Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-08-08
Evening Story
THE MODEL FLAT.
BY Mary Marshall.
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

J copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)
The door of Scott Street settle
ment house stood ajar and Dick Wad-
ley went in, passed group Of coarse
figured, sallow-faced east side moth
ers waiting to receive their off,
spring from the day nursery, and
CROPPED his way through dark hall
of the old building in search OF some
one in charge. He found Miss Bailey,
the head worker, and told her that he
wanted to "look around" and with
, stereotyped cordially she told him he
could go through the building, and II
,, he wanted to ask any questions ne
could find her later.
Dick knew that IL Miss Bailey knew
what errand had called him there her
reception of him would have been diff
ferent, her cordially would have been
of a different brand. He wandered
up several flights Of well-worn stairs
into different club rooms. The build
ing had once been church, but since
the encroachment Of non-church-
going population in the neighborhood
It had been abandoned to the uses OF
settlement house. After the last
flight of stairs he found himself In
region that had once been the vault
ing of the church before the floors
we're inserted. At one side Of this
attic room Dick saw what seemed to
be a playhouse. At least there were
four small windows looking out on
the main floor, and through these win.
dows he could see curtains and potted
peraniums. There was front door
apparently leading into the small
apartment.
wadley was interested. He stood
looking at the little apartment and
heard sirlish chattering. Then
little pig-tailed, east side girl, with
an apron and an empty market basket
came through the door and went ABOUT,
apparently pretending to be shopping.
She stopped at wood box at one enc
of the large attic and filled her basket
with kindling wood. Then she Went
back to the playhouse. Wadley
thought Of knocking at the door and
finding out what was going on inside.
but he waited. Finally the door
opened and a dozen little girls, all very
happy and with great deal to say,
came out. A young woman came TO
the door and helped them into their
hats and coats In one end of the attic
room. and then saw them to the head
Of the stairs, and with word OF en-
commencement to each one, with BE
sure and come next week, Becky" to
one and 81 hope the baby will be
better soon. Rachael" for another,
sent them down stairs.
Then the young woman, whom Wad-
lev saw at glance, even IN the
cleaning Of the late afternoon. was
Young and graceful, came back to the
door. He came up to her as she went
into the door of the little apartment.
She greeted him with little start.
81 did not see you," she said. Have
you been here long?
Wadley told her that he was Just
looking about, that he had been
watching her class from the OUTSIDE.
The young woman was eager to ex-
plain things to him. She said that
the apartment, as he called 1t, was
model fiat It consisted OF three
rooms of the sort that the young girls
of the neighborhood would probably
have to 20 to housekeeping in. and it
was fitted up with inexpensive fur
nishings.
"The girls all do marry here she
said $50 the best work we can do is
to show them how to make good
wives"
80 you teach these east side peo-
pie how to marry and live on their
little, and the poor young bankers and
lawyers on the other side OF town
with ten times their salaries cant
marry because the young women they
would marry can't manage?
The young woman laughed. That
is about the situation" she said, "and
yet these people are happy" BY this
time they had gone into the apart
ment and Wadley was delighted with
its comfortably furnished rooms.
II saw the curtains and the flowers
from the outside" he said. "They
look very pretty"
"They aren't real windows" she
explained "They are just solid glass,
but they are where the windows
ought to be. The real light and air
comes in through the skylight.' And
with each Of Wadley's inquiries she
explained details of the little fiat. She
told him that she was Miss Clarice
Hardwick, that she was volunteer
worker, and that she wished she had
enough money to make. generous
gift to the settlement house.
Wadley felt that It was time for
him to explain himself. II am look
ing around here for way to spend
some money-not my own, Of course.
but some of my chiefs" He ex-
planned that he was young member
of the firm Of prominent flnancier
and that he was often sent on the
thankless job of looking up institu-
tions to which the flnancier thought
of giving money. He had been
Thoroughly discouraged when he ar
rived at the house, he said, but now
he was glad he had come.
Clarice was interested and, laugh
ing said sha wouldn't let him go till
he had promised to get little Of the
money for her to spend on model
flats.
All this explanation had taken half
an hour, and when they started to
! Tho door they found II was locked.