The Washington herald., 1915-08-15

That nasty old North River" objected Hetty
1T smells like soap factories and wet setter
dogs-oh, you mean the stew. Well wish we had
an onion for it. Did he look like he had money!
First he looked kind" said Cecilia. I'm sure
he was rich; but that matters little. When he
drew out his bill-folder to pay the cabulan you
couldn't help seeing hundreds and thousands OF
dollars in it. And looked over the cab doors and
saw him leave the ferry station in motor-car: and
the chauffeur gave him his bearskin to put on, for
he was sopping wet. And it was only three days
ago"
What fooll" said Hetty, shortly.
"Oh, the chauffeur wasn't wet" breathed Cecilia.
"And he drove the car away very nicely"
81 mean you," said Hetty For not giving him
your address"
81 never give my address to chauffeurs,' said
Cecilia, haughtily.
81 wish we had one" said Hetty, disconsoately.
what for"
For the stew, of course-oh mean onion"
Hetty took pitcher and started to the sink
at the end of the hall.
A young man came down the stairs from above
decently dressed, but pale and haggard. His eyes
were dull with the stress of burden of phys
ical or mental woe. In his hand he bore onion
"a pink, smooth, solid, shining onion large
sround as a ninety-eight-cent alarm-clock.
Hetty stopped So did the young There
was something Joan of Arc-ish, Herculean and
Una-ish ir the look and pose of the shop-lady-he
d D
Hood. The young stopped at tie foot OF the
stairs and coughed distractedly He felt raroored,
held up attacked, assailed levied upor, sacked,
sessed, panhandled, browbeaten, though he knew
not why 1t was the look in He.tyj eyes that did
it. In them he saw the Jolly Roger f.. to th- mast
head and an able seaman with DIRK between his
teeth scurry up the ratlines and nal i. there But
as yet he did not know that the cargo he carried
was the thing that had caused him Re so nearly
blown out of the water without parlcr.
Beg your pardon" said Hetty, sweetly
her dilute acetc acid permitted, but did you
hnd that onion on TIE stairso Ther. a hole
in the paper bag; and I've just out 20 look
for it"
The young man eoughed for half minute. The
int, Val may have given him the courage to defend
his own property Also he clu,ched his pungent
prize greedily, and, with show of spirit. faced
his grim waylayer
NO" he said huskily. 81 didn't find it the
stairs 1t was given to me by Jack Bevens on the
top floor. II you don't believe it. ask him. III wait
until you do
Il know about Bevens," said Hetty sourly. "He
writes books and things up there for the paper-and
rags man. We hear the postman guy him all
over the house when he brings them thick envel-
opes back. Say-do you live in the Vallambrosa:"
Il do not" said the young Il to
Bevens sometimes. He's my friends. l live two
blocks west"
What you going to do with the onion?
begging your pardon" said Hetty.
I'm going to eat it,
Raw"
Yes: as l get home"
Haven't you got anything else to eat with it,
The young man considered briefly.
No. he eonfessed there's not another scrap
of anything in my diggings to l think old Jack
is pretty hard up for grub in his shack, too. He
hated to give up the onion, but l worried him into
parting with it."
Man" said Hetty, fixing him with her world
sapient eyes, and laying bony but impressive hn-
ger his sleeve, you've known trouble too.
haven't you?"
Lots" said the onion owner, promptly But
this onion is my property, honestly by.
If you will excuse me, l must be going"
Listen said Hetty paling a little with anx-
ety. Raw onion is a mighty poor diet. And so
is beef-stew without one Now, if you're Jack
Bevens' friend, guess you're nearly right There's
a little lady-a friend of mine-in my room there
at the end of the hall. Both OF out of luck
and we had just potatoes and meat between US.
There's certain things in life that are naturally in
tended to fit and belong together. One is pink
cheese-cloth and green roses. and one is ham and
Eggs, and one is Irish and trouble. And the other
one is beef and potatoes with onions. And still
another one is people who are up against it and
other people in the fix"