Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-29
By ARNOLD GARRY COLIN
CHAPTER I
mona the Workers

HIRUBY IL seemed like the emu OF tne
i world to Monte Crispen when he got
to Kensington with single piece OF
luggage and no body servant. The fixed
habits of the past, relics of his former
life of plushlined ease, rose like mock
ing spectTes and smote hard against his
grim determination to stick out at all
costs any discomforts incidental to new
standards of living. There was the
sting of the cactus under every step
he took in the mill district. At first the
irritants were many, and his aroused
nerves refused pointblank at times to
take orders from his brain.
He kept saying over to himself How
can see If 1 keep myself blind?' until
Aradually the wigwagging of the ban
fshed comforts became fainter and
fainter. The facts which lowered so high
in the fogs of yesterday-an always
ready bath, variety of wearing apparel,
exactly two-minute eggs, etc.-strangely
changed their proportions. He saw their
limitations and he felt the joy of stand
ing alone, superior to their absence.
unafraid in the presence of an existence
shorn of them.
A mechanic who becomes a capitalist
has no novelties to Offer He draws to-
ward him the warming-pan, the mani
cure and the tailor. But the capitalist
who becomes a mechanic, let 1t be for
a single day-ah! there we have a real
somebody, genuine centre of interest.
Did not John d. Rockefeller, Jr en-.
hance his standing with the American
public when he went to Colorado to
study for himself the problems under
lying the industrial disturbances there?
In the language of the merchant, the
middlemen had "oversold" young Mr.
Rockefeller and he broke away from
tradition; he wanted facts guaranteed
fresh from the labor reservoir, so he
took a train for the West.
But we cannot tarry long with these
reflections; this is a story and not an
essay. And our virile hero Is signaling.
It was after of late November aft
ernoon, bleak and chill 1t was already
dusk in Mcpherson Park, and street
lights were beginning to twinkle in the
little narrow corridors of homes that
ran hither and thither back from the
open square. One of these was Halsey
street, and up and down its sidewalks
came the patter of eager footballs, tired
home-comers. There were stalwart
mechanics and 1.-THE girl millhands from
the nearby factories; clerks from the
downtown wholesale and retail houses
soon to feel the benefits of rapid tran
sit. AS each reached particular door
made known by habit, he or she would
suddenly disappear from sight.
The wonderful necromancy practiced
In many sections of our great industrial
city is the nightly finding of ones own
home in the rows and rows of Just |
alike" one and two story dwelling |
houses. True enough, there are the |
private marks known alone to each set
of occupants, such as a familiar door |
scratch, a Clipped step, a mended win |
dow blind or a distinguishing arrange |
.Nent of curtains. But to a stranger |
Watching the piquancy of this pageant
7bf daily life in Philadelphia the picking |
out of the right portal is a profound |
achievement.
Yet we think nothing of 1t. Through |
rain or snow, sunshine or darkness. we |
and our neighbors actually sense our |
way home. Unconsciously we turn ia.
miliar corners, treading our way
through the labyrinth of similarities; |
'encirele a pool of water in the crossing |
OF a bit of rough going in the sidewalk
until we suddenly emerge almost mirac-
ulonsly at the portal of portals-our
home. What were the forest-piercing
talents of the American Indian com.
pared TO the home-finding genius of the
true Philadelphian? AS nothing.
For half an hour Monte Crispen, in.
dulging in such reflections, had been
watching with fascinated eyes the prac-
ticed arrivals at the two-story brick
fronts in Halsey street Bundled up in
q warm coat, Monte quite filled the cold
steps OF No. 20. his presence blocking
the entrance Of the dwelling where
Craig tAndrews. the lawyer, had secured
him a rear parlor with breakfasts at
So a week. He was known only as
Mr.. Taller" and with pair OF heavy
rimmed glasses. a rapidly sprouting
third eyebrow" on his upper lip and the
most ordinary OF ready-made clothing,
there was very little in evidence OF the
dandy Of the Bellaire-Blitz Hotel and
foreign watering places.
MIR. Taller will pardon me-"
Monte turned bit startled, and faced
girl about TO enter. who looked
straight into his eyes with a frank
and pleasant curiosity.
He recovered his poise: "Ah! 1 see
] am in the way. Miss Marley, / be-
neve."
He lifted his hat politely. and made
space for free passage into the
house.
you are mothers new roOmsr2" she
said timidly,
exes-e !