The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-05-01
PARADISE FLATS
BY OLIVE GRAY.

puddle of water, the soup landed In
her lap, and over all spread her UNI
brella like hugh snuffer, pouring riv-i
ulets of water down her neck.
The man with whom she had collided
at the windswept corner apologized.
Disposing of his own umbrella he
seized hers, lifted it away from the
wreck and assisted Peggy to her feet.
| Are you hurt?' he asked.
NO" she answered, shaking the
/ soup out of her skirt. But poor Mrs.
Mally will have to do without her sup
per, I'm afraid"
| That's too bad. I'm terribly sorry.
| 1t was all my fault. Is there anything
/ can do to make it up?"
Peggy hesitated, which gave the man
! a chance to see just what kind of per-
son it was he had encountered SO forci-
bly,. In the half light, with the street
lamp giving an uncertain, CHASTITY gim-
mer. Peggy looked so ethereal that
the young man had feeling that she
was going to disappear into the mist
and float away. But with all her pale
ness she was almost too beautiful to be
real
| Yes" she answered, all unconscious
of what was going or in the others
mind, there is something. Mrs. Mally
is very sick and she can't have any
thing but broth. There is restaurant
| about half block away. I've just
come from there but I've got to hurry
on to Mrs. Mally's right away. The
4 baby might fall downstairs and Patsy
is probably making a meal off the
matches while I'm here talking. SO if
you don't mind, you might bring the
soup and I'll run along to look after
+ the family
! "Sure, Til get the soup. Is there
s anything else?"
Nothing, thank you. It's the Para
u disc tenement across the street there
E fifth floor.
!. Paradise tenement" He looked at
r the high, gloomy building with broken
Il windows and rickety steps. ut doesn't
G look it,"
!, few minutes later he knocked at a
y door at the head of the fourth flight
n of stairs, stairs that creaked and
k swayed with his weight.
Peggy opened the door, 1T didn't
o take you long" she greeted him
u Wont you come in?"
- I'm dripping Wet" he protested
i waiting to be coaxed.
lcI "Oh, that doesn't matter. The ROOF
,e leaks in forty places anyway. Come
y in.'' .'''Y
Say, this is the darndest place
was ever in. 1t isn't safe for you to b.
here, is it-with all the dampness ant
III everything ?"a~.oare> -o4o.r kfoe E~e :.
Just as safe for me as Cor these kid
n dies and that poor sick soul in there!
g nodding toward the next room. sane
20 I'm only here evenings, while they'r
here all the time. / live on the othe
4 side of town. Mrs. Mally does m
\ washing-that's how l disceyere
| her"
Il "Who the-who owns this place?
| ought to be reported to the department
of public safety"
\ 1.-THE Everett Real Estate company.
: Are you sure?"
Il Eyes. At least that's where l pai
last months rent"
He looked around. Plaster and ps
| per were falling from the walls, paper
n and old rags were stuffed into broke
| windows, and, as Peggy said, it raine
almost as hard inside as out.
The baby crept over and pulled itsel
nj up TO his knee. He lifted it to his la
> and opened a sticky little hand. Di:
ging down into his pocket he produce
bill. Here, little chap. This migl
n. help generally. Give it to the lady"
SO You mustn't do that !" cried Pegg.
GO when she had extricated the donatio
no and noted the amount.
ks "Oh, yes. ! must! It's to get nurs
w. to relieve YOU and some proper foo
ii and all the rest of that Samarita
,n stuff. And I'm going to see about ii,
ing up this death trap. ! stand in wit
the Everett Real Estate company, 20
nd see. Now / must be going. Goo'
night!' he said, rising.
Inv Goodnight ~ said Peggy, holdin
,;s out her hand. And thank you, oh,
NV very, very much"
flo And he turned toward the stair
feeling that he had left something vel
-, valuable behind.
The next day Peggy looked up fro
ia her desk. One of the stenographe
-. was talking.
Did you know the boss was back
'Who?"
:" "Oh, I forgot you didn't know hil
Why, Mr.. Everett. He's been to Japa
-" Came home yesterday. There he
ne now"
oA The door of an adjoining off,
opened and a man came out. Peg.
H. started. 1t was her Samaritan. TIL.
a.s she understood. Paradise flats b
" longed to him.
me 81 would like to see you momer
'un please" he said, recovering instant
ein from his surprise.