South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-11
THE UNBIDDEN GUEST
BY Louise Heilgers.

In a dingy room at the top Of a
dingy house in Paradise cOUrt-there
is always a Paradise court in every
slum. and it is generally the dirtiest,
gloomiest, most depressing street OF
ala woman sat sewing.
1t was summer and the sky beyond
the chimney pots showed startling
rose, but although it was stiflingly hot
in the garnet beneath the roof the
narrow window was tightly closed.
paradise court does not consider
open windows hygienic) dirt and dus
lay like a pail upon everything and a
most unpleasant odor of stale beer
and smoke fingered.
A door across the narrow landing
without opened and love came out on
the points of his toes almost as if he
were afraid to wake the cold white
thing he had left alone.
A belated CLEAN of sunlight danced
upon the closed door facing him. 1t
caught loves wandering eye. He hes
itated, then, signing a little he turned
the handle nOiseleSsly and peeped in.
He sighed again as his glance fell on
the frowsy woman. But, as he stared,
establishment dawned in his face. He
recognized in the fat frOwsy woman
a pretty girl he had lived with some
once for quite a long time, till her
had driven him away. For a moment
he pondered, then very softly closed
the door behind him and stole across
the room to where she sat. And then
q strange thing happened. The woman
forgot TO hate. Her hands dropped
on her work and into her sullen eyes
there crept a sudden CLEAN. She had
been thinking bitter thoughts of Alex,
fearing him. shrinking from him all
ha oh
last nights beating, there was a dis
cOlOred patch under her left eye
Suddenly she found herself thinking
tenderly of another Alex, the rudy
faced blue-eyed, Alex of her counting
days, who had tucked her arm so
proudly beneath his when they walked
out together on Sundays. and knocked
off drink to buy her presents. How
was she to know that love was look
ing up wistfulIy into her eyes pleading
for remembrance that it was his
presence there that made the filthy
room seem so unbearable that she
had 10 set TO and sweep and scrub
and clean until it shone as bright as
a new pin?
She had plenty of time TO clean
the room and herself too for Alex did
not come home for supper She knew
where he was-drinking at every
saloon he passed on his homeward
way. But for once she forgot TO call
him bitter names. The Alex of her
young days was with her, the Alex
who clasped her joyously around the
waist and rubbed a rough young
cheek against her own. She went TO
bed happily for once forgetting her
wrongs. and love crept in beside her.
so that she dreamed.
II was very late when Alex came
home and banged heavily into the
room. full Of beer and bad temper
He SwOre when the match burnt his
finger. he swore when a lighted candle
showed the clean scrubbed floor That
damp. he could feel il creeping into
his bones. And curse il If the window
was not open too. He shut is noisily.
Damn the slut Wait until he got
hold of her,"
He staggered across the room and
from force Of habit his fist clinched.
But when he reached the bed where
lay the woman the law had given him
to knock about, he stared at her stu
pidly. forgetting 10 strike Her combed
hair shOne gold upon the pillow he
had never before known that her
throat was so white. one of loves
wings had dropped over il as he slept
beside her. but Alex did not know
that He only knew as he bent over
the sleeping woman that he did not
want TO strike her for once. And
even as he looked. Love sat up and
rubbed drowsy eyes. To the astonish-
ed Alex there came suddenly the
scent of roses. How blooming sweet
ii smells" he muttered thickly. He
bent over his wife and said:
1T is sorry I am that beat YOU
last night, Sally" She stirred in her
sleep and woke. For the first time for
years they kissed.
At the foot of the bed love had un-
hooked his wings and was busy hang
inc them over the rail
There is nothing like making your
self at home when YOU have decided
TO stay.