Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-09-08
JANUA VITAE.

Crown court and Love street are united
by an archway, filed with shadow even
in the sunniest weather, and at night al
most impenetrably black. In the shelter
of the archwav Robert Edward was the
center of small crowd of boys. They
were talking in hushed tones, and appar-
emily laboring under some emotional ex-
element.
Robert Edward, rather pale, was relat-
ing with proper melancholy the exact
manner of death of his only known par
emit He felt something of a hero. and
his filial grief was pleasantly soothed by
this unwonted sensation.
"She was comm upstairs" he said
dramatically "she was comm upstairs,
shoutin' Tor all she was worth. Robert
Edward she said, You just see if don't
smack the cad off yer An then she
fell down an 1T the bed. an then she got
blue an breathed est like this"
Robert Edward gave an example of
stertorous respiration, echoed by the mar
row passage into the ears of his breath
less audience
My, weren't you scared, Bobby?"
Mrs. 'Uggins was. She coined runnn'
up an screamed fit to bust. Robert Ed
ward she says, Jest you run fer the
doctor as ard as you can. Your mas
dead But Bill, ED gone fer the doctor.
an | jest stayed on long O mother. an
spleshed 'er face with water. Straight,
did,"
Tho o,Jionoo b,5 s,,,o1Jo,,. - 49,. ~
dozen now and Robert Edward felt
that he Lad reached the moment of his
life.
Even Jake, who was usually the ter
ror of his days, lurching into their midst,
had been held by his narrative, and now
offered him a cigarette.
Robert Edward lit it with accustomed
fingers, and the match faring up showed
ring of pale and earnest faces bent
eagerly toward his own.
Mrs. Brown rented one room in Crown
court, which was shared by Bill and
Robert Edward. but ON this particular
occasion Bill had declared that it was inn
possible for Linn to spend a really com
Portable night i'll the presence of a corpse,
and consequently was sharing a bed with
a friend in a neighboring street.
And thus it came about that Robert
Edward, flushed with his sudden noto-
riety, and still dazzled a little from SYM.
pathy, found himself at the last alone
with his mother. She was lying upon the
bed covered decently with sheet, very
straight and calm and massive.
sudden sense of loneliness came upon
him hot-foot in the wake of his triumph,
and in the flood of his self-pity he began
to shed tears that were genuine enough.
realizing that the world mad small regard
for the young and motherless.
1t was then that he paid his price for
his moments success, and it was then
that Balmy knocked softly at his door.
Balmy was thin young man who
worked for a tailor many hours a dav
and was reported to be suffering from
consumption.
He brushed easily and was very shv.
and once in three weeks came back from
the hospital with a large tin of cod liver
sill and malt.
He lived by himself, and to his little
world was known by this contemptuous
epithet, suiting him so admirably that
even Robert Edward, who was his only
friend, never thought of addressing him
by any other.
The boy looked up and rubbed his ewes
with corner of the sheet. He was a lit
tie ashamed of himself, and stumbled to
his feet.
'Ullo, Balmy,' he said.
Come back 'ome along o. me-" said
Bamy. You Jest come back 'ome along
O me. | got a bite o supper for yer
an a bed ON the floor"
On this strange evening many new ex-
periences had crowded upon Robert Ed.
ward; popularity and pity and fame
and now he was admitted where none
had gained an entrance to Balmys pri
waite abode.
bright fire shone in the CRATE, and
an armchair was pulled up beside it.
Two fried fishes doomed invitingly upon
the table against background OF bread
and jam, and there were three or four
pictures on the wall
/ Robert Edward saw Nelson as how
mt ms mothers knee, a print of The
/ Fighting Temeraire" and Jesus Christ
with lantern in His hand.
Balmy read the admiration in his ewes
and produced from drawer a further
! collection of pictures cut out from maoa.
zines. and guarded carefully for many
years. He showed them to Robert hi.
ward with pride, and discoursed upon
them with eloquence, for Balmv was A
sent'mentalist and had once lived in the
country.
Then Robert Edward grew sleepy. and
taking of his boots erept into Balmv's
i shakedowr on the floor.
But outside the storm had cleared into
a night of wind and stars. and Rainy
facing 4 problem. leaned over his window
sill To look up into the sky.
For above these stars that he could
see his fancy had depicted a peaceable
NaIhalla, where even an overworkod
tailor might enjoy certain spiritual pleas.
ure> and at any rate rest from toll.
The boy was sleeping heavily. and
Balmy unused Il while Then he openo5
drawer and laid a roll of paper and fen
goLlom eoNerelnn. mnnn lie IN ~