The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-13
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S7ORY~l
IA DAY
The Rubber
Plants Story
AUy40R p9TN0S
R0IGAACE

f0uHfmrnf Nr4H tHf b"St.tf ~"
dicafe. lac.
uTE rubber plants form the con
~ meeting link between the veg
etable Kingdom and the decorations
~ a waidorf-Astorsa scene In
Third Avenue theatre. I haven't
hooked up our family tree. but l be-
neve we were raised by grating
rum ovcrshoe on 10 a so-ccnt table
dhote stalk Of asparagus. You take
. white bulldog with Bourkc Cock
ran air OF Independence about him
and a rubber plant and there you
have the fauna and fora OF . fiat.
what the shamrock IL TO ireland.
ths rubber plant is To the dweiler IN
flnss and furnished rooms We get
wov<d from one place to another 30
quickly that the only way We can
ret our picture taken 10 with q
kincsoscope- We are the vagrnns
vine and the fitting ns Tree You
knQw. The provesb. -whers' The rub
ber plant sits IN -sSfe window the
moving van draws UP 70 the door.
We are the city equivalent to the
voodbine and the honeysuckie. NO
other vegetable except the Pittsburg
stoxie can withstand as much hand
Hing as we can. when the family
to which we belong moves into flat
they set us in the front window ana
ne become iares and penates NY
uaper and the peripatefic emblem OF
sHome Sweet Home" We aren't as
green as we look l guess We are
about what you would call the SOU
brettes OF the conservatory. You Try
~o1tting In the front window OF a. s'o
nat in Manhattan and looking out
into the street all day. and back Into
the fiat at night, and see whether
YOU get wfse or not--hey7 Talk
about the tree Of knowledge Of good
and evil in the garden OF Eden--ssay'
suppose there had been rubber
plant there. when Eye-but was
going TO tell you a story.
The first thing | can remember !
had only three leaves and belonged
to a member Of the pony ballet
was kept In a sunny window. and
was generally watered with selizer
and lemon. had plenty OF fun In
those days. got ross-eyed trying
70 watch the numbers Of the automo-
biIe~ in the street and the dates on
the labels inside at the same time.
Well them the angel that was
moulting for the musical comedy lost
his last feather and the company
rfsl. -
and | was left in the window owner
less. The janifor gave me 10 a re.
fined comedy team on the eighth
floor. and In six weeks | had been
set in the window Of five different
flats. I took on experience and put
out two more leaves.
Miss Carruthers, OF the refined
comedy team--did you ever see her
cross both feet back OF her neck7-
gave me to a friend OF hers who had
made an unfortunate marriage with
a man in a store Consequently I
va. placed In the window of a fur
nished room. rent in advance. water
two flights up. gas extra after 10
l O'Clock at night. Two Of my leaves
thered off here. Also. / was moved
from one room to another 80 many
times that | got to liking the odor
Of the pipes the expressmen smoked
I don't think ever had so dull
time as did with this lady. There
was never anything amusing going
on inside--she was devoted TO her
husband. and, besides leaning out the
window and flirting with the ice
e..rl
breaking the monotony.
When the couple broke up they
left me with the rest of their goods
al a secondhand store. was put
out in front for sale along with the
tobbiest lot you ever heard Of being
bumped into one bargain. Think OF
this little cornucopia Of. wonders, all
for Sf.s9: Henry James works, six
talking machine records. one pair OF
tennis shoes, two bottles OF horse
radlsh, and rubber plant--that was
me,
One afternoon girl came along
and stopped to look at me. She had
dark hair and eyes. and she looked
slis,, and sad around the mouth.
"Oh. OH she says TO herself. II
never thought TO see one up here"
She pulls out a little purse about
A. thick as one Of my leaves and
fingers over some small silver in H.
Old Koen, always on the lookout. is
ready. rubbing his hands. This girl
proceeds TO turn down Mr.. James
And the other commodities. Rubber
plants or nothing Ii the burden Of
her song. And at last Koen and she
come together at 80 cents. and away
she goes with me In her arms.
She was nice girl. but not my
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