Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-14
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Stpyy ola Woman's Traae5oemaoon
ny MARION RUB1NCAM
Protsctea nv Gscrsc Nis thsw Adams.
TIMID ADVENTURES.
Chaptcr xvii

Protcc,ea nv asprsc nlssthsv Adams.
TIMID ADVENTURES.
Chapter XVII.
MY eyes saw only the confusion Of
buildings and people, but Violete hsid
| the reflection OF Buds figure ~ 1t dm-
HHe said to take the Third Avenue
Elevated, to-where was it?' ! asked
vi.
| She looked at the slip Of paper in her
hand. II had the address OF the place we
were to go to frst--a rooming house lar
| up in the Bronx We did not know then
whether that was even part OF the city or
not. Miss Manx had written to the \ W.
| c. A. for it, and this place they had as
| sured us was the cheapest and good place
on their list--and that it had been IN
vestgated and was quite all right Tor MS;
Can | help you2" We both turned
| at the voice. A kindly middle-aged woman
stood before us, looking at us similingly;
| | thought it was a friendly smile, and l
still. think il was, though there must
have been amusement with il too.
'How do we get thereP" held out
the paper to her. And she gave US long
directions until we felt sure how we were
| to go.
The ride was, of course, an amazing
! thing But then, we were already becoming
used TO amazements. We had seen massed
houses, millions of them apparently, and
miles Of roofs from the window OF the tram.
The ride on the eievated raliroad was ohiy
a continuation OF this.
Eventually we found the place, four
story house set in the center of a block.
some little distance from the elevated
station. At each corner stood tall apart
| ment house, and from almost every window
| protr,Ided either a mattress or woman
| head. The streets we're full of people.
| That was the hardest thing to get
used to-tbe eternal swarms OF people,
| all of them strange Where we came from,
we knew every soul for miles about. Not
only that. we knew all our neighbors'
| horses-we even recognized the character
/ istc hoof-beats Of certain teams as they
drove byl
There goes the doctor" one Of us
would say. as a certain heavy plodding
hoof- beat was heard. Or, There goes
Mr.. Murray" when a smart little tap
tapping came TO our ears, and we knew
| Murrays brown pony was driving the
| family in town again
But here
Certainly Violet and | were lost souls
IN big city
We rang the bell and finally we were
admitted by middle-aged woman WITH
an eternally tired expression OF face.
eyes, I'm Mrs, Tupper," she told us,
taking the slip of paper we held out, 80
the Y. w sent you herel Well, they didn
let me know. They usually do. But guess
it's all right. I've a room anyway IL MOI
much but it's large enough for you both
She talked in queer, short sentences
with nauses between each sentence al
though the effort to let out the lew woro'
almost exhausted her.
"We don't mind what sort Of room
Il it's rean." | ventured. Ii seemed tn
proper thing to say-Esther had eau
toned me on this point. Mrs. Tuppe
{ turned tired eye on me. felt she woui'
have been resentful of this remark, ha'
! she not been so near exhaustion.
! "All nv rooms are clean. The \. "
usually sends me more folks. This room
was 81 so But il g S. now For two people
The rent goin' up. So have TO raise m
prices.
She went ahead Of us UP the stair
Presently. she opened door and we fonn
ourselves in q large room, with hic
ceiling. and double bed of white enaIne
: There was one window, tall and thu
but opened towards the back, and gave I
r a narrow view OF some Yards There was
: highly vanished oak bureau, was
: stand. with a towel tackled against Il
= wall behind it, small square table VII
legs that seemed to meet N a point dIrec
IL under the tables top. And there we
n two chairs.
ats a nice room" Mrs. Upper d
i Tended il against our silence.
:, Il lust put in my best curtains. The
= :, was nv best But after i rented the pa
! Ior | brought one pair of them here; IL
: ladies in the parlor had their own.
: Butt a-if young gentlemen com
: to see-to see US, where shall bring him
. Violet asked, looking IN alarm from t
= lace curtains TO the lady.
You can bring him here, j suppose
= Mrs. Tupper answered. Il got to re
I ont my Darlor. got to make all my roor
nav. / rent only to nice people. Nice peoI
= are nice anywhere That what | say.
!, YOU can bring your gentleman friend
!, !, your room. Besides, your mothers WI
i YOU. / never rent except to nice peop
, The rents in advance.
- paid her and she left. Violet wait
:. till she was safely out, then she coiiaps
y on the bed, her handkerchief 10
'" mouth, almost convulsed with laughter
- turned from my contemplation OF
" drearv room to this girl who was alws
{. like something alight smiled a little t
3 - "Oh, Aunt Enid, isn't it a dread
~ place. But isn't she funny? The girl ga
os os ed. Nice people are nice anywhere
g mimicked. '"Oh dear! Well, I'm glad {
;. thinks we're nice"
.o She got up, her cheeks still pink fr
W her laughing. We stood and looked ca
=, fully at our new room, taking In all
~ details. Here we were, at lasti And M
~ :, what adventures would we have, tn
~ souls that we were?