Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-24
ELLEN ADAIR SEEKS
UNCLE'S HOME, BUT
FINDS HIM GONE
A Taxi Ride Through Phil
adelphia's Streets Brings
New Surprises at Every
Turn of Road.

boy pulled its eyes roughly open-and
the kitten died.
know now how that kitten felt be-
fore 1t died, It must have thought the
world cruel place, and glad 1t was
4 to leave II. My rude awakening hurt me,
1 too. For when the lovely lady swept
away-it was the kndest thing that she
could do, poor soul,-shc swept my child
ishness along with her My eyes were
opened to a treachcrous world, and deep
down in my heart two feelings teSncd
supreme.
First was a trembling thankfulness that
I, abe had gone. Then came a sreat deep
] pity for her pain, that swallowed all re-
sentiment and all fear. | knew her SOr-
rows were unfathomabe POOR lonely
soul in that strange underworld. drifting
among vague shadowv forms whose
hearts have long since died-is there no
resurrection to a higher life? Out In the
sunlit spaces. childrens voice call-out
in Gods world are happy blessed homes.
Too late, too late!' | still can hear her
cry.
At length I rose from mcditatnE there,
and sought the railway station once
| again. / had escaped the greatest dan
' ger, and nothing could harm me now
| hailed a taxi to convey me to my
uncle house, my shabby trunk was
piled on it, and off we started.
NEW SCENES ALONG THE WAY
noticed that the driver was negro,
and he wore no chauffeurs uniform.
missed the smart appearance of the Lon
don taxis and the vase Of flowers within.
This strange dark chauffeur drove SO
fast, and oh! / noticed in alarm that
We were careerins on the wrong side Of
the street! For, as We drove toward
the west on that wide thorOughfare
called Market street, we kept upon the
right-hand side, and not the left
1--WE certainly will have an accident
quite soon,' said /, and sought the
speaking tube
could not find it. and We still swung
on at lightning speed. still on the right
hand side. This was too much. I could not
stand 1t any longer, and hung far out
OF the window
"Please stop cried 10 tho chauffeur
you will have an accident IL you don't
keep to the proper side Of the road.
Please cross over to the left at once"
The dusky driver duly stopped, and
shook his puzzled head. "G drive all
right" said he in a soft, musical voice
a voice that seemed TO hold the liluid
melancholy of old slave days. We
mus keep to the risnt side it is the
rule here"
then the trafic laws must be the opposite
OF ours in England! Yet I could not
snake off the vague surmse that We
would shortly collide with something.
The ..poiicclncn looked quite different
FROM ours; they wore no helmets, but
pe1ited cap OF the type our postmcn
wear in England, and many OF them rode
on horseback.
l thought the postmen did look strange
mail carriers / think, the name is here.
They wore straw hats with wide up-curv-
ing brns dove-colored, and with suits
OF blush gray.
We passed great shops in Market street
Il think they're called department
stores'-and great street cars changed
everywhere. They had no upper deck
these cars, but all must crowd inside. No
one at home sits inside a gar in summer
time, unless it rains. They always climb
upon the roof. to get the breezes and a
view. I thought 1t must be dreadful that
warm July evening, inside those big troll
ley cars. Although they We're so huge
and long, I noticed they could turn
around a sharper corner than cars of
half their size in England ever could!
We turned sharply north from Market
street and swung along in quieter streets
The taxi bumped and bounced upon its
way. for the road seemed strangely rough
and uneven. We rattled right across a
railroad crossing, too. saw the tail-end
OF great goods train lust passed II
seemed so odd 10 see those rai,Wa~ lines
crossing lFaTUc-.adF n street. ~ hone
] get to Uncle's safe" thought
1t was now Just after O'Clock and
darkness seemed 10 fall SO suddcnIg Il
seemed TO me that in a few short min
utes after daylight it was dark, At hons
we have a long, long twilight and on
July evenings daylight fingers on TN ~
o'clock.
saw the oldest things on thar long
taxi ride-they seemed 30 strange at first
TO me, an English girl. OUT now Tye
grown accustomed To them al. We
passed street after street Of red brick
houses, with five or six steps leading
down to the pavement Snartlv Eowned
white clad girls sat out on these steps
with well-dressed youths; whole families
sat there and faced publicity. They even
went further, for 7 saw manv little on
campments right out upon tine nave
ments edge, The father would sir yoou
a campstool there, reading the evrnir-
paper and peacefully smoking not the
pipe Of peace, out one big black ci-a~
while the mother sat and 0hattcd with
ner friends who might pass by mon tho
street
thought the crowds Of little chill.
dren playing in the streets were lust the
dearest merriest little things liked
the curious style in which their hair
was cropped, all round the back rf-ht
close up TO their little ears.
DREAEN DILEMMA
Al length the taxi drew up a. m,
uncle's house, after We had driven lust
tribe over four miIes, Two dollars.
please" said the driver, as ne carried
my trunk up 10 the door Two dollars,
Why, that taxi ride Al home would have
cost but 70 cents, 1 paid him while
he rang the doorbell.
1t was a two-storied, red brick house in
a long line OF others with five steps
leading down TO the pavement
The driver rang and rang, and rang
again. No answer came, He could
ait no longer, so mounted his car and
rove on. A little boy who had been
intently watching me now spoke In
the great dread that now enveloped ME
] yet could note the odd twang in hts
speech. IF you are wanting the gem
tleman In that house, he went Off 10 Eu-
rope just a week ago. said he Il heard
that house Is to be shut up for the next
three months"
Three months, And here was I. Ellen
Adair. with but S In the world and not
enc single friend IN the length or
breadth Of America, left solitary upon
the doorstep.
AN AGRICULTURAL MYSTERY