Evening star., 1919-11-09
The Gummidges Get a Break
HIS news about how the Gum
midges had come back is phoned
In by Wee here the other after

thrilled. You see. I'd been through that
act with the ,Gummidges two or three
times before and the novelty had sort
OF worn on Besides. that last rescue
act we'd pulled had been no common
charity handout. 1t had been big stuff,
nothing less than passing the hat among
our friends and raising enough to send
the whole lot Of 'em so far west that
the prospects of their ever gettin' back
to New York was mighty slim. Maybe
that was one reason I'd been SO enthu-
siastic over putin the Job through. Not
moren eighteen months ago that had
been. and here they all were back in our
midst once more.
"At the same old address," adds Wee,
$50 you can guess what that means,
Torchy." ~
"Uh-huh" says +. 1.-THE Patricia
apartments has perfectly punk janitor
again and we're due to listen to another
long tale Of Woe"
- "Oh, WELL" says Wee. at will be in
teresting to see II Mrs. Gummidge is
still bearing up cheerful and singing
that When the Clouds Are Darkest
song Of hers. OF course, am coming
right In as soon as l can pack basket.
They're sure to be hungry, so I'm going
to put In whole roasted chicken ana
some Jars OF that strawberry jam
Rowena likes so much and heaps OF
bread and butter sandwiches. Prob
ably they'll need a few warm clothes,
too. so hope you don't mind. Torchy.
IL ! tuck In couple of those khaki
shirts of yours and few pairs of socks
and" ..
Say" I breaks in, don't get too
reckless with my wardrobe amt got
enough to fit out the whole Gummidge
family, you know Save me dress tie
and change OF pajamas IL you can"
''Silly!' says she. "And listen: will
call for you about s O'Clock and We'll go
to see them together"
Every well." says I. 'Ill try to hold
myself back until then"
At that. expect I was some curious
to find out just how the Gummidges
had managed It Must have been Ma
Gummidge who found q way. Hen.
Gummidge never would. all by himself.
About as helpless an old Stick in the
Mud. he was. as I'd ever helped pry
out Of the muck. And chronic crape
hanger. If things were bad he was
sure they were goin' to be worse.
II never have no luck" was his
constant whine. 1t was his motto, as
you might say, his Fourteen Points Of
Fate.
I never could make out, whether he
got that way on account of his face.
or If his face had heightened out as his
disposition grew gloomy. 1t was a
oil nd
cows. Much too long for his body
and legs, as he was only medium
height up as far as the chin. Kind of
stoop shouldered, hollow chested, thin
shanked party, too. Somewhere in the
tifties. should judge. but he might
have been sixty by his looks and the
= weary way he dragged around.
When first knew him he was as
sistant engineer in the Corrugated
buildin' and I used to see him risin'
solemn out of tho sidewalk on the ash
elevator, comm up from the basement
like some sad, flour-sprini.led ghost.
And then before he'd roll off the ash
cans he'd lean his elbows Oh the safety
bar and stare mournful up and down
Broadway for SPELL Jus: stalIin'
around. Course. I got 10 ktddin' him.
asl<in' what he found so comic in the
boiler-room. and why he didn't let me
in on the Joke.
"Huhw he'd grunt. III there's any
joke down there young feller, I'm 1t.
l wonder how much GRIMM you'd do
il you had to slave ten hours day in
hole like that. ought to be up sit
tim on tho right side Of an engine cab.
fast freight, and drawn' my three
hundred q month with time and a half
overtime. That's what set out to be
when started as wiper Got to be
fireman once. but on tho second run
we hit q weak rail and went into the
ditch. Three busted ribs and my hos
pital expenses was all pulled out Of
that with; and when ! tried to get
damages they put my name on the
: blacklist, which finished my railroad
in career for good. Maybe 1t was just
as we'll Likely I'd got mashed fair In
the next wreck. That's me. Why say,
If 1t was rainin' soup I'd be caught out
with fork"
Yes. he was some consistent gloom
hound. Henry Gummidge. Let him
tell It and what Job went through was
q more head-cold compared to his trials
and tribulations. And the worst was
vet to come. He knew it because