The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-06-05
SQUIRREL FOOD

a dipaomanIac whose periodic orgies
had cost T.. Sybarite many a night
OF bsdsid. vigil. on the floor below
lived maiden lady whose auench.
Jess hopes r,ili conferred about his
smlsbie person. Downstairs In the
clamny parlor he had whlied away
unnnmbercd hours assisting AT
dreary bridge drsvss.- or playing
audience to amateur recitalx on the
aged and dscrepit family organ =
For an entire decade he Ind oceu.
pied the same chair nj the same
table. In tho basement dining room.
fsasting on beef. mutton. Irish
stew. ham and beans. veal. pork or
tus,.hash according 20 the designat.
ed day OF the week.
rhe very room In which he sat
was somehow dear to him: upon n
he wasted sentiment In a way kin
10 that with which one regards the
grave OF beloved friend. IL was.
In fact. the tomb OF his own youth
Its narrow and impoverished bed had
groaned with the restless weight Of
him all those many nights thru
which he had lain wskrful. In i'm.
potent mutlny against the outrag.
c0us circumstances that made him
a prisoner there Its walls had NUT.
ed tho signs In which tho desires Of
youth had been spent Its floor
mating was worn threadbare with
tho impatient pacings Of his feet
-four strides from door 10 window:
swing and repeat nd libitumi Its
solitary Ras Jet had. with begrudgcd
illumination. sicklied DER the pages
OF those innumerabIs borrowed
books with which he had sought TO
dull poignant elf-cousciousncss
A tomb Bitterly he grant.
ed the aptness OF that description
OF his cubicie: mausoieum Of his
every hope and aspiration. sepulchre
Of all his ability and promise. In
this narrow room his very self had
been exfinguished: a man had de.
generated into a machine. Every.
thing that caught his eye bore mute
witness to this truth: the shabby
tin alarm clock on the battered bu.
reau was one Of dynasty that had
aroused him at six In the morning
with unfailing regularity three hun.
dred and sixty-flve times per year
Sundays we're too rare In his cal.
endar and too precious 10 be wasted
abcdl. From an iron hook in the
window frame dangled the elastic
home exerciser with which IL was
his unfaiiing habit 10 perform GER.
tain number OF matutinal contor-
tons. 10 keep his body wholesome
and efficient. Beneath the bed was
visible the rim OF shallow English
tub that made possible his subse-
ouent sponge bath.
a machine. fixture: creature of
an implacabic routine; spirit i'm.
molated upon the altar OF habit. into
this he had degenerated in ten years
Such was the effect OF life in this
melancholy shelter for the homeless
wage-slaye. He was no lonely vic
tim. In his term he had seen many
another come In hope, iinger in dis
appointment. leave only TO go to a
meaner cell in the same stratum OF
misfortune
Was this radiant spirit OF youth
and gentle loneliness who might, for
all one knew to the contrary, be
Marian Blessington after alb TO be
suffered TO become one OF that dis
consulate crew?
What could be done 10 prevent lt7
Nothing that the wits OF r. Syb-
arite could compass: he was an In.
efficient as any gnat in any web.
Thru the halls resounded the caco.
phonous clangor OF a cracked gong
announcing dinner. Signing. y. syb.
aritc rose and knocked the ashes
delicately from his pipe--saving the
dottle for a goodnight Whit after
the thcater.
Being Saturday, II was the night
OF ham and beans. r. sybarite
loathcd ham and beans with death.
ly loathIng. Nevertheless he ate HIS
dole OF ham and beans. He sat on
the landlady's right. and was reluct.