The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-21

Two year old Teresa Annunciato sat
munching a greasy breakfast of bacon,
fried crisp, and potatoes. fried hard.
Mary, her elder sister, who was 10 and
grown up, had cut the bacon and po-
tatoes for her. AS she ate she rubbed
fat, brown, greasy hand across her
mouth and then across her forehead.
1t had been hot in the squalid little
room where she and sister Mary ana
the other sister, who was between"
Teresa and Mary, had slept on one hot
bed. The brotherS-there were three OF
them-had slept on another bed.
1t had been hot in this narrow room.
One window opened out towards a
frame building. No air ever came in
through that window when the wind
came from the west or south or north.
1t didn't matter when the wind came
from the east. The east wind meant
cool and comfort. For three days there
had been no east wind and it had been
getting hotter and hotter.
Tonight they would sleep on the
wooden sidewalk in front of the house.
So would all the people in the neighbor-
hood. They could not stand another
night in the sitting rooms.
Teresa's little body was red where the
heat had brought sore, irritating rash
to the surface. She had tossed uneasily
through the night and had kicked sister
Mary vigorously. 1t was early morning
now and she was more comfortable.
eating bacon and potatoes Her one
thin garment did not add heat TO her
body Although the sun already baked
the house it was nothing to what was
coming after while.
Yet there was hope. At any moment
the east wind might come. If it did
they would not sleep on the board
planks of the sidewalk but in their beds,
and they would be glad that they were
three to a bed because the east wind
might be cool.
Mother and Mary went out. after the
bacon and the potatoes had been eaten
They had tidied up by placing the dirty
dishes in the dirty sink where they could
soak Once in a while they swept, but
not often. They would be back present
" with bundles of half finished gar
ments on their heads. Then, as Teresa
knew, they would sit during the day
in the sitting room. close to the one
window and sew and sew and sew
while the light lasted and while the
sun beat down on the house.
ont side was Teresa's world. 1t was
from the street car tracks to the via
duct and back again. There was not a
green thing in it; not tree, not blade
of grass-nothing but brick walls that
radiated heat in the sunlight; nothing
but dust in the street, which burned
the bare feet; nothing but planks IN
the sidewalk, which were warped ana
dry.
Yes. there was the water trough at the
corner. Wner6 a Lnln stream CdIllC Jul u
a faucet and where the water was warm
in the wooden trough. 1t was cooling,
though, to souse the arms and legs and
head in the trough. Afterwards Teresa
would be parboiled by the sun and
would get a degree redder. every time
her wet body was dried by the heat.
Then there was the saloon, two sa-
looms smelling of beer-not pleasant
been poured on the floor and allowed
m dry into SugarV dust.
AS the sun came higher overhead
Teresa lost even the energy required TO
paddle in the water trough. She curled
up by the ash barrel in the shade OF q.
building and dozed. There she was
found by Sister Angela and dragged
complaining into the house-not because
sister had any thought that Teresa
should not curl up around the ASH par
rel. but because sister was peevish with
the heat and wanted something to DO.
Mother gave the complaining baby
and sister Angela a penny ana they
went out to hunt up the watermelon
man He kent tempting, dirty slices of
watermelon under a dirty glass jar,
penny a slice. The heat of De Koven
street can make q penny slice OF dirty
watermelon the most appetizing thlng
in the world, next to penny's worth
of ice cream. which may be purchased
of the same man.
An ice wagon came in sight and sister
dra gged Teresa in pursuit. 1t stopped
at a Saloon ana DOlu SISTER anu lCAN1-N
got a handful of pieces which had fallen
in the dirt. These were washed in the
water trough and sucked-grateful bits
of GOODNESS while they lasted. Then they
wished they had bought popcorn in
stead of Watermelon. 1t lasts longer
They hunted up the popcorn man to
look at the luxuries they could not buy,
and there an unexpected piece Of good
| fortune came their way. The popcorn
man had broken a ball of the sticky
| sweetneat. He gave each child a hand
/ full of the dehcacy.
| Turning the hard corns over under
! her tender teeth Teresa sought the ash
4 barrel again and, sister not interfering,
/ fell into a restless sleep moaning occa-
| siOnally. There che was found by the
/ young woman from the settlement.
AS the young woman picked the baby