New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-12-01
4 thrilling mystery story about a
man who lost his courage and the
girl who helped him to GndH again

Sidney in his arms fade into IN indefi'
mite futurity.
"Im not going to give you up" he
said dOggedly. "When you come back,
I'll be waiting"
The shock being over, and things
only postponed, he dramntized his grief
n tritle, thrust his hands savagely into
his pockets and scowled down the
street. Sidney smiled up at him.
Good night, Joe"
Good night. l say, Sidney, It's
more than half an engagement. Won't
you kiss me good-night?"
She h~esltuted, flushed and palpitat-
ing. Perhaps. after all. her first kiss
would have gone without her heart
gone out of sheer pity. But n tall fig
IRE doomed IL of the shadows and
approached with quick strides.
'Thr rOomcr!' cried Sidney, and
backed away.
'D---n the rOomer."
The roomer advanced steadily.
When he reached the doorstep, Sidney
was ~demurcly seated and quite alone.
The oomer looked very warm. He
carried a suitcase. which was as it
should be. The men of the Street al
ways carried their WI luggage, except
the younger Wilson across the way.
His tastes were known to be luxurious.
Hot, isn't it," Sidney inquired,
after a formal greeting. She indicated
the place on the step just vacated by
joe. you'd better cool off out here.
The house IS like an over | think
should have warned you Of that before
you took the room. These little houses
with low roofs are fearfully hot"
The new roomcr hesitated. He did
not care To establish any relations with
the people in the house. Long eve
nings in which to read, quiet nights In
which to sleep and forget-these were
the things he had come for.
But Sidney had moved over and was
smiling up at him. He folded up awk-
wardly on the low step. He seemed
much too big for the house. Sidney
had a panicky thought Of the little
room upstairs.
II don't mind heat. IL suppose |
don't think about it," said the roolncr,
rather surprised at himself.
I'm afraid you'll be sorry you took
the ROOM
The oorne smiled in the shadow.
I'm beginning to think that you are
His quick mind grasped the fact that
It was the girls bedroom he had taken.
Other things he had gathered that aft
rnoon from the humming of n sewing
machine, from Sidney's b~usinesSlike
of renting the little ROOM, from
glimpse of Il woman in Il sunny
window, bent owe II needle. Genteel
poverty was what it meant, and more
the constant drain of dishcartened,
middle-nged ONE on the youth and
courage of the girl beside him.
X. lie Moync, who was living his
own tragedy those days, what with
poverty and other things, swOre IL quiet
oath to be no further weight on the
bu0yant spirit. He had go in
tention Of letting the Street ehaoach
On him. He had built up a wall be-
tween himself and the rest of the
world. and he would not scale 1t. But
he held no grudge against it. Let 9th
,rs get what they could out of living.
Sidney, suddenly practical, broke in
IN his thoughts:
"Where are you going to get your
neals?'
IL hadn't thought about it. | can
stop in somewhere on my way down
| work in the gas otiice-I don I
believe ! told you"
ITS very bad for you" said Sidney,
With decision. 1T leads to ~slovcnly
such rs going without when
in Il hurry. and that sort of
hing. The only thing is to have some
me expecting you at II certain time"
at sounds like marriage" He was
amused.
ut sounds like Mrs. Mckce's board
NJ house at the corner. Tw~enty-one
meals for five dollars, and your ticket
$ good until it is punched. But Mrs.
,lcKec doesn't like it if you MISS"
Mrs. Mckee for me-" said LIE MOyne.
I dare say I'll be fairly regular to my
II was growing late. The Street, |
which m~istrusted night air, even on
hot summer evening, was closing its
windows. BY shifting his position, the
nan was able to see the girls face.
'ery lovely it was. he thought. Very
ure, almost radiant-3nd young.
rom the middle age of his almost
hirty years, she was n child. There
ad been a boy in the shadows when
G came up the Street. OF course there
;ould be a boy-a nice, clear-eyed
hap
Sidney was looking ut the moon.
With that dreamer's part of her that
he had inherited from her dead and
one father. she was quietly worship
lg the night. But her busy brain
as working, tOO-the practical brain
hat she had got from her mothers
ide.
what about your washing?" she in
unexpectedly. 81 suppose you've
cen sending things to the laundry.
nd-what do you do about your stock
Buy cheap ones and throw EN- away
hen they're worn out" There seemed
!, be no reserves with this surprising
Dung person.
"And buttons?"