The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1912-06-21
Cold Storage

why maven you Uc0u Jul W b00
us?" inquired Anne of Evelyn. whom
she had met downtown by accident.
IF you knew how busy / am you
would not ask" replied Evelyn. with
all my Office work, hardly have time
to keep neat. I came out today to
buy a new gown which should have
bought a month ago. Come with me
and We'll take look at the shop
windows"
Really dare not. Windows are
fatal to me. II look am lost. I
don't need thing and one hates to
waste money. l so seldom go any
where that my gowns last forever.
Evelyn, you cannot realize how curl
ously dull it is to have no occupa-
tion."
''If you understood the dlscomforts
OF working for living you would ap-
preciate your blessings better. Lone
some, are you? Why not make friends
in the apartment house where you
liver"
"Of course, that bit of advice is well
meant, Evelyn, but in the circum-
stances 1t happens to be absurd"
81 fail to see why. If you We're not
so diffident-"
"My dear girl, I'm not In the least
diffident; l am merely afraid Of being
frozen to death if l should try to
make friends with my neighbours"
Il don't understand what you mean,
said Evelyn.
eff that building were cold storage
warehouse" declared Anne, "the so.
cial atmosphere could not be more
frigid. Mother and ] have lived there
a year and a half and not a soul out
of all these apartments has made our
acquaintance"
Have you called on your neigh
bors?'
cor course not. I would not be so
forward as to make advances"
"Then it seems to me you are as
bad as the others"
Indeed, l am not-at least, I do
not annoy others. Why, the man in
the apartment above ours plays his
piano at all hours Of the night. He
does not even make music, but thumps
out some monotonous tune which is
as dreary as the moaning Of lost
soul. Then there is woman across
the hall with baby that bowls morn
ing, noon and night Mother went
in one day and told her that all the
child needed was a little peppermint.
The woman replied that the baby was
not i'll, but was just lonesome when
ever she was out of its sight"
Didn't she come TO call after that?"
asked Evelyn.
as that joker" inquired Anne.
You cannot laugh me into liking
them. There is horrid old creature
in the apartment below ours who
knocks on the ceiling with a broom
machine. We are disguised with the
building and mean to move as soon as
our lease expires"
"You do not need to wait, because
I'll take the lease off your hands as
soon as you like. | am going to gof
to housekeeping with another girl be.
fore long and your apartment would
suit us exactly. When you get ready
to move let me know"
A few weeks later Evelyn received
note from Anne saying that she and
her mother were about to take another
apartment, SO Evelyn called to see
about transferring the lease. During
the interval she learned Anne's moth
er had suffered fall and was con-
fined to her couch with a disiocated
hip. During Evelyn's call so many
persons dropped in that she had to
remain an hour before she could have
Anne to herself.
II thought you said you knew no one
In this building" exclaimed Evelyn at
last. II never saw more warm
hearted people. Yet you called this
place a cold storage warehouse"
"That was before mother was hurt"
explained Anne. "The moment the
people heard of our trouble they
rushed in to sympathize and tell us
their troubles in turn. That woman
with the baby has lost the poor little
darling and every day she comes In
and talks to us about 1t and tells of
the flowers she lays on its grave"
What of the lost soul above you
who thumped the piano?" inquired
Evelyn.
please forget the cruel remarks
made about him." cried Anne. "He
had dear mother who died, and he
played the piano because 1t reminded
him of her. He is not musician, yet
he could not bear to have the instru-
ment stand silent and neglected.
When he heard that mother was hurt
he came to inquire If the noise of the
piano annoyed her and he has been
so kind. I don't know how we could
have managed without him."
considering the beautiful way
these people have behaved, don't
see why you want to move" said Eve
Ign.
ooh, we have no intention of leav-
ing the building; we shall take larg-
err apartment, which will leave this
for you"