The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-30
The SPARKS, JANiToR.


Eliza said Mr.. sparks on the night
OF the day that they. moved into their
new fat. this apartment life Is wozSs
than one OF Dante's circles III make
just one more move before die and that
viii be into a house IL a suburb
Just then the front door bell rang
Henry Sparks stumbled over two trunks.
his daughters bicycle, barked his shin.
bruised his toes and finally reached the
door. There IN the hail stood a young
woman. comedy and strong looking. rs
this the place you want girl?" asked
the young woman
A sudden Joy Ieaped into Henry SPARKS
heart Yes, he said, come IN. We've
just moved; we're all upside down here
Look cut Tor the boxes"
Then Mr.. Sparks led the way into the
diniusroom and turned the caller over
20 his wife Yes. We want q girl" said
Mrs. Sparks; we've just moved IL, ana
may be you won't want TO stay now; C-ou
see how things are and what cleaning is
20 be done"
I'm not afraid TO work" said the
girl.
At this answer Henry Sparks, who
stood in the corner, almost tainted The
girl produced d letter from Lutheran
clergyman IL a little country village. Il
happened that Henry Sparks knew the
man. The girl was taken on the spot
as she declared she was ready To go 10
work then and there and would have
her things sent right over from her
cousins
During the whole conversation Mrs
Sparks face had worn a rather puzzled
expression. When the girl had yolUn-
teered 10 stay Mrs. Sparks said: How
did you happen 10 know we wanted
grip
I saw your advertisement was the
answer. Here il is" and the girl pull
ed out a copy Of the morning paper.
Mrs. Sparks took it. Mercy" she ex-
claimed, that's the advertisement Of
Mrs. Smithkins. who lives iR the fat
underneath this. You came TO the wrong
apartment.
Wen. 1 Ike the looks Of this place.
anyway. and III stay"
Henry, said Mrs. Sparks, wont it
be a case OF false pretenses if We keep
her2'
Not by Jugfun. TIL send Mrs.
Smithkins the price of her advertise
ment in an anonymous letter. To have
and to hold is a good motto in a case
like this
That girl Rosa. who stumbled into the
Sparks fat that moving DAY night, was
a dream. She cooked things TO turn;
she was willing; she didn't have a cross
word in her vocabulary; she didn't care
to so to balls an Saturday night, and
she was plump and good-looking. The
Sparks family life was ideal.
One morning as mr. Sparks was leav-
ing the building TO so TO the office he
met the ianitor who was coming up from
the basement leading a child with each
hand. Mr.. Sparks had barely noticed the
janitor before. This morning something
in the mans bearing struck him and
turning. he said: William. you've been
in the service
Yes, sir" said William. 81 put in FIVE
years in the Fourth cavalry.
Il can tell 4 regular the minute ] clap
eyes on him." said Mr.. Sparks. Il put
in d good many years myself. You have
two fine children here, William.
Yes said William. assentingly, and
then Mr.. Sparks said "Good-by."
That night when Mr.. Sparks reached
home his wife said: The janitor came
up today and washed the windows.
didn't think it was part OF his work, but
he said it was all right and insisted.
He told me that he Used 10 be IN the
regular army and that he knew you had
been in the service. too"
That it, Eliza" said Henry. IAN old
soldier likes TO do things for another old
soldier. lie washed our windows because
We had both done hard duty on the
plains. Nothing like it. He must be q
good. steady fellow, for he has a wife
and two children. They have a fat in
the basement
Mr.. Sparks net William quite fire.
quently after this. William always sa-
luted. If he happened to be standing
still as Mr. Sparks passed he would come
to attention" clicking his heels to-
gether the while and saluting ike the
old campaigner he was. Almost every
night when he would reach home Mrs.
Sparks would tell Henry Of some new
act of attention on the part Of the jani-
tor. He came up and went all over the
plumbing today, she said one night. "He
said he wanted to make sure there
wasn't any sewer gas ia the place
suppose Re fears for the health of his
wife and children. He spent an awful
long while IN the kitchen examining the
pipes there. He said they would need at
tention for another day or two. | was
afraid he would interfere with Rosa 8
work. but she said he didn't.
There. It's just as l told you. Eliza"
said Mr.. Sparks; this janitor doesn't
want TO see the family of an old soldier
suffer. III give him a box OF cigars to-
night. Eliza. this IS the finest kind OF
life. Never talk 70 me again about tax
ing a suburban house. Here the best
girl that ever worked out stumbles IN
On Is b1 dtCiQtils anu We get Il l4iiLoT
who serves us as though we were mo-
gus. Wen just drift along in this rat
in this EIysian atmosphere until either
we, Rosa or William die. It's great
Things went on this way for two
months. Henry Sparks told five real es-
tate agents 10 quit looking up ii country
home for him. You can't beat the com
bination I've got right here in the heart
OF Chicago he said.
He told his wife one day that he must
He told his wife one day that he must
give William another box OF cigars. be-
cause although he was an old soldier. hs
did not Ike the idea OF having the
man do 81 much work for simply the
sake Of sentiment II gave each OF his
children n quarter this morning and
gave his wife a dollar the other day. b,it
that's not enough % do for a man who
happy IN a fat
That nigiit Mr Sparks went down
town 70 do some work. He eida't get
back till I clock. He slipped or his
shoes AZ the door so as not 10 awaken
his wife. lie passed into the haH and
feeling hungry. he went back through
the diningroom with a mind and appetite
bent on exploring the kitchen pantry.
The door leading into the kitchen was
shut IN his stocking feet Mr.. Sparks
made no noise He opened the door
quickly The kitchen gas was burning
From the Ear end q the room came a
clicking noise. William. the janitor. war
standing AZ attention, With his heels
brought sharply together. As the man