The San Francisco call., 1903-09-06

" y
n the College Settlement dragged
Wv Ardelia from her degradation
abe wSs sitting on q dirty pave
ment and throwing assorted
nsfuss St an unconscious policeman It
o never had occurred 70 her that her situa-
con was anything less than refined
Come here, little girl said the young
woman tnvirngly. Wouldn't you like TO
ooms with me and have q moe. oOOl
baShg-
Nav" sAid ArdeliA
~TOa wOuldn't7 Wei. Wouldn't you
. like some bread and butter and jamT'
''Wha's jam said Andelia oonserva-
=. lively.
"Why-its-er-marrnsl the young
: woman explained -Au sweet you know %
'NsW!' and Ardelis turned away and
fingered the refuse with an air OF hnSlity
thar caused the young woman to sigh
with veNstion-
Il thought you might Ike TO go on a
= picnic" said she hOpelessly- II thought
aI urue girls liked"
Picnic? When7' cried Ardelia, moved
Instantly TO interest I'm goin'r'
She brushed the garbage from her dress
and regarded her rescuer impauently.
"N hats The natter" she asked I'm
al ready Hump along-''
Wen so and ask your mother first
won we" suggested the young woman,
q little beWildered
Jagged Ardena returned lsconicany.
y she'd lift y'r face OF yer. Is II the Dago
picnic2"
The young woman shuddered. Seizing
s the hand which she ina gfned 10 have had
least 10 90 with the reuse she led Ar
della away
. Ardelis's origin was shrouded IN mys-
terry At The age OF two months she had
teen handed 70 q policeman by a scared
looking boy. who said vaguely that he
-foun6 Der in the park under q bench The
policeman bad added her to the other
foundIngs waiting that day at headquar-
ters- and carried them 10 the matrOn OF
the institution devoted TO their interest,
where one OF the scrubbing women named
p her
Later she had taken up her residence
with Ms Michael Fshey, who had con-
scented 20 add 70 her precarious Income By
this means, and at the age OF four she BE-
came the onc1al nurse OF Master John
Sullivan Fshey. A terribly hot August,
unlimited cold tea, and a habit OF playing
IN the gutter IL the noon glare proved too
much Tor her charge, and he died on his
third birthday The ride 10 the funeral
vas the most exciting event Of Ardelis's s
.lifa Ms Fahey had so long regarded
her as one OF the family that, though her
occupation was gone and her board was
no longer paid she was whipped as reg
ulariy and cursed as comprehensively in
her foster mothers periodical sprees as II
they had been closely related
What tine she could spare from helping
Ms Fahey n her somewhat casual
household labor Ardelia spent IN playing
up and down the street with a band Of
little girls. OF, IN the very hottest days,
sitting drOWsy and vindictiye at the head
of q flight OF stone steps that led into
q downstairs saloon The damp. fat,
- 49,.
men pushed open the swing doors was
cool and refreshing 10 her; she was IN a
position to observe any possible custom
ers at the three pushcarts IN her line OF
vision, and could rouse a Tagging inter
est in LIFE By listening 70 any one Of the
Alterations that resounded from the ten
enents night and day. A policeman was
almost always IN sight, and one Of them,
Mr. HRIlorsn, had more than once given
her a penny for lemonade In the room
above her head an Italian band prac-
ticed every evening, and then Ardela
was perfectly happy. Often hurdy-gur-
dv would station Itself at the corner, and
Ardelia and the other little girls would
= dance about singly and IN pairs. Ardelia
was the nghtest footed Of them all: her
hands held her skirts out almost grace
fully. her thin little legs few highest
Som etiraes the saloon keeper-they called
him "Old Dutchy''-would nod approval
ATlELla
beckon her 10 him mysteriously.
You trow your legs gOot," he would say.
1--WE shall see you already dancing, no?
Here IS an O.Iuf; eat her
And ArdeIia. who loved olives 10 dis
traction. would nibbie of small, sour,
SALTY rnouthfuls and suck the pit luxu-
riously while she listened to the Italian
band.
House was one Of interest TO her. She
was a silent child, and though she did not
understand why the young woman from
the Settlement should cry when she IN
troduced her TO two other women, nor
" hy 50 many messages should De ieIt ior
her mother and so many local and gen
e-sl baf,s administered, she said very lit
tie. She was not accustomed 70 quesuon
fate. and when il sent her to fried eggs
she refused TO eat them boiled-for her
breakfast she quietly placed them in the
credit column as opposed to the baths
and held her peace.
Later. arrayed IN starched and creaking
garments. she was transported 10 the sta
ton and for the first time introduced 10
the railroad car. She sat stffiy on the
red plush seat with furtive eyes and
sucked-in lips, while the young woman
talked reassuringly OF daisies and cows
and green grass. As Ardelia had never
seen any OF these things IT Is hardly sur
prising that she was somewhat enthusi-
sstic: but the young woman was oisap-
pointed By this lack Of ardor.
You can roll in the daisies, my dear,
and pick all you Want-allT' she urged
eagerly. But answering CLEAN woke In
Ardelia's eyes.
"Aw right" she answered gusrdedly.
and stared into her lap.
Look out, DEAR and see the fields and
houses-see that handsome dog, and see
the little pondP'
Ardelia shot a quick glance at the blur
ring green that oizzied her as II rushed