Alma record., 1913-09-25

VCNV a'ernooh' speliio"e "oie
%y sweeping up to the caves,
trailing strings and long
straws after them; from the back
porches of the fats were loud, awak
ing, tinny sounds, breaking the Ions
silence The clank of the cable-cars
was borne over the roofs, clearly now
In the damp heavy atmosphere; from
somewhere came the jingle Of street
piano. Floating down the mild after
noon came the deep, mellow note OF
some big propeller, loosing her winter
moorings at last and rousing to greet
the tug that would tow her out of the
narrow river. Kelley, the policeman
strolled along the sidewalk, with his
hands locked behind him, his nose in
the air, shifting eagerly and pleasur'
ably. He had left off his skirted over
coat, and changed his clumsy cap for
his helmet.
Annie had sat at her window all the
afternoon, but, as the spring day wore
toward its close, she began to realize
that only the melancholy, and none OF
the promise of this first spring day
had touched her. She had thrown
open the window, to test the quality
of the afr. Now and then a warm
breath came wandering In off the
prairies, though when 1t met the cold
persistent wind from the lake, It hesi-
tated, and timidly turned back. But
Annie would not let herself doubt that
the spring had come. She knew that
IN time the prairie wind would woo
it's way until 1t would be playing with
the waves of the lake itself, the little
waves that danced all day, blue and
white, in the sunshine. And then the
summer would come, and on Sunday
afternoons Jimmy would take her out
to Lincoln Park and they would have
their supper at Fishers Garden.
Leadam street was dull enough on
week days; on Sundays it was wholly
mournful.
Once Annie saw woman, with q
shawl over her head and tin bucket
In her hand, go into Englehardt's
place, down the street. The woman
went In furtively, and brushed hastily
through the Family Entrance, q
though why could not be told. She
went there nearly every hour Of every
day. Then Annie was left alone. She
did not turn inward 10 the fat; that
was too still and lonesome and 1t was
growing dark now, as the shadows
gathered. She heard the strenuous
gungs Of the cable-cars over In State
street, and she could imagine the
crowds, gay from their Sunday holf-
day, that filled them. clfnging even to
the running-boerds. She might have
gone out and been with them. as ev.
cry one else IN the street seemed 70
have done, but she would not for
worlds have been away from home
when Jimmy came. She heard the
Jingle Of the street piano. too; she
wished Il would come down that way
She would gladly have emptied her
purse for the Dago.
II was not unusual for Annie to be
left alone, and she had grown used to
k-afmost; as used as a woman can
even the wife of politician
Jimmy has told her that she must not
worry at any OF his absences; an
alderman could never tell what might
detain him. She had but vague no
ton Of the things that might detain
m alderman, though she had no doubt
of their Importance. At times she
thought she felt an intimate little
charm in the Importance that thus re.
fected itself upon her, but, neverthe-
less, her heart was never quite easy
until she heard Jimmy's step on the
stair and his key in the latch. and
then-joy came to the little fat, and
stayed there, trembling and fearful
until he went away again. She had
grown to be 30 dependent ON Jimmy
Ever since she had been graduated
from the convent his great, strong
personality had stood between her and
the world, 80 that, as her girlhood had
merged into womanhood, she had
hardly recognized the change, and she
remained a girl still, alone but fo1
him; he was her whole life. She had
doubted his entrance into politics al
frst, just as she had doubted his go
ing into the saloon business, though
she scarcely understood either IN their
various signif1cances. Father Daugh
eYty had told her she was fortunate
girl to have Jimmy for husband, and
that had been enough. Her only Oh
lection was that politics seemed tc
/ keep Jimmy away from home oftene,
/ than the old work in the packing
house used to; she had trembled at Il
at times, and at times had grown q
little frightened. His success In poll
tics had pleased her, of course, and
made her proud, but It could not have
made her prouder Of him than she
had been. He was all-sufflcient fol
her: no change could make any differ
| enoe. Wifhout Jimmy, what
I could she have donef He had never
been gone 90 long before; here It was
Sunday evening; he had left at clever
O'Clock Saturday morning; there wa,
10 be an extra session Of the council
Saturday night, an unusual thing, ant
she had not been surprised when shs
swuke to find that Il was Sunday
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