Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-22

Snh n n u
Don't you think know what liv-
ing with a hulk like me in d" J..
nou-you're going to begin now to
make me cry. amt you? You--you'r re
going to begin and remind me of what
/ done and make me wish l was dead
and--and--oh, God. Al. if anybody
ought to be hankering it's you, not
'Shh h h, darling You don't need
to be ashamed of hankering. 1t would
be funny If you didn't. A pretty shitty
little. thing like you. ! amt banker
ing, because the night the springboard
didn t work was the luckiest stroke ]
ever had. Would II have got you if
IF It hadn't gone back on me? Would
l! Even for hulk I amt got nothing
to banker about. baby, it"
But / amt neither, AL Honest /
and Ben Gee, / amt hankering.,
There never was friend like Ben,
Lo, there never was.'
There never was, AL.
And now he thinks the world and
all of you, Lo, and laffs and laffs at
your cute little ways. Honest, baby,
sometimes / just think to myself if
If you could get that other hankering
out Of your head. / wouldn't mind
nothing if / knew that you and him,
after well, after well, you know
what / mean, baby. after L" .
'Al-Al. you make me ashamed to
listen. Please. darling, can't stand
it when you talk like that. Amt YOU
feeling right today? Amt you?'
mean it. baby. There couldn't be
nothing that would set me as easy about
you as that. He's SO strong. Lo. l
like to see him all lit up like Christ
mas tree when you begin cutting up
with your cute little ways. He's so
strong, Lo; and like a kid at the same
time. He could be so good to you,
baby. I'd feel so easy if l knew for
sure that" .
"Al, please-please cut it. Please,
darling ~
Even when hear him coming down
the street on his way to the factories
or when he stops by from the alder
mems meeting; even when / hear his
like a soldier with new spurs on his
boots was marching to stand by us.
Amt it so?'
He was slower still to release her
hand.
That's why. Lo, l--even if you can
get the hankeripg out of your system
:. II ain't hankering, al; honest, dar-
You don't mean that. Lo.'
DO! Do! Do! Lemme go, darling ;
lemme put some bulbs out Lemme
hurry, darling"
She broke from him with a great
show Of raillery:.
Tulips first" And she was out in
the sunshine and down the steps two
at bound.
In the center of the lawn. delicate
and fragrant as fountain spray. the
lilac bush was purpling in the sun.
BY afternoon the sun had shifted so
that the warm flood of light lay to
the rear and streamed into the small
square kitchen with its rows of utensils
rejecting and cleaning. A few gray
chickens rrinked in the open doorway
and on the window sill n potted gera-
mum lifted it's head grateful to the
light. On that same window sill q
coffee pot, lid back. turned its black
mouth to the sun. Mrs. Lola Delano
swabbed out great shining dishpan
and hung it in it's row along the wall
The pink was high in her face and her
fingers would recoil
"Ugh -
What, Lo?'
:. Nothing, Al. IN be in there right
in minute. The dishes is dbne. Shall
| wheel you back here, hon?'
mo, no. L like to watch the kids
coming from school. y
She wrung out her dishcloth after
the immemoral fashion of those to
whom falls this ancient and greasy
rite, slapped it open ard hung it across
the sill. Blonde tendrils of hair clung
to her moist face.
Comm, AL"
In the front room. quite in the atti-
tude of the morning except that his
head lay back against the pillows more
completely relaxed, Mr.. Al Delnno gazed
to the white ceiling. The clean litter
Of wood carvings lay scattered on the
carpet, and on the table beside the i'm
plements of his hardicraft Otherwise
the small room, with its. sticks of decent
oak furniture, hand painted swinging
lamp and great japanese fan spread like
a peacock tail before the cold fireplace,
was spick and carefully ordered. A
canary hoped in its cage, silent.
Mrs. Delano dragged chair across
the floor and beside the Uttered table.
''You-why ,ain'tt. you working. Alf"
Il dunno. hon.
She placed quick hand upon his
brow.
cts because you amt feeling right.
and you won't tell me. I'm going
for Doc. Tell me. darling, are you
having that numblike feeling up around
your heart"
''Sure amt, 10. It's spring fever S
got me. Even in my act | used to
go dead like tire when spring came"
Take a little rap, darling. You
amt slept in daytime ever since you
started the carving. Lemme pull down
the shade and fix you foB nap, AL"
He was mildly reluctant.
vi gotta finish the grapevine design
for them lids. To-"
Didn't Ben say the minute you get
working too hard not another job does
he send up from the factory?"
Like it makes any difference. Poor
old gink. he thinks ! don't know that
if he wasn't in back of us my little
wood carving wouldn't keep us in shoe
laces.'
"Shh Ii h; here, lemme fix your pill
low"
"What'll you do all alone this after
noon if / doze off, Lo? Put on your
little hat, baby, the pink one that Ben
likes, and stroll uptown past the office
so he can see you. Don't stick around
here 50 much. baby
"No, | gotta clear out that trunk, Al.
All winter III Deen stdnulhs urouhu
and | wanna get at it and get it down
in the cellar and out of the way"
kiss me. baby, and I'll take little
srooze, Spring fever's got me for
sure.
She leaned over and kissed his cheeks
where the hollows darkened them, low
cred the shade and tiptoed out, closing
the door after her
COPYRIGHT, 1920. bU Wheeler Syndicate
CONTINUED TOMORROW