The news & observer., 1905-12-24


becoming familiar with his destiny,
was deeply interested in taking re-
peated swallows of water from a nat
and dark colored flask in the vain
imagination that more fingered some
flavor of its original Importance as the
atmosphere of Ostrich Alley. Coyote,
with a red string of ribbon and a
cast off paper flower, was equally en-
crossed.
Occasionally Kobo rose from the
floor and gave q proud and dissipated
stagger in fair imitation of his man
friend Knuckles. Coyote, with the
band of red about the dirty yellow
of her checked apron, piroutted dlzzliy
upon her soleless shoes and switched
her short skirts about her emaciated
and ragged legs. She ran to the door
and rut a listening ear to the crack:
Go on away from here now, she
announced with a whining coquetry,
this amt no rough house. l tell
Won you're drunk And then in a
strident whisper. What you wantec
bring the cops fer! Don't you know
you'll wake the kidsi"
Kobo advanced threateningly with
his left fist drawn back to his side and
his head nattened against his should
ers like the muZzle of All adder:
"Swaller yer chini" he hissed. "or
I'll crack yer nut"
Coyotes voice changed at this play
into a trickle of sweetened awe:
Come off, Knuckles," she expostu-
lated with a gurgle, whats the use
er always gettin' mad when L KID
yeri"
Suddenly the slattern who had
been rocking by the window in time
to the rythm with which she masticat-
ed her gum, turned upon the chill
dren sharply:
make yerseives small she COM
manded. 9TH swells is buttin' in"
Kobo and Coyote acted in a mill
tary concert. The bottle went instant
ly under the bed. The red rag and
the flower disappeared as though by
magic Violette Manners left her
chair with a bound. hesitating only to
stick the wad of gum beneath the
arm. Hastily she attacked the pile of
rumpled cover on the bed. In pass
ing, she slapped the bristle side of
brush twice each upon the tangled
heads of Kobo and Coyote. She diVed
into a closet and appeared with q
broom. She threw up window and
opened the back door. KObo and Gov
ote settled silently in the chimney
jamb.
When, the horses picking their way
among the bottles and tomatoe cans
that filled the alley, drew the car
riage killed upon the garbage heaps
to the front of Violette's residence and
the coachman, with his nose in the
air. had condescended to knock at the
door, the interior presented stirring
picture Of poverty in the throeS of
trying to be clean. With round arms
pink through the dirt showing 20 the
elbows her skirt hitched up at the
back, "a broom in her left hand. Violette
stood surprised and ashamed before
a back ground of flying clouds of
dust Il poor but honest matron fight
ing dirt with almost a religious ar
dor. AS Mrs Hymnal came at the
head of her three companions from
the step of her carriage. her senu-
mental heart fluttered in the deeps OF
her ample and fur decked bosom to
think that her society had already
done so much. Well she remembered
the careless, sinful woman whom she
had first discovered in Vfolette. And
now, the changei The new look in her
eyes! The effort she was so evidently
making to be reSDectable and to raise
her children in the Christian graces.
For the fraction of a second Mrs.
Hymnal wondered that the reform
should have followed on such little eff
fort But the example was the thing
After all, what these poor creatures
need is scarcely more than the sight
of goodness, u glimpse OF beauty
among their Sordid struggles to work
a lasting Inspiration. Mrs Hymnal
smiled serenely as she extended her
gloved hand to Violette.
Law Mrs. Hymnal," exlaimed the
latter fervently. II amt fitten! Come
in, mann, and set down if you can fin
a place. Yessum, you and tn
other ladies come right in"
The four members of the Society
entered the door cautiously. They did
not sit. AS their eyes travelled
the ragged forms of kobo and Coyote,
they drew deep breaths and looked
at one another as much as to say:
"See what we are doing!
Violette was experienced. She knew
the restlessness of her guests of this
character Like a wise woman she
waited to be addressed. Mrs. Hymnal
smiled heavily:
az hone YOU are well, Violette," she
began, "and that you have got work.
Violette drew a rough sleeve across
her eyes and then looked up WITH
an expression of hopeless but ill-con-
cealed bravery in the face of tempta-
t;ons and trials too sore for words:
Nom" she declared. '"There was
n job of washing but it wor:ed on
my lumbago. SOS I had to go to BED.
L Deeu III peu Tor three WeehS w ~
yestiddy" She waved disguised hand
at the disorder OF the room which in
expressibly included Kobo and Coy
ote. You see what er fix I'm in-
She sighed deeply. '"Th' good Lord
knows what's goin' ter become o me. "
a tear glittered in the grey-green
surface Of her eve and a huskiness
fell upon the rasping whine of her
voice. '"The good Lord knows" she
repeated dolefully. "whut's ter be-
come of a honust woman in these
days."
There was frightened rustic among
the silk lined gowns of the visitors.
Mrs. Hymnal stood silent and gasping,
her double chin working with strange
emotions, an inarticulate murmur i'm
her throat. Violette's apon went to
her eye and dry sob escaped her
clenched lips. Violette was rising to
untried heights. She gave more lee
way 20 her sobs:
''Yes'rni' she exclaimed in a pas
sion of bitterness such as she had
once heard at the ten, twenty ard
thirty cent Its hard. har'rd--with
them there little things"-the sobbing
came with a gush now-"an an at
Chrismus. tool
At this a small and mouse-like