The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1920-09-02
TWENTY-ONE
TEMPLE STREET
By VICTOR REDCLIFFE

the nrSt UOOT, annOulteu N"''
to the landlady of 81 Temple street.
Shrewd precise Mrs. Rachael Foru
smiled, rs was always an induigeht
phase of business policy with her Out
shook her head with an equally insin-
cere suggestion OF regret.
Il am very sorry" she spoke. "ou
an hour after you were here this
morning and told me you could not ar
ford the apartment
But | have changed my mind'
pipcd the feeble old man ENORMOUSLY.
1T IS too late sir. Miss Wadlc1Sb
has engaged the room. There She Is
now" and Abel Marsh turned TO Oh
serve young lady passing down me
hail, but hc>itatiuC at the open door
way ~ il wishing to speak with The
landladv. hut not desiring to intrude.
The crotchety, self centcred old man
regarded her with a scOwl, as though
she had crossed his path purpoSeiy
and had done him some deadly IN
jury.
But 10 this Miss WadIeigh was I'M
perNlpuS. NIc Udu uhll''N INV ''''''
wpaScnri old man painfully limping
into the house as though every step
was painful, she had overheard the
conversation between himself ana the
landlady. She advanced step mo
the room unlimited, as the old man
said:
Then I'll have to take IN" room
upstairs, | suppose. How I'll ever get
up three flights with my lamenesS and
| pain don't know, but I've got to have
a roof TO shelter me. It's cheaper.
/ too. and that is a consideration with
me-"
Can l speak 10 you for moment
Mrs. Ford" ventured lncZ Wadleigh'
and she drew back into the hallway
and in a low tone conveyed Il message
to the landlady that caused the latter
to stare at her in wOnderment linen
further conversation, and lnez went
on, while Mrs. Ford returned to the
presence of the old man.
"Mr. Marsh" she said, you can
have this room after all. Miss Wad-
leigh. the young lady who had taken
It. most kindly agrees to occupy ths
upper one instead, so you may be near
er to the street and more comfort
able"
whats thatw challenged Marsh,
with a token OF suspicion in his tone.
"Of course, she wants bonus for the
exchangep
"Oh. no" dissented Mrs. Ford. "She
wouldn't think Of such thing. she
is Just a thoughtful. kind-hearted girl,
who lost her father recently. You
make her think of him, she SAYS, and
your age and feebleness appeal 10
her. 1t Is settled, then?
You mean to tell me that there's
a mortal in the world who would sacri-
fee their own selfish wellbeing for
an old hawk like me. without having
some Interior designs In yiewT' de-
manded Abel Marsh.
There seems TO be lovely young
, lady In this instance. just human
enough and gentle and piteOus enough
I TO do So" declared Mrs. Ford, with q
, touch of deep emotion in her face.
|, Abel Marsh became a mystery to the
people in the house after that.
p Inez was the only person in the
, house to whom he paid any particular
. courtesy or attention. Brusque, I'M
social as he was with others, his fur
|, rowed face would soften when he met
. or spoke to her. She did stenographic
work In a business Office and also some
A piece typewriting work at home eve
a nings. One evening in the common
= parlor Abel Marsh asked Inez to copy
some legal documents for him, to
:. which she agreed. He was not at all
liberal in pay for her labor, but lne7
excused his penuriousness as a char
acteristic OF a warped and afflicted In
valid. The next morning he knocked
at the door of her room to hand hei
some other work. Inez noticed as his
glance swept the apartment that II
rested upon a framed picture. the ONLY
one belonging TO her In the room Il
o was that OF her fiance. Gordon Bridges
u She flushed as her visitor bestowed up
+ on her a quizzical look.
y "a fine looking young man." %
l. served Abel Marsh, with an unusua
e twinkle in his eye. "A relative"
s. mo" replied Inez In an embar
10 rassed way. IL am engaged to him.
Ic "Oh. I seer nodded Marsh. "Bu
ID he does not come often to see your
st "He lives In another city," explaine
IT Inez.
e "You quite interest me-" said tn
p old man. "You deserve to have hir
fully worthy of you, for you are
kind hearted, truthful girl. Not man
of such nowadays" and he departe
"a with certain vague and mysteriou
II. expression upon his face that som'
te what puzzled Inez.
10 "A letter to copy" said Abel Mars
ar the next day, handing some pencile
of sheets to IneZ.
nd Half an hour later, as Inez place
ar the pages at the side OF her typ
re writer to transcribe them. they SCENE
In. to blind, TO daze, to overcome her. II
~ drst one began:
,r. my Dear Son: have stolen
march on you and have seen the your
LADY you so sturdily insist Is the on
one you can ever love. Keep on 10
ing her, for girl so considerate al
.. self-sacrificing cannot help but be