Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-25
ELLEN ADAIR MEETS
A TALKATIVE LADY
ON THE DOORSTEP
She Wonders What the
Future Now Will Bring.
A Little Widow Is a Dan
gerous Thing.
CHATTER NI.

side my uncle's house, that first sad night
in Philadelphia.
"Gons of to Europe! rang through my
stunned brain. The house shut UP for
three long months! Where was I now
to turn.
I remember noticing how the little
children raced along the pavement, each
on ono roller skate In the light of the
street lamps-how very early it grows
dark in Philadelphia - their little faces
shone with happiness. ! think our little
English boys and girls have roster cheeks.
but these Americans had pretty little sun
burnt faces.
Where was / now to turn? | did not
know. One cannot live FOR long on IS!
How foolish had been to come this long,
long way on mere surmlse! 1 saw that
clearly now it was too late. Gone off to
Europe!" and the house was closed,
A woman from the neNtdoor house
now came upon the scene She may have
wanted to be kind, | do not know.
thought she had the shrilest, harshest
voice.
Eyes. he has gone" said she. 'are you
his niece? From England. do YOU say?
Dear. dear. thought you had a foreign
look. IN mourning, 100. W nat lIltNO OF
yours has died? l guess it's real nasty
of your uncle going off like this, just
when he was expecting you! Amt men
the meanest things
HE did not know that | was coming
here" l said duly You see. only wrote
three DAYS before I sailed-I sailed a week
ago. It's no ones fault except my own.
A FLATTERING CRITICISM
Yes you've acted real foolish" said
this strange individual, staring intently
at me. arms akimbo. There amt much
style to you either. The way you fix your
hair went out three years ago 1t sort
of suits your face, though, all the same.
that queer old-fashioned way. l guess
you need a bit of rouge on those pale
cheeks-T'l give you some, it's real cute
stuff! You'll never get beau here un-
less you smarten up bit.'
Can you give me my uncle's present
address?" l stiffly asked. for her strange
speeches made me feel confused.
And that l can't" said she. Your
uncle came it rather naughty over me.
After that aiing wife Of his died, threei
years ago, l tried to be real sociable over |
the back yard fence Of nights. ! pulled |
three lathes of wood out SOS | could |
keep a CHEEKY eye on him-for I'm |
widow, and can sympathiZe with men /
You ought to get another wife, says l. |
1t amt natural-like, for a man like you |
to live alone" He'd be sitting there of an |
evening, smoking his pipe in his little |
pack yard a real good-looking man he |
Is! But whenever I'd come out, and try |
a bit of conversation with him, why, !
he'd act real stiff and naughty. and then |
make some excuse and get up and 20 into |
the house. I see the fence is broken |
he would say always very polite. I'll |
send man here tomorrow to see that IT
is repaired Three times he mendcd the
fence, never guessing had made the hole
on purpose" She sighed. with a remnis-
cent look in her hard eye. Il guess your
uncle's fixed real elegant" said she re-
gretfully.
What could she mean, Fixed up real
elegant I did not know, and did not
care. Where was / now TO turn
A PLEASANT PROPOSITION.
81 guess you have a goodish bit Of
money with YOU and would make it
worth my while If I took YOU here to-
nisht?" continued the hard-eyed widow
craftily I'm expecting two gentlemen
friends. and they're bringing some bottles
of beer along, so We might have party
and be real sociable. I guess I could a.,
UP that hair OF yours for once and make
you look real cute. You amt at all
bad-looking girl, If you only perked up a
bit and stepped around more lively, The
chaps here like a Bit OF fun"
The prospect did not sound aIlurinE. 7
shuddered AT the very ldea or What Aer
particular conception Of "a bit Of fun
might be
thihk Ia oetter 20 10 An hotel
raintly SAID feIt so tired, and yet !
could not, would not enter that unknown
widows house.
The brewing storm then broke upon my
head. Months Of polite rebufT upon nv
uncles part had soWn the Wlnd-and now
/, his unfortunate niece reaped the whrl-
wind. The widow had a large vocabulary
and one great gltt or metaphor. That
buried talent was unSartned until II grew
tenfold
crowd or Ntte unohlrs "irClod