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

olate place when I stood quite alone out.
side my uncle's house, that first sad night
in Philadelphia
Gone off to Europe rang through my
stunned BRAIN The house shut UP for
three long months" Where was 1 now
to turn.
I remember noticing how the little
children raced along the pavement. each
on one 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 sum
burnt faces.
Where was l now to turn? l did not
know. One cannot live for long on SS,
How foolish had been to come this long.
long way on mere surmise. l saw that
clearly now 1t was too late. Gone off to
EUROPE" and the house was closed,
a woman from the uoXt-duur house
now came upon the scene She may have
wanted to be kind, l do not know. I
thought she had the shrllest, harshest
voice.
Yes, he has gone said she, are you
his niece? From England, do you say?
Dear. dear, l thought YOU had foreign
look! In mourning, too. What friend 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" I said DULY You see, l only wrote
three days before 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 bit of rouge on those pale
cheeks-Iu give you some. it's real cute
stuff! You'll never get a beau here un-
less you smarter UP a bit!'
Can you give me my uncle's present
address," l stitfly asked. for her strange
speeches made me feel confused.
And that I can't" said she. your
uncle came it rather naughty over me,
After that ailing wife of his died, three
years ago, I tried to be real sociable, over
the back yard fence of nights. pulled
three lathes of wood out, SOS I could
keep a CHEEKY eye on him-for I'm a
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
back yard, real sood-looking man he
is! But whenever I'd come out, and try
a bit of conversation with him, why,
d act real stiff and naughty. and then
AXE some excuse and get up and go into
The house. I sec the fence Is broken
would say, always very polite, I'll
send man here tomorrow to see that It
is repaired Three times he mended the
fence. never guessing l had made the hole
on purpose She sighed, with a remints
cent look in her hard eye. II guess your
uncle's fixed real elegant said she re-
gretfully.
What could she mean. Fixed up real
elegant 7 did not know, and did not
care. Where was l now to turn?
\ PLEASANT PROPOSITION.
ST guess you have a goodish bit Of
money with you. and would make 1t
worth my while if I took you here to-
night?" 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 a party
and be real soCiable. l guess | could ti%
up that hair of yours for once and make
you look real cute, You amt at all a
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 aIlurng
shuddered at the very idea Of what her
particular conception Of "a bit of fun
might be!
Il think I'd better go 10 an hotel"
family said. l felt so tired, and yet I
could not would not enter that unknown
widows house.
The brewing storm then broke upon my
head. Months of polite rebuff upon my
uncle's part had sown the wind-and now
7, his unfortunate niece, reaped the whirl-
wind. The widow had a large vocabulary
and one great gift of metaphor That
buried talent was unearthed until it grew
tenfold.
A crowd of little unchins circled
round. Just listen to her" cried one
little hoy. "Its better than the movies,
amt il, sister,"
What were ''the moyiesa" had never
heard the nams' I sat upon my trunk
on that top step in shoerest weariness.
while the gentle lady on her step next
door haranEued me in 4 ringing tone.
The little crowd was growing larEer-I
bethought me Of Punch and Judy show
at home'
a LADY IL DISTRESS.
At length a gallant knight came 70 my
rescue. I saw his broad form push that
crowd aside No Juliet in a thrilling bal
couy scene welcomed her Romeo with a
gladder heart than upon those steps He
was the local ice man, it is true, hut still
a Romeo 10 me,
"Gee-whiz.' said hs I'm no uncertain
tones fixing the widow with a wrathful
eve, Maybe you amt the noisiest,
peskiest woman on this street I'd hate
10 tell Won what I think NJ you" He
turned around 10 mo and his voice
changed. "Come right along with me- I'll
see YOU right TO whore you want 70 60"
said he,
In the twinkling of an eve he had
heaved nv heavy trunk from off that
doorstep. right to the roof N his empty
foe wagon, had helped me mp beside the
drivers seat cracked a long whip and of
we drove,