms In
dicated. There she whisked the bed
clothes about. TO the accompaniment of
nimble consideration as TO whether the
gray braid she had bought TO bind a Gus
TONER'S skirt WAS a good enough match.
Then. after hasty busting. she repaired
To the next room. Its character WAS very
different from the last. Hannah Jane sus-
pended Judgment on the gray braid ana
examined the photographs or men ana
girls standing about. She observed pipe
on the table. il smoking jacket HUNG over
a chair A faint odor OF tobacco. which
the air from the open window had not
enftre3R banished. snote upon her sense
not uffjJ> nsssnfly. A hastily opened laun-
dry bundle lay on chair
Hannah Jane knew by sight and hear
Ing the young man who owned those
starched linens and the hose thSt had
fallen 10 the floor. She also recognized
his long, firm step az II passed her door,
aud the easy, deep heartiness of Wyman =
voice had often stirred her admiration.
She, nicked up his socks now with some
thing like shyneas. and mechanically
turning them, SAW the effect Of the Wig
nrous strides she $50 admired tinrrieoiy
she examined all the socks In the bun
die. Not one hat had liza little or great
ventiiating gaps The sight was sufficient,
10 stir the inhibited tenuTfHFsHSS St tiS
woman heart.
"poor fellow she murmured- Then 3
.positsvely exciting inspiration assailr'l her.
sipposiua she weTe to mend thes" socks
aud return them before their owner came
home II was too bad. tie would never
know Hannah James hands moved dsftIY
white she finished tire work OF tbs room,
and her checks burned suiluly As she stole
back IA her apar' nlvnt hearing an uuaccuS-
toned burden ~ Wytnar" VAS written
on a tape and sswea Ia each sock An
envelope On the ta13e was ADDRESSED 81 Al
ian Wynsn-
a nice name. II suits him" decided
Hannah Jane,
This was A rea-ict{er dav a. the Halle
.-essnsaker M schoolgirl could have
flushed mere eagerly than she over her h't
OF surreptitiouS ss.sv0 lticf- She even
,urnes. her haIg 10 Cttevvys cage "a she
drew the fiYst sock over her hand, aud
when the bird few - hey shoulder sie gave
q little cry and srlct to htie her NpTs
Don't yea TELL she exclaimed.
That night wbsa ths l0ng legs STROBE
past her door. Hannah Jane lifted her h'-
tie shoulder ana listened With warm
consciousness iii wsman's aoor slammed.
what will he say >" she asked herself.
thinsng az the carefully replaced hose.
Hannah Jane Was as ignorant as the Ca