The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-03-31
House in
Holly Street
BY JOHN ELK1Ns
Copyright, by w. @. Chapman.)

on ner daughters lace.
"Well, why don't 1t conner" asked
the girl starting to set the table.
perhaps 1 haven't had enough
faith. But I keep on trying" And the
calm, sweet face again bent over the
work with just the faintest shadow
across the patient lines.
II know mother, you are a dear. I
wish too 1 had more faith. But some
day / get Just desperate. The little,
mean eight dollars a week 1 earn at
that typewriter only keeps us alive.
And this street is enough to give n
nervous prostration."
my dear, / thought it was very
quiet and decent
"Yes-but I'm ashamed to ask any
n here. If we could only move into
a better neighborhood."
But we couldn't afford 1t, dear"
81 know of some new flats in Benton
place for nc more than we pay here"
"How much room?" asked the
mother.
ooh, two rooms, a k~itchenette and
BATH"
But we couldn't do with that"
1--WE could manage. And it's just a
swell entrance"
"But here we have a little garden,
and"
And chickens" finished Florence
dlsgustedly. Chickens that are an
awful bother"
"But they furnish us with nice fresh
eggs, and
And get into the yard next door.
It's all right as long as no one lives
there. But just wait till there's a ten
ant, and thereIl be a row. Lady
Grey is determined to go over there"
Eyes,. sighed Mrs. Bennett, 81
don't see what has got into that hen"
Il know, mother, you like the little
patch of ground and the chickens-but
l do want some of the good times 9TH
er girls have. 1 could go with the
people around here-but you know l
don't care for them"
mo, dear, you wouldn't be your ia
theirs daughter if you did"
A fashionable neighborhood meant
more to the jewellers in this small city
than a cosmopolitan can well under
stand. 1t was the sized place where
one calls on the new neighbor when
she moves into the same block. Holly
street with the small, poor houses, in
which the BENEFITS lived was we'll
nigh a reproach to mention in the good
society of Brentford.
The next morning she turned back
as she was starting out. ''Motheri'
she called. "They are painting the
vacant housew
why so they are! I guess we're
going to have nelghbors !"
Workmen went in and out, and q
man was preparing the ground for a
small garden.
"Ah ha - cried Florence. "Now
Lady Grey will have to go into retire
ment, or lose her neck"
'Il watch her." protested Mrs. Ben
nett.
well, 1 don't want your job"
laughed the girl as she swung off to
the Office.
That evening a tale of woe awaited
her.
"Oh, F1orence! Such a dreadful
woman has moved in! Just a common
Irish creature with a thick brogue!"
81 told you your own wouldn't come
to you by way of Holly street,"
Her mother being in the joking
mood, went on: "She spoke to me
well it was insulting"
II foresee Lady Grey made the first
CALL"
Eyes, I thought I had stopped up
that hole in the runway, but she got
through, and the way that woman went
for me. 1 don't know what we're 60
ing to do"
Two or three days after this, as
Florence was taking a survey of their
small grassy plot with it's hardy an
nuals and %shrubbery, a female voice
hailed her over the fence. She turned
and saw the owner gazing at her.
Say, miss" she called, "Td loike We
to look afther that hen o. yours, or
as thru as I'm talkin' I'll look afther
her mesilf. Here's the row of phlox
all mixed up wild the '%sturtions, an
the sticks layin' galley west. It's
enough to be thryin' the patience o.
a holy saint, so 1t isl"
Florence heard a door open on the
other side of the fence.
Eyes" she agreed. 81 should think
1t would be. Mother thought she had
fastened in Lady Grey. I'm very
sorry. Did she get over there again p
whether twas Lady Grey or Lady
White, she's a divil Of a hen, an If
she comes over again, I'll"
Here the torrent of words came sud
denly to a stop with a masculine voice
breaking in: Margaret Margaret
what is the matter?"
swell If yer wantin' q garden just
We thry havin' 1t wild a hen |"
"But the lady has said she was
/, sorry"
Yes lnoeeu,~ said Florence, "and
] promise you you shall not be annoyed
any more"
Here a rather good-looking young
man emerged from obscurity. More ex-
plantations followed, and the militant
Irish lady went into the house. When
Florence related the incident to her
mother, the latter rejoined:
II suppose she's taking boarders,
and it'll be noisy and unpleasant with
men running In and out"
81 shouldn't suppose anything but
day laborers would be likely to board