The Washington herald., 1920-07-22
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
gentlemen roomers whenever Miss
Lesson had time TO sit on the
steps for an hour or two. But
Miss Longnecker, the tall blonde
who taught in a public school and
said well. reallyr to everything
you said, sat on the top st-p and
sniffed. And Miss Dorm. who shot
at the moving ducks at Coney
every Sunday and worked in a
department store. sat on the bot
tom step and sniffed. Miss Lee
son sat on the middle step and
she men would quickly group
around her.
Especially Mr.. Skidder. who had
cast her in his mind for the star
part in a private, romantic Gun
spoken) drama in real life. And
especially Mr.. Hoover, who was
forty-five, fat. flush and foolish.
And especially very young Mr..
Evans, who set up a hollow cough
20 induce her to ask him to leave
OF cigarettes. The men voted
her the funniest and jolliest
ever" but the shifts on the top
step and the lower step were i'm
placable.
AS Mrs. Parker's roomers sat
thus one summers evening. Miss
Lesson looked up into the firrna-
ment and cried with her little
gay laugh
Why, there's Billy Jackson, 1
can see him from down here, too"
All looked up-some at the win
dows OF skyscrapers. some casting
about for an airship. Jackson
guided.
It's that star" explained Miss
Lesson. pointing with a tiny nm
ger. Not the big one that twin
kles-the steady blue one near il.
i can see it every night through
my skylight l named it Bin,
Jackson"
We'll. really" said Miss Long
necker. Il didn't know you were
an astronomer, Miss LIE sSon."
"Oh, yes" said the small star
gazer. Il know as much as any
of them about the style of sleeves
they're going to wear next fall in
Mars"
We'll. really-' said Miss Lone.
necker. The star you refer to IA
Gamma, of the constellation Cas-
siopeia. 1t is nearly of the Sec
ond magnitude, and its meridian
passage is
Oh" said the very young Mr..
Evans, II think Billy Jackson Is
a much better name for it."
Same here" said Mr.. Hoover,
loudly breathing defiance to Miss
Longnecker. Il think Miss Lee.
son has just as much right to
name stars as any of those old
astrologers had"
We'll. really" said Miss Long.
necker.
Il wonder whether it's a shoot
ing star" remarked Miss Dorm.
Il hit nine ducks and a rabbit our
OF ten in the gallery at Coney
Sunday"
He doesn't show up very we'll
from down here" said Miss Lee
son. You ought to see him from
my room. You know you can see
stars even in the daytime from
the bottom of a well. At night
my room is like the shaft of a
coal mine. and 1t makes Billy
Jackson look like the big dfa-
mond pin that Night fastens her
kimono with"
There came a time after that
when Miss Leeson brought n,
formidable papers home to COPY.
And when she went from ofice
to ofiice and let her heart melt
away in the drip of cold refusals
transmitted through insolent or
nee boys. This went on.
There came an evening when
she wearily climbed Mrs. Parker,s
stoop at the hour when she AL
ways returned from her dinner AZ
the restaurant But she had had
no dinner.
As she stepped into the hall Mr..
Hoover met her and seised his
chance. He asked her ito marry
him, and his fatness hoyered
above her like an avalanche. She
lodged and caught the balustrade.
He tried for her hand, and she
raised 1t and smote him weakly
in the face. Step by step she
went up. dragging herself, by the
railing. She passed Mr.. Skidder's
door as he was red-inking a stage
direction for Myrtle Delorm.
miss Leeson) in his (unaccepted)
comedy. to ''pirouette across
stage from L to the side OF the
Cnnnf TT, 81. 1.~-.s~S .~sz-