Evening star., 1920-11-28

to a white stone front age, Washing
ton avenue just above Jefferson
evacuated and slipped into decay.
To Let" began to stare from empty
windows. doors sagged out Of plumb,
and the granite lions darkened with
humiliation and smoke from the new
JEFFERSON Avenue King Quality shoe
factory. And. finally. like ghouls to
the corpse Of yesterday. the rooming
house invaded, the lodger for the
night laying a furtfve head beneath
the high. calcimined ceiling Of proud
er days.
At 1885 Washington avenue, sinis-
ter looking with its front door sag
ging in like toothless mouth. its
indoor shutters closed and milk
bottles and cans OF the add-hot-
water-and-serve foods of the lodeer
on the window sills, Mrs. Lucy Beas-
ley, to whom life consisted Of two
frayed ends which would not meet.
conducted roomfng house-light
housekeeping.
\ 4 4 y
YOU to whom light housekeeping is
but card stuck in q murky win.
dow, look to it well that you never
know more. 1t is the hearthstone and
the family board gone to smash. ana
in their stead tin can over q gas jet.
Women sick with the heaviness of
light housekeeping sometimes forget
to turn or that gas. Men in such
rooms sit through the long hours OF
out-of-work workadays, oftimes plan.
ming no good. Children cry here. not
knowing why.
In her third -story-back, 4 slit Of A
room overlooking segment Of alley
and the roofs Of the King Quality shoe
factory. Annie kineady. brushing out
beat against the thin walls Of her
room. and paused with her brush held
away from her. and lookiug back at
herself in the square Of wayy mirror.
Into the quiet Of Sunday morning
slow-clappered church bells rang
roundly. She stood there with her
head cooked to the cry. her hair dow
more than ever brilliant in the
meager room. with its cot still avrv
from her rising, table spread with
her poor odds and ends Of toilet and
. bowl and pitcher. Besides it a tin
slop jar. and beside that her empty
telescope.
The cry. half q cough. rose again
louder. and she tossed down the brush
and wound her hair in it's loose coil,
slid into her black dress, with her
neck rising whitley out Of 1t, squirm-
Ing to button 1t up her back. Slipped
out into the dark hall, with the medley
of breakfast smells, DOSING from
everywhere. and knocked at the door
adjoining hers.
Come"
She did not turn the knob; placed
her lips to q crack instead.
II don't want to come in, Mr.. Fod.
die. only to know II the baby"
The door swung hack upon her, re-
vealing Mr.. Foddie in q gray and
well frayed flannel house-gown. cord
cd in at the waist. and . smile that
lifted the looped-up corners OF his
mustache we'll toward his eyes
''Well, Of all tho high-toned little
neighbors. Don't wanna come I'M"
me and Beasley are going over to
Ledingwell Church this morning. Mr..
Foddie. only hearing tho baby ktnd OF
coughing"
wonder you wouldn't ask . poor
old widower to go along"
why. Mr.. Foddie. you yourself
home sick from the store yesterday
and little Robbie"
He struck himself resoundingly upon
the chest and smoothed his hair. 50
smoothly pomaded across q thinning
spot and three shades darker than the
too brown mustache.
Never felt better In my life"
''Beasley says that's what you al
ways cay after one Of your heart
spells. and then right away start to
overriding"
Never felt better in 10y life. Ne