Holbrook argus., 1910-05-31
A LONESOME
 SUNDAY


 man who recently came back to Washington to live after an absence of several years, "but it certainly did seem to me like one vast oasisless desert last Sunday for fact.
 Last Sunday was my first Sunday i'll Washington since I got back here. I've been out in my little town in the west for number of years, and only got back here couple of days before last Sunday.
 When I lived here before I only knew one family intimately. I knew lot of folks, of course, in a stiff, dis tant sort of way, and was acquainted with the people in the house where l had my room just well enough to exchange mods with them when I met them on the stairs going out or con- ing in.
 But there was only one family that l knew well enough to go and visit with.
 The man was a chap I used to play marbles and shinny with back in the little western town where we were raised together. He came to Washington years before I did, mar ried, began to raise family, and when I got here the family was nice ly settled in 8 flat over in George town.
 His wife was a mighty nice little Washington woman, and the kids were interesting and lively. Used to enjoy going over to see 'em when I was here before above all things. My visits over to Georgetown at that time were right frequent. They'd let me sit around the fiat for few hours ev- cry Sunday, and make me stay to din ner more often than not, and I sure used to enjoy those visits heap. En- ioyed the dinners, too, after 'rassling around for what I. could get at my boarding house.
 After dinner the man and I'd light cigars that I'd contribute as my share of the entertainment, and we'd sit down in his den and talk about the way he used to lick me, or I licked him, when we were playing hockey from school back in the little western town, and cross-question each other about what became of all the boys that belonged to our particular gang. While we thus talked his wife'd come in and sit down and listen to us with her hands in her lap, and tell US that we weren't much better than huge, irresponsible kids yet-for we'd gulf flaw and holler so that it's a wonder the folks in the other flats didn't rap on the walls or complain to the jan itor. I always hated to get up and come away, used to enjoy my visits over in that little Georgetown fiat so much.
 "Well, when I got back here, feeling lonesome like mans liable to feel after he's been away from town for some time, I decided to drop in at that Georgetown fiat on the next Sun day-which was last Sunday. I'd been feeling as blue as the deuce, and I honestly did feel good over the pros. pect of going over there and meeting my old friends.
 "1 reached there along about two o'clock in the afternoon, and it all looked so natural around that neigh borhood that I guess I shortened my stride in my eagerness to push the electric button of that fat.
 remembered just the button to. push, and I gave it three short push es, like I'd always done-three pushes being the regular, understood signal that I was the applicant for admit tance down in the vestibule.
 q waited for the little clicks in re- | ply that I'd been accustomed to, sig nifying that the vestibule door had been unbolted, or unbarred, or un- locked-however it's done I never could make out-from the fiat above.
 ''But the little clicks didn't come.
 That seemed queer. They'd always been home at o'clock on Sundays, and it didn't seem possible that their church services could last as long as that.
 "So I gave three more pushes at the button and waited again for the re- plying clicks. But again the clicks failed to come.
 Then I felt something must be wrong. I didn't have my glasses on, but I put them on then so's I could look to see if my friends card was there behind the bit of glass above the letter box saw at once that his card wasn't there. There was no card there at all-just the wood be meath the glass showing.
 Then I knew that the only family that I was on visiting terms with in Washington had gone away.
 Funny, but blamed if the sunlight didn't suddenly seem strained and thin to me. I felt like a chap that'd been marooned, or something. Stood there, kind O dazed like, when the janitor walked up the basement steps I asked him where the only family I knew in Washington had gone.
 oh, they went wes' somewheahs, boss-yo' all kin search me, suh--