Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-07

The hall on the third floor Of Mrs. /,
Ramselrs boarding house stretched a
dark and gloomy tunnel from front to
rear. Halfway down its length small
nimbus Of light surrounded a tiny gas
fame. There was an undiscovered
leak In the pipe here, and the air was
always foul with the escaping gas.
White painted doors led from the
hall into rooms at front and rear and
on the west side. The stairway went |
down the eastern blank wall into the |
dimly lighted brussels carpeted gem
tlity of the second floor. Up here. |
however, there was merely brown oil |
cloth on the floor, and it was worn |
into uneven hillocks and was slippery |
with age.
Honora Burr came up the stairs and
thrust a key into the lock Of the third
floor rear room. The door swung back
against the wall and made passage
for her to squeeze In between the mar
row white iron bedstead and close the
door. In one corner was a battered
oak bureau with a distorting mirror
above it. There were a washstand and
a rocking chair and Honora's shabby
trunk. That was all.
When she had removed her hat and
cloak and hung them in the tiny closet
Honora attached a piece of gas hose
to her jet and lighted a small gas
stove. On this she placed saucepan
of water and then sank YEARLY into
the chair. With the stove lighted
there was a dim blush glow In the
room, and Honora sat there waiting
for the water to boil and looking out
| of the window at the dreary prospect
Of tall brick structures and distant
blinking lights. From the next block
came the clatter and bang Of elevated
trains.
Suddenly all the view from the win
dow was blotted out In mist Of tears.
Honora's bright head pressed heavily
against the back Of her chair. and she
placed her hands against her eyes.
81 can't stay here" she sobbed. II
can't stay all alone in this big city at
Christmas and know that there is no
body to care whether I have good
time or not, nobody to give any pres
ents to, nobody to say Merry Christ
mas as if it were really meant"
Honora Burr's position was pecul-
lar one. She had been delicateiy nur-
tured In a comfortable home in a
pleasant suburb. She was the only
child of parents who had no relatives
t1ko IN
er city who were almost strangers to
the Burrs. Honora's father had been
confidential man in a large city house,
and two years before this Christmas
eve he had been arrested for embez
cling money from his employers and
in despair had killed himself. leaving
his wife and daughter almost penni-
less.
The disgrace Of the affair, combined
with the shock of her husbands death,
ended Mrs. Burrs life within another
year, and Honora was left to face
the world alone. After she had sold
off most of the household effects and
stored the remaining few with a friend
Honora paid the debts and went to
New York to seek a situation.
She had keenly felt the humiliation
and disgrace attendant upon her ia
theirs death. but nevertheless Honora
Burr never believed that he was en-
tirely guilty. That he had not lived
to make a fight for his honor was his
weakness. Honora was proud. and she
would not approach any of her father
friends or acquaintances In her quest
for work She would not embarrass
them by counting a refusal.
By her own efforts Honora secured
a position In a music store, where for
SO week she sold sheet music and
demonstrated the quality of pianos by
her brilliant playing, for Honora was
a skilled musician. Her life was a
very lonely one in the dreary board
ing house, but she could not afford to
take a brighter and better room, fol-
D she was saving a dollar a week from
her wages. hoping to accumulate
enough money BY spring to give uI
her situation and seek some music pu
pills.
The kettle was boiling merriIy now
and Honora poured some of the wate
luto the utue JdpdueSe tedpoI BIG nat
brought from home and set the re
mainder back ON the stove to boil al
+ egg for her supper. AS she movet
about the blue dusk of the room on,
could see that she was small and slen
der and gowned in black from head t,
y foot. Her face and the white of he
little hands and the snowy glimpse O
white at neck and wrists shone out.
Somebody came up the stairs ttre'
n steps at a time whistling merriiy
tramped noisily down the hall and tn
p door Of the large front room opene,
and closed. The whistling continued.
"It's the happy man." said Honora Z
herself as she extinguished the stow
Il and turned on the gas light.
This was the worst Christmas ev,
Honora had ever spent Last year
had been sad, but her dear mothe
was alive. Now she was all alone, an,
the horror of loneliness seemed almos
z more than she could bear.
''In the story books" said Honor;
q foriornly. 'ff one is unhappy on Christ
mas eve they go out and do some goo,