Evening star., 1919-10-12
By SeWell Ford

"'ohS ~ h"VhH6 iElCu C88S anu UdCOu
at home."
Well. it's a tale of woe, all right.
Lucy Lee don't mean to complain, but
when she gets started on the subject
she let's the whole thing out Life in
the great city, II you have to spend
twenty hours out Of the. twenty -four
In five-and-bath apartment, amt SO
allurin', the way she sketches 1t out.
Course. she amt used to it, for one
thing. She thinks II she had some
friends nearby it might not be so bad.
AS for Hamilton, he listens to her with
puzzled. hopeless expression, like he
didn't understand.
Wee seems to be studyin' over somes
thing but she don't appear to be get
tim anywhere. So we sits around and
talks for an hour or SO. There amt
room to do much else in a fiat. And
about $3.50 Mr.. Blake has q brilliant
thought.
II say. Lucy" says he, Suppose we
make a rinktum- -diddy for the folks.
che"
Sounds eXcitin," says I. "Do you
start by joinin' hands around the
table,"
No. you don't. You get out the elec-
trio chafing dish and begin by fryin'
some onions. Then you melt up some
cheese. add some canned tomatoes, and
the result is kind Of Spanish Welsh
rabbit that's almost as tasty as It ia
smelly. -
1t was while we was messin' around
the vest pocket kitchen, everybody.
tryin' to help, that we spots this face
at the window opposite. It's sort of q
calm. good -natured face. You wouldn't
Call the young lady heart breaker ex-;
actly, for her mouth is cut kind of gen.
erous and her big eyes are wide set
and serious: but you might guess that
she was decent sort and more or less
sociable. In fact. she's starin' across
the ten feet or SO Of air space watchin',
our maneuvers kind of interested and
wistful.
who's your neigabor?" asks Ves.
I'm sure l haven't an idea." says
Lucy Lee. II see her lot, Of course
She spends as much tine in her kitchen
Is co. even more. Usually she seems
to be alone"
''Why don't you speak to her some.
time" suggests Wee.
"Oh. I wouldn't dare" says Lucy Lee.
Tit :sn't done. you know. tried
that twice when I first came, with wom-
en- I met in the elevator, and I was
promptly snubbed. New Workers. don't
do that sort of thing. understand"
But she's rather a nice-looking
half-smiling. I'm going to speak to
her" Which she does, right of the
bat II hope you don't mind the
The strange young lady doesn't
slam down the window and go on
tossin' her head. indignant, so sne
can't be a real New Yorker. Instead
she smiles and shows couple Of
good" says she. II was just wonder
ing what it could be-" -
Wont you come over and hnd
out?' says Wee. smilin' back.
Yes. do come and join u.s." puts
in Lucy Lee. "Ill open the hall door
why. I'D love to lift I may"
says the young lady.
And that's how. half an hour or SO
later, when all that was left of this
smears on five empty plates. we be-
gun hearin' the story of the face at
the window. She's young Mrs. Will
lam Fairfield. and she's been that ex-
oClly luIcc HOHlHS. DSlOFc tNdI Suo
had been Miss Esther Hartley OF
Turkey Run, Md. and Kaiochow,
China. Papa Hartley had been q
medical missionary and Esther. after
she got through at Wellesley, had
Joined him as nurse and kinder.
garten teacher. She'd been living in
kaiochow for three years, and tho
mission outfit was getting along fine
when some kind of Boxer mess
broke out and they all had to leave.
Coming back on an Italian steamer
from Genoa she met Bill. who'd been
in aviation. and there'd been some
lovely moonlight nights and-well,
Bill had persuaded her that teaching
young ChinkS to handle letters
wouldn't be half as nice as being
Mrs William Hartley. Besides, he
had good position waiting for him
in big wholesale leather house
right in New York. and 1t would be
such fun living among regular peo-
pie.
II suppose it is fun. too" says
Esther. but somehow I can't seem
to get used to it. Every one here
gives you such cold, suspicious looks;
even the folks you meet in the hall
ways and elevator. as though they
meant 10 say, Don't you dare speak
to me. l don't know who or what
you are, so don't come near They're
like that. you know. Why, the street
gamins of kaiochow were not much
worse when / first went there. Yes,
they did throw stones at me a few
times, but in less than a month thew