The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-03-16
THE OUTCOME
OF "A FAILURE,
The Story Of the Ricardo,
A Beautiful Face
And Great Artist.
By JEANETTE h. wALwoRTH.

copyright, 1899, by Jeanette H. walworth.l
The janitor of the big New York
apartment house Ricardo, situated up
among the Nineties, near the Grand
Boulevard, never lost an opportunity of
impressing would be tenants with a
profound sense of their own extreme
good fortune in getting into house al
ready fairly saturated with the odor of
gentility.
"The Ricardo don't take in no transit
tory tramps, only the very best, and
them on years lease is good 'nough
for me. None of your novin in and
trampin out month by month, punchin
the hall walls chock full of holes," aft
er which came the inevitable:
There's old Major Broadinax. A re-
tired army officer. Him and his FAM
! ly's been here goin on four years, and
his opposite on the first floor is a army
paymaster. The first floor is given
over to newspaper folks entire; third
and fourth, business men of the solid
sort; fifth, one apartment only vacant;
the other, southern folks with mo-
manners than money, think likely,
but s'long as folks pays their, rent
punctual it's none of my business how
much or how little goes up on the
dumb waiter from the grocer and the
baker,
All of which sounded highly salts
factory to Miss Lidy Martineau, who
had left roomy and comfortable coun-
try home to pursue her literary and
artistic bent in the cramped discomfort
of a city fiat. Miss Lidy on her part
always prefaced her application for
rooms by stating in her most Impress
i've manner that she had come to the
city to be nearer libraries and the Art
Students league. 1t sounded imposing
and went a long way toward making
her feel literary and artistic. 1t smack
ed of achievement.
The Ricardo was double fat house,
and as Miss Lidy toiled patiently up its
four fight Of steps she experienced
some natural curiosity touching her
neighbors. She had scared above the
army officers and the newspaper folk
and the solid business men when she
stopped to take breath and to ask:
"Who will be my neighbors on the
fifth fioor?"
"Your opposites are them southern
and gentlemen; father, mother and
daughter; quiet as mice; sorter keep to
yourself people, you know"
Miss Lidy was mentally sure that
nothing would please her better than
| to have her "opposites" keep to them
selves and asked no more questions un-
| til she stood under the colored sky
light which capped the possibilities Of
ascent for the Ricardo.
Now, them" said the janitor, encour-
aging swift oblivion Of the tedious
climb, didn't you find them steps easy
and gradjal? And our carpets always
looks brand new"
The janitor's methods were as easy
and gradual as his steps, and by the
time Miss Lidy had surmounted the
last one he was fumbling at the locked
door of "A-Floor s." with his big
| bunch of duplicate keys.
1t was stuffy September day, with
a heavy humidity hanging in the air,
and the door Of the opposite apartment
stood wide open.
| Miss Lidy would have been either
more or less than woman If she had
not sent her bright little eyes on tour
of inspection across it's threshold. She
apologized to herself:
'These people, of all the people in the
house, will be the only ones I shall
have to take account Of. OF course l
want to examine them"
What she saw was narrow hallway
covered with a threadbare carpet, SO
scrupulously swept that every worn
fber asserted itself; small, square
bedroom, with a window Immediately
opposite the open door, through which