Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-24
Around the City

A woman at a seventh-story window
looked down on acres of corrugated tin
roofs.
The hit-and-m patches of dull reds
and rusty blacksmith one level of tar
and gray gravel for a change-stretched
out and across and beyond until they
covered a square of business buildings.
Each roof had it's individual skylight or
soot-throated chimney or up-shooting air.
shaft, but all lay desert-like in their
trackless emptiness under the noon sun,
except for one slice Of tin that sloped over
an oasis Of black porch. 1t was a tiny
porch tucked on the side of brick wall,
with other brick walls trying to smother 1t
and failing because of an accommodating
roof in front that ducked low enough to give
sweep to all the breeze blowing. The outer
side of the oasis was latticed with vines;
there was a screen door letting into the
house. a zinc dishpan on the wall beside
the door and two towels on a line. For
midday there was a flap Of red awning,
and for spot light features a red arm
chair and a low splint rocker that gave
token of twilight happy times after the
oasis man and his wife were through with
their work for the day. A woman came
through the screen door to hang another
to see, but she seemed to be smiling.
Miss Ann, you are wanted at the
phone"
The woman at the seventh story window
went over to a desk and had to listen to
this:
Hello, that you? This is Belle. 1 just
called you up to sympathize with me in
my horrid luck-why, We can't sail until
way next week, and I'm mad enough TO
bite nails. Wilbert made some fool mis-
and no
wants me to wait home here with him IN
this big barn of a house with everybody
out of town-not much, won't. I'm on
to Atlantic City on the six-ten-aren't you
sorry for me?'
The Ann woman hung up the receiver
and went back to the window.
The owner of the oasis In the desert of
corrugated tin roofs was watering some
flowers in pot. When she was through
she drew the low splint rocker under the
shadow of the latticed VlAes and began
to darn stockings.
Then the Ann woman, considering the
red armchair and the lucky oasis man
who owned it. felt great pity in her
spinster heart, but not for Belle.
Her sorrow was exclusively for Wilbert.
Two women met in a store.
One was splendidly big and as fresh as
a field daisy in white lawn. Her soft
brown hair was tucked high with the
careless ASSURANCE liIdl oIiiS HdIdiC Sdi
stand for. and her umbrella served for a
hat.
The other woman, who was too ordinary
for print, started the confab.
Good morningi Haven't seen you since
the Fourth. Did you enjoy your picnic?"
The splendidly big woman dimpled and
beamed.
Everything went off beautifully, and
we had a fine camp lunch. l cooked
twenty quarts of beans. used eight pounds
of coffee, cut up 400 lemons, and"
Anybody could see that she was as
splendidly honest as she was splendidly
big, but, all the same, 1t was an unusual
statement to make in world where the
average excursionist fuses over six sand
witches, four hard-boiled eggs and cents
worth of store cakes in store box. And
then fOrgets the salt.
"I'm afraid Wellville is off my map"
whats your hoodoo. old man?'
"Oh. little mixup OF everything bad.
Doc says my lungs are on the bum"
That's tough, but-say, doctors don't
know more than their share. Why, two
years ago they had me on the home
stretch, but / got my second wind. and
just look at me. You get grip on your
courage, son.
"Oh, I'm game, all right-and I'm not
going back on the fact that the Lord has
been mighty good to me-"
Just two oldish men cumming along in
the dusk.
Just faith. hope and charity set to