The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-02-13
DAILY SHORT sToRY
JOHN oLIvER,s WASH DAY.
BY A. p. Ames.

dows on each side and across the
marrow back yard" that separat-
ed his lodging house from the
rear of the tenement on the next
block.
Then did he withdrew his head
and reappear, first with pair OF
very wrinkled hose, next with a
somewhat ragged shirt, all SINH
larly damp and out of repair,
Each in turn he fastened with
pins to the clothes line until his
whole weeks wash stretched be-
tween the pulleys on the opposite
walls.
Then, with another furtive
glance John closed the blinds and
returned to his occupation of in
dexing a work of reference, the
proofs of which came that morn
ing from the publishing house that
furnished steady and-if he work
ed / hours a day--comparatively
employment.
John worked hard, and he had
REACHED "E" when a faint creak-
ing beneath his window caused
him to steal to the half-open shut
tiers. He was startled to see the
|clothes-laden half of the line trav-
cling slowly away from him. Won
|deringly he followed the line to
the opposite wall, and there his
eye was just in time to catch a
small white hand and wrist in the
act of removing one of his tattered
socks from the line, and disap-
pearing with it behind the window
blinds. -.
Quick action was foreign to
John divers nature. Instead of
raising an cutlery, he waited fur
Their developments. They came
quickly and continuously. The
hand reappeared again, and the
line moved slowly on its pulleys
and did not rest until 1t was
vacant.
Two considerations had kept
oliver from interfering. The first
was the condition of the goods
stolen. Only lack of time and a
Discrimination for such employment
had kept him from replacing this
portion of hts wardrobe with ap-
parel more befitting a $3O-a-week
income. The other was the small
ness and wilderness of the hand
that robbed him. Moreover, he
realized that by the time he had
gone around the corner and To-
Gated the room of the marauder,
she would have had ample oppor-
|tunity to escape.
Desperate, indeed, must be the
straits of one who would take
risks to steal property of so little
value. 81 wish she had let me
know she was so hard up" he
unused, as he returned to his
proof sheets. Pretty tough on a
young girl in a big city"
Musings regarding the new pos
SCISSOR of his ragged wardrobe oc-
|cupied considerably more of the
next hour than indexing. A sound
outside brought him back to the
window with a stealthy leap.
1t was the same noise that had
first interrupted his work = a
|squeaking of the clothesline pull
leys. But this time his whole lost
wardrobe was coming back to him.
One after another, the slim white
hand replaced them on the line,
pulling the parallel cord to send
them toward him.
The last piece refused to stay
fastened, and in her efforts the
person behind the bowed blinds
leaned against them too heavily.
They flew back; giving the de-
lighted watcher a momentary
glimpse of a young face, white
and delicately made as the hands,
but colorless with the pallor of
want and privationi It was all
like flashlight photograph, for
the blinds rebounded and closed
over the vision at once.
1t was several minutes at least
before Oliver thought of his re-
stored clothing. Conscience too
|strong for want" was his reflection
as he put out his hand for the first
piece 1t was one of a pair of
much worn gray socks. Now he
looked for their well-remembered
holes In vain. They had been
neatly darned. Breathless he
REACHED for the other garments on
the line. All had been mended
with stitches that to the expert
enced eye would have shown signs
of extreme haste, but which to
Bachelor John were marvels of
John divers landlady encoun-
tered him rushing, bare-headed,
through the hall.
MY goodness, Mr.. Oliver" she
Igasped. Where you going in such
la tearing hurry?"
Don't stop me-" cried John. as
he brushed past her. I'm going
to meet the lady who's to be my
wife"
XCOg YQOOMES
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