Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-02
EeTH YELL. what do you want to
Wv do?" asked Warren. when

he had settled their luggage
on the racks and under the seats of
their compartment. We've got to kill
an hour and a half somehow. Want
to wait here? I'm going to have
look about the place"
IN spite of her WEAKNESS. Helen
rose with an eager, "Oh, I'll go with
you" She had heard of Cherbourg
as a quaint old French town, and
since they must wait here ii would
be interesting TO wander about
Better leave your coat" advised
Warren. It's getting pretty hot.
Guess everythingll be safe here"
They left the train and walked down
TO the end of the platform Helen
bowed to several of the passengers
with whom they had crossed and
who were now strolling impatiently
about, indignant that this special
steamer train to Paris should not start
for over an hour
Here, this looks promising" and
Warren turned up the narrowest and
dinglest of the irregular streets which
led from the station.
As it was not yet seven the streets
still wore the quiet deserted air of
early morning. Here and there a
slatternly woman was opening up a
small shop or sweeping out the door
way. The houses were low and ram
bling, their stone walls crumbling with
age.
1t was all very picturesque, but it
was also all very dirty. There were
piles Of garbage in the narrow streets
and on each side ran a gutter of filthy
water.
Most Insanitary.
ooh, look. dear, how AWFUL" as
an old woman shuffled out of one of
the stone doorways and emptied
pail of slop into the gutter. Don't
they have sewerage? Wouldn't YOU
think this would breed disease?"
They seem to thrive on It," shrug
ged Warren. AT least they don't die
young" glanCing up dark alley
where an old woman, who looked like
witch in fairy book, was sweeping
the cobblestones.
As they turned another corner there
came jogging along a curious old cart
drawn by a shaggy donkey with
tinkling bell. Beside it plodded an
old man with a shovel, scooping u.
the piles of garbage.
Guess we're getting around too
early commented Warren. May
look better when they get the streets
shoveled out. Look at this" pausing
before a low fy-specked window. in
which were displayed some greasy
sausages, three stale looking pies and
some wilted green's. You didn't eat
much breakfast on the boat, now
here's your chance"
But, dear, I thought the French
We're clean?"
Guess some of them are; but I
should say we've struck the slums
Let's try 1t up this way"
A Better Street.
Suppose we can't find our way
back to the train? % demurred Helen
Now you leave that to me- All
this is better as they turned into
another narrow and irregular but
more prosperous street. More people
were astir and more shops were open.
Workmen in shabby black velvet
blouses and women with shawls over
their heads were walking in the mid
die of the street, for the uneven side
walks ere too narrow.
ooh, did you ever see such loaves?"
Helen paused before a bread shop
where loaves fully five feet long lay
in the window.
But Warren was engrossed with the
window of an adjoining shop, in which
were piled great round molds Of
cheese. They looked soiled and
greasy, and the dark interior Of the
shop was none too clean.
well, you needn't sniff" prtestej
Warren. That's probably the very
cheese you get in New York and pay
a stiff price for, too. It's places like
this that all our imported cheese
comes from"
They wandered on through winding.
tortuous streets. Helen had lost all
idea of direction and would have been
hopelessly lost, but Warren's sense Of
locality rarely failed him, and he
found the way back to the station
through a much more picturesque dis
trict
When the train finally started,
Warren opened UP his suitcase, took
out some cigars and said he was go
ing in TO sit with Hawley, one of the
men with whom he had spent much
time on the steamer
Hardly had he gone when the guard
came through for their tickets. He
could not speak English, but Helen
finally made him understand that a
gentleman in one of the other COM
partments had hers.
They were now passing through a
beautiful country of quaint matched
roof cottages, with now and then Il
glimpse of distant village and ca
thedral spires.
But DN tLllS time EltISu was 1op
tired and warm and uncomfortable TO
care for scenery. The shade by her
window would not stay down, and the
sun beat in numerically.
1t was still only a little after 8.
Surely this morning was endless! /;
seemed hours since they had got up
at 4:9O and left the boat on the ten
der. Helen's heart sank at the thought
of the six more long hours to Paris.
Suit Too Warm.
Her travelling suit was much too
warm for this intense and unexpected
heat: her stiff linen collar was chat
ing her neck; her shoes hurt her, ami
she could have cried with sheer dis
comfort.
ResoIutely she took from her hand
bag the guide book 10 Paris. I'm
folding a map of the heart of the
CITY she tried to fix the principal
streets in her mind. Then she turned
TO read up about the hotels.
Warren was determined to try an
address some one had given him on
the steamer-a real French place, not
known to Americans. and where one
could get the real French atmosphere,
unspoiled by tourists. But Helen
! e. hn+f -h1T