Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-05-06
CHAPTER VIII.
OLD GEORGE.

A stranger making a call in that
portion of North Kensington which
lies In the vicinity OF LadbrOke grove.
by some mischance lost his way. He
wandered through many prosperous
crescents and quiet squares redolent of
the opulence Of the upper middle class
es, through broad where heat
broughams stood waiting In small car
riage drives, and once he Numbered
into a tidy news, where horsy men
with great hissings made ready the
chariots Of the Noting Hill p~lutocracy.
1t may be that he was In no particu-
lar hurry to arrive at his destination,
this stranger-who has nothing to do
with the story-but certainly he did net
/ avail himself of opportunity In the
shape OF a passing policeman, and con-
tinued his aimless wanderings. He
found Kensington park road, a broad
t~horoughfare OF huge gardens and
walled f~orecourts, then turned into q
side street. He walked about 20 PAGES,
and found himself in the heart of slum
land.
1t is no ordinary slum this little
patch OF property that lies between
Westbourne grove and Kensington park
road. There are no tumbled down how
els or noisome passages; there are
streets of houses dignified with flights
of steps that rise to pTetentious street
doors n areas where. long dead me-
malls that served the need of the
lower middle classes of other days. The
streets are given over to an army Of
squalling children in carrying styles
of dirtiness, and the halls of these
houses are bare OF carpet or covering
and in some the responsibility Of lease
hold Is shared by eight or nine families,
all plugging together,
They are streets Of slatternly women.
- H. - -
rolled under discolored aprons, and on
Saturday nights one street at least de-
serves the pithy but profane appella-
ton which the police have given it.
Little He'll"
In this particular thoroughfare 1t
is held that OF all signs the greatest
is that which is associated with spy
ing" A spy is a fairly comprehen-
sive phrase In Cawdor street. 1t NAV
mean policeman, detective, school board
official, rent collector, or the gentle
man appointed by the gas company to
extract pennies from the slot meters.
To Cawdor street came a man who
rented one of the larger houses. To
to the surprise of the agent, HI Of
fered his rent monthly in advance: to
the surprise OF the street, he took no
dodgers. 1t was the only detached house
In that salubrious road, and was No.
40. The furniture came by night. which
Is customary amongst people Who con-
centrate their last 1uttering rag of
pride upon the responsibility of their
household goods. Cawdor street, on the
qui vive for the lady of the house.
learns with genuine establishment that
there was none, and that the new
conner was q bachelor.
Years & No. 40 had been the abode
of a jobbing builder, hence the little
yard gate that banked one side: and
1t was with satisfaction that the Cav
dor streeters discovered that the new
occupant intended ~reviving the ancient
spiendor of the establishment. At any
rate, a board vas prominently dis
played bearing the inscription:
J. JONES, BUILDER AND
CONTRACTOR.
and the inquisitive Mr.. Lane (of 76)
who caught a momentary vision of the
yard through the gate. observed of
flee" printed In fairly large letters over
the side door.
At stated hours. mostly In the eve
ming, roughly dressed men called at the
office" stayed awhile. and went away.
Two dilapidated ladders made their APP
pearance In the yard. ~conspicuously
lifting their persisted rungs above the
rate level.
Il tried to buy an old builders cart
and a wheelbarrow today said Mr..
Jones' to a workman. 'In probably
get II tomorrow at my wi price. and
II wouldn't be a bad idea to get a few
sacks OF lime and a couple of cart
loads OF and and bricks in. also a few
road pitchers to give IL a finishing
touch.'
The workman grinned.
You've got this place ready In time.
Connor," he said.
Mr.. C~onnor-for such j. Jones,
Builder and Contractor was-nodded
and picked his teeth m~editatively with
a match stick.
1--WE seen for a long time the other
place was useless he said with a
4 curse.
1T was bad luck that Angel found
us there last week.. I've been fixing UP
this house for a couple OF months. It's
a nice neighborhood, where people don't
go nosing around. and the boys can
meet here without being the wiser"
And old Gcorgeg'
Wen settle him tonight" said tne
other with o frown. bat r. bringing