American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-05-30
Little Lonesomes
r.
by DOROTHY DOUGLAS

som played at doll house and Just over
the fence Harold Alnley struggled with
tracks and engines.
In the room above and overlooking
both gardens Joys father struggled TO
finish his novelette, that a check might
find It's way TO his front door.
The back room In the otler house
held Harold's lovely mother, who typed
other peoples plays and wished with
all her heart that she could have an
Office so that she would earn more
money for the maintenance OF her
loved boy.
"oh, mumsey, | emit make my
switch work-the train won't turnl !"
walled Harold from below 20 his moth
er, who was e%ndeayOrlng to end the
third act before she must go down to
prepare her boys supper.
Daddy, daddy. I've torn Julia's
bestest party dress and can't fix IT,"
cried n small voice, thereby distracting
her author father into hopelessness.
The continued Interruptions TO his
work. the tenderness and pity he felt
for his tiny daughter and his most
complete disability to help her ia
tigued him and made him unfit for the
work That must be accomplished II the
pretty house was to be kept.
He dragged himself from his type
writer and went downstairs and out
into the garden where his fve-year-old
offspring was weeping now with her
doll held close In her wee arms.
And next door Helen AInley had
abandoned hope of finishing her tipping
and had zone out to her small sol In n
vain effort TO help him with his rail-
way system.
The high garden fence hid the small
domestic tragedies from each other,
but II a blrdman had happened to fly
overhead most any day in the week he
would have seen two large gardens
each with n tiny bit of lonesome hui
mainly struggling TO make n day hap
py without anyone to play with. There
was not even the smallest of openings
In the great fence, nor yet even n
broken board through which childish
curiosity might peer.
Had the fence been less perfect n
most harmonious pair OF lonesome
children might have found each other
and made the long days short. Also It
would have given two distracted pa-
rents more opportunity to pursue their
fortunes free from an ever-recurrlng
demand On their time.
But one day, because II must always
be the male who hunts, young Harold
decided that he would like to know
what lay on the opposite side OF his
combining wall. Al seven years old Il
six-foot fence seems n regular jack
were strong, or seemed so to Harold's
venturesome mood.
Mumsey was not looking when he
began the ascent: otherwlse-well,
happenings would undoubtedly have
been different.
Harold gained the top with only mi
o struggles. His delight Mt seeing
Joy In all her young beauty M n re.
ward for his climb almost succeeded
in sending him headlong into her CUR,
den. As II was. he perched himself
like u squirrel or n branch and opened
shameless conversation with the young
lady with her dolls.
JOY made suitable replies and made
no effort 10 conceal the delight his ar.
rival on the fence gave her. She held
her doll up for his inspection, only to
be told that his railway track was
muah more fun. JOY only tossed her
sunny curls.
Perhaps II al her dlsdaln that un
balanced him, for a second later h,
thumped down into Joys garden ant
lay In Il heap among the pink gernnl
ums that bordered the wall.
joys shrek OF dismay was so terri
flying that her daddy flew down IN,
stairs at top speed, scattering IN,
pages OF his novelette, and leaving hi
heroine In u scandalous, wholly I'm
compromising position.
Aud Harold's mother flung a frantl
glance at the two gardens, suspecte,
the worst and barely escaped fallin
out OF her window In an effort TO Sc
where her boy lay.
But the author had been so swift /
the rescue that before she could witt
draw from her window and dash dow
the stairs he had Harold In his arm
There were no bones broken and
most manly smile crept through III
fright that fingered In the small n,
~yrnturer's eyes.
Mira. Ainiey nearly collapsed ov,
the window ledge In her relef.
Sound as u bell" Ransom called l
when he caught sight OF her. In
fash he wondered why he had nev.
before known that his next-door nelg
Dor was a charming mixture OF poe,
loneliness and earthly reality. n
hair was sunkissed and reddish, h
color delicate as hawthorne blool
and her nose had a smear of typewr
err Ink ON II. He hoped that she. I,
was o a poor struggling writer.
blow shall | get him backr' $
was calling.
az. 49,. - - g....H "a. -