The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-10-15
Married Life
MARRIED LIFE -. 49,.
Helen Calls on Mrs. Randall at a
Cheap Furnished Room
House

Met Randall on the subway this
morning" announced Warren as ne
stirred his after-dinner coffee.
"Oh. YOU did, Helen leaned for
ward with eager interest. HAS he a
position YETI"
Il believe he's trying to sell some
thing or other on commission. lie
wasn't very communicative, and you
can't pump a fellow when he's down
and out. but l know-he hasn't any
regular job"
Didn't he say anything about
Mrs. Randall and the children?'
Yes. they've sublet their apartment
furnished and gone TO board. He said
they weren't giving their address, but
he thought Mrs. Randall would like to
see you. You ought to go-dont you
think SOP
oh, Of course. if you think she
really wants me-
He wouldn't have said so if she
didn't: | started to tell him he could
count on me for anything I could do,
but he SHE'D away-changed the sub
ject. Jove. it must be hard with a
man of his pride to be up against it
like that"
But. dear, don't you think he'll get
something soon? Surely man OF
his ability
Ability Not Counted
Now you've been over all that
before" interrupted Warren irritably
but this time his irritation was not at
Helen. but at the general injustice of
the business world to men of Ran
dall's type. II told you a mans abil-
ity didn't count when he seeks job
with gray hair and no capital. Osler
has it about right-a man over Iorty
is out of the running
You didn't give me their address"
reminded Helen
He took some papers from his pock-
ct and tore off a pencil address.
West Twenty-second street."
read Helen from the strip wonder
what kind Of a place it is ?"
Some cheap boarding house. You'd
better call tomorrow-maybe you can
cheer her up. Ask -em mere to an
ner, if they'll come. l intended to ask
Randall, but he was off before 1 got
the chance"
Helen had not seen Mrs randall
once since her husband had lost the
position he had held for over twenty
years with Crane K Baker. They had
not given up their apartment then. |
and Mrs. Randall had cried that they !
could not live cheaper anywhere Inan
they We're living there.
let she ndd admltteu ne,pleSSlY |
that the rent was 81 200 a year. and /
that they had always lived Zip to ev- !
cry cent of his salary-saving Moth |
ing. And Helen had wondered pity-l
ingly as she looked around the ext
rensively furnished apartment, how
long it would be before Mrs. Randall |
would have TO realize that they could ,
live cheaper. Evidently that reaiiza-
ton had come very soon--for already |
they had moved
The next afternoon Helen passea a |
dingy brown-stone house on West |
Twenty-second street. 1t was only |
one of the many in that block. They |
had once been well-to-do homes, each |
with its Individuality, but now there
was The stamp Of the boarding house |
about them all.
She wcnt up the stone stoop to the
shabby doorway and rang the bell. !
There was no response and she was
about to ting again When a man ran
up the steps feeling in his pocket for
a key. AS he stopped over to unlock
the door, Helen noticed his overcOat
with it's worn fur collar and his gen
eral seedy air of the lower class act
or.
He held the door open as though ex-
pecling Der to enter. 1t was an awK-