The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-17

ing. She turned and beckoned to some
one without. Come on" she said
Come vn." She put out a hand. en-
coura gingly, and brought forward the
| shrinking, covering, timorous figure of
Anna Czarnik. scrub-woman on the
sixth floor. Her hand still on her Shout
der, Martha Foote led her to the CEN
ire of the room. where she stood, gaz-
| ing dumbly about. She was the scrub
woman you've seen in every hotel from
San Francisco to Scituate. A shape
less, moist blue caliAe mass. Her shoes
turned up ludicrously at the toes, as do
the shoes of one who crawls her way
backward, crab-like. on hands and
knees. Her hands were the shrivelled
unlovely members that bespeak long
and daily immersion In dirty water.
But even had those invariable marks
OF her trade been lacking, you could
not have failed to recognize her type
by the large and glittering mock dia-
mond comb Which failed to catch up
her dark and stringy hair in the back.
One kindly hand on the woman's
arm, Martha Foote performed the in
| PRODUCTION.
This is Mrs. Anna Czarnik, late Of
Poland. Widowed. Likewise childless.
Also brotherless Also many other I'M
comfortable things. But the life of the
crowd in the scrub-girls' quarters on
the top floor. Aren't you, Anna? Mrs.
Anna Czarnik, I'm sorry to say. is the
source Of the blood curdling moan, and
the swishing, and the clanking. and the
ghost-raps. There is a service stair
way just on the other side Of this wall.
Anna Czarnik was performing her
morning job Of scrubbing 1t. The
swishing was her wet rag. The clank-
ing was her pail. The dull raps her
scrubbing brush striking the stair cor
ner just behind your wall"
You're forgetting the wall" Geisha
Mccoy suggested. icily.
THAT was Anna Czarnik singing"
} "Singing?"
Martha Foote turned and spoke a
CHERISH of Polish and English to the
bewildered woman at her side. Anna
Czarnik's dull face lighted up ever SO
: little.
She says the thing she was singing
is Polish fo1k-song about death and
sorrow, and it's called a-what was
crumbs. I'm sorry you wer- disturb
ed. The scrubbing ca. t he helpedr-ef
I course, but there is a rule against un-
| necessary noise. and she shouldn't have
been singing. But-well, I suppose
she's got to find relief, somehow
Would yol believe that woman is the
cut-up of the top floor? She's a nat
ural comedian, and she does more for
me in the way OF keeping the other
girls happy and satisfied than"
What about me? Where do 1 come
in? Instead of sleeping until eleven
I'm kept awake by this Polish dirge. I
go on at the Majestic at four, and again
at 9:45 and I'm sick. tell you. Sick,''
She looked IT. too. Suddenly she
twisted about and flung herself, face
downward on the pillow. ''Oh. Godt'
she cried, without any particular ex-
preston. "oh. God Oh God!"
That decided Martha Foote
She crossed over to the other side
of the bed, first f1icking off the glaring
top lights. sat down beside the shaken
woman on the pillows. and laid a cool
light hand on her shoulder.
"It\isn't as bad as that. Or It won't
be. anyway, after you've told me about
it."
She waited. Geisha Mccoy remained
as she was. face down. But she die
not openly resent the hand on hel
shoulder. So Martha Foote waited
And as suddenly as Six eighteen hac
flung herself prone she twisted about
and sat up. breathing quickly. She
passed a hand over her eyes and push
ed back her streaming hair with ar
oddly desperate little GESTURE. Her lips
were parted her eyes wide.
They've got away from me-" she
cried, and Martha Foote knew what
she meant. Il can't hold EN- any more
I work as hard as ever-harder. That's
it. 1t seems the harder work the
colder they get. Last week. in Indian
apolis, they couldn't have been more
Indifferent If I'd been the educational
film that closes the show. And, oh
my God! They sit and knit"
Knit" echoed Martha Foote. But
everybodys knitting nowadays"
Not when I'm on. They can't. But
they do. There were three of them in
the third row yesterday afternoon. One
of 'em was doing grey sock with four
shiny needles. Four! 1 couldn't keep
my eyes off of them. And the second
was doing a sweater and the third q
helmet. I could tell by the shape. And
you can't be funny, can you. when
you're hypnotized by three stoney-
faced females all doubled up over a
bunch of olive-dr Olive-drab I'm
r scared of it. It sticks out all over the
house. Last night there were two
| roung kids in uniform right down In
he first row, centre. right. I'll bet the
oldest wasn't twenty-three There they
at, looking up at me with their baby
! aces. That's all they are. Kids. The
S house seems Il be peppered with EN-
c You wouldn't think oli-e- drab could
e stick out the way it does. I can see
I it farther than red. can see it day and
i night. I can't seem to see anything
> else. 1 can't"
E Her head came down on her arms
THAT rested on her tight-hugged knees
5 Somebody of yours in it," Martha
! Foote asked. quietly. She waited. Then
f she made a wild guess-an intuitive
! guess. SOM"
t How did you known Geisha Nc
] Coy's head came up.
Il didn't"
nharn rantA