The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-11-18
MORE TIMlD ADVENTURES

1HduteT -
That afternoon we 1npacked and
hung up or put away as many of our
things as were in the various bundle
with us. Then having nothing to do,
We decided to leave the ugly room and
wander out
Wen see the city" Violet remark
ed.
Suppose We get lost?" l was in
sudden terror. For the city seemed
limitless.
We won't" Violet assured me sooth-
lrgly. Suddenly she assumed the
grown-up protective air. l was the
old aunt who feared to go about in
strange places.
IF we do" she said, well ask. You
remember how kind that woman was,
that directed US up here. You know"
she took on a new tone, as though the
idea had just occurred to her. Il
cont believe the city is great terrible
dragon ready to grab and devour
every weak little person that comes to
1t. believe it's just as kind as Henly
Falls and as obliging. Only it has
much more to talk about"
1t was the first of Violet's philosophy
about the city. She had a keen in
sight, which developed as she went
wrong.
Our first walk was a bit timid,
though. We carefully wrote down the
names Of the streets as we passed
them, and when we had walked an
hour, we came back over the same
streets, following the list we had made
1t was late afternoon when we got in
again. Some of the other people who
'1oomed in the house were sitting on
the steps leading from the front door
to the pavement-a long flight of
steps, for this place had been built in
the day when New York and Brooklyn
were deluged with tall brown stone
fronts They looked at Us frankly
and curiously as we passed, and one
girl, who seemed to me to look very
smart, turned her head aside and
laughed in her handkerchief.
We went up the inside, steps, pass
ing our landlady.
Say Ma Topper. who are the rubes
you've put in?" we heard the girl
ask.
Yeah, where did you get the
hicks?" a mans voice chimed in.
Violet turned to me in our room,
white faced.
DO we look as bad as that Aunt
Enid" she asked.
Don't mind them, they were just
rude people" I tried to make my own
voice casual, SO she wouldn't think l
minded.
II don't mind them" Violet answer
ed calmly. OF course it was rude, but
we can't prevent people from thinking.
And if they think us ruoes and hicks,
VIC must look like it.
She went over to the glass, study
ing herself carefully.
Il thought my suit was very Stylish -,
she said. But it must look funny be-
side that girls. I felt so funny, pass
ing those strange people, didn't dare
look But I will next time, and see
what the difference is
Ana that became the keynote of our
whole point of view in the city. What
We did not know, we promptly investi-
gated-and the innumerable details
we found, We're amazing.
However, that afternoon, or rather
early that evening, we ate for our
supper the lunch of sandwiches and
jam packed for us by our friends in
Hartford. The expressman brought
the trunk, and Bud came for his first
real visit He brought an evening
paper, and | managed. by sitting off
at one side, and reading this, to leaN g
the Two of them as much alone as
possible. The paper itself was a
revelation and delight to me. |
rarely saw the country journal that
Jim subscribed for.
Look at this, Vi" I said, after a
time passed the paper to her 1t was
little world, condensed into print,
II told of a marriage of a multimillion-
aires daughter. 1t described how a
woman had killed herself in the slums
because her husband left her 1t told
how $500 900 worth of jewels had
tecn stolen from wealthy yachts
mans wife, and it had an article on
how a family of six could live on So
& week.
1t gave columns to a tangle in in
ternational politics. 1t had Story
written by a man who flew an airplane
from San Francisco to st. Louis 20 de
liver Il love letter from his friend to
his friends fianco who was i'll in :.
hospital. It had in il war, diplomacy
tic past, the future, the ever wonder
full AID amazing present; it had all life
from the social events OF the wealthy
to tho police record of the crimes OF
the poor. 1t tod OF boy of nine who
had passed all i!Is college entrance
examinations, and the record OF a man
OF GO, arrested 0s a murderer, whose
mind had never developed beyond the
age of -.
II never knew there was so much
in life" | vontured