The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-07-01
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Ethiopian
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., DORA H. NOLAN

I, DORA H. NOLAN !
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Copyright. 1919 BY the Mcclure News
paper Syndicats)
The Ethiopian lives over the kitch.
en- range in the basement of 46 Oar
row street, New York city. Mr.. and
Mrs. Stanley Lee reside on a ranch
near Cody, Wyo. Every year they
journey over the intervening space on
q swift limited aad make their obei-
lance to. the grinning slave.
Ebony black, with an orange smile.
he stands ever patiently bearing aloft
on his flattened palms a woven basket
Of gorgeously .colored tropical fruits.
ouivering heat waves rise around his
stalwart form, but to such a tempera.
ture he inherits immunity. The dark
city kitchen with its dismal outlook
steals something Of the spirit of the
Thousand and One Nights from his
colorful presence. -
For three years now have Mr.. and
Mrs. Lee made the pilgrimage to this
shrine. And inst four years and two
months ago the events took place.
grateful memory of which brings them
back.
': In those days Mrs. Stanley was
Evelyn Brooks, fashion artist for the
Standardized Pattern company, and
Stanley was making his first ranch
mans business trip East. He not
only belonged to the West, but looked
It, for he was tall and broad, with the
keenly interested eyes Of the plains
man, and his sartorial preferences
ran to corduroy. soft shirts and the
like. So he was dressed at nine
o'clock on this morning as he ran
down the two flights Of stairs which
led from his aunt's apartment to the
basement kitchen in the house on
Darrow street.
Aunt Mag was all right and a good
sport, Stanley was thinking on the way
down, even II she had Mortified the
Cody folk last summer. driving to town
dressed in a queer, shapeless garment
of bright green, with sandaled feet and
doppy hat, embroidered with impossi-
bic flowers He grinned as he recalled
the commotion she had caused in the
post office But all the same, this way
Of living got his goat-staying up most
Of the night and sleeping until noon.
ike bat.
-Four hours after his usual break
fact time. and not a sound from his
aunt's room! Herslast words before
bidding him good night had been:
''Stan, dear, II you get hungry, before
I'm up in the morning, just run down
stairs and cook yourself something.
There in 1 community kitchen down In
the basement and you'n and my things
on / shelf labeled with my name. Help
yourself"
Z Stan didn't exactly like the idea Of
fussing around in some one, else's
house, but he was desperately hun.
cry; so he tried a door that looked as
II It might open into kitchen. II
did, but the room was so gloomily
dark that he lighted the gas. Just
then the door bell rang.
Stanley stood still and listened Int
there was no sound OF steps along the
bare floor of the hall, and again It
rang. 50 he ran up the basement
stairs and opened the door. On the
steps stood girl. She was quite
good to look upon, dressed in an un-
usua, shade Of blue-green, with hat
to match, trimmed with small flowers
Of many colors.
The young woman appeared perhaps
4 bit surprised when this big young
man opened the door, but remarked
In quite ordinary tone of voice: II
came'to paint over the kitchen stove"
Now, Stanley knew enough. from his
short experience of this casual, bohe-
mian life his aunt led, to he prepared
for the unexpected, but at this strange
announcement his mouth half opened
and he looked quite idiotic, for no
words came from it. In the first place
II was Sunday morning, and in the Sec
ond the girl was not only we'll, hut
dressed.
Handsome young women In costly
clothes coming around on the Sabbath
to do a job Of house painting we're ut
terly outside his experiences.
Z STAINS thoughts were becoming even
more hopelessly muddled when the girl
spoke again: II left my materials at !
tho basement door and I will go and
get them II you don't mind letting me
in that way-would your" And as
Stan seemed still to be In sort Of
trance. she added: "Miss Sanderson !
expects me, but L presume she hasn't |
arisen yet" And abe ran down the |
steps.
;. Stanley recovered enough to close
the door. make, his way downstairs !
again and admit this unaccountable |
visitor at the basement entrance. She |
knew the landlady, evidently, 20 II
must be all right. He helped, as q.
matter Of course, WITH thu brushes |
and pals. but still remained tongue.
lied. |
When they gained the kitchen the
young woman asked Stan to bring the |
from the laundry, and pro-
eeeded to remove her hat, and coat.
When he returned with the ladder the
Rirl stood on the far side of the room