The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-11-17
TlMlD ADVENTURES
Chapter 81


My eyes saw only the confusion of
buildings and people, but Violet's held
the reflection of Buds figure as it dis
appeared through subway entrance.
He said to take the Third Avenue
Elevated, to-where was it," | asked
vi.
She looked at the slip of paper in
her hand 1t had the address of the
place We were to go to first-a room
Ing house far up in the Bronx We did
rot know then whether that was even
part of the city or not. Miss Manx
had written to the Y. w. c. A. for it,
and this place they had assured us was
the cheapest good place on their list
and that it had been investigated and
vas quite all right for U.S.
Can l help you?" We both turned
at the voice A kindly middle-aged
woman stood before us, looking at us
smilingly; thought it was a friendly
smile, and | still think it was, though
there must have been amusement with
N too. F..
How do we get there" I 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 be-
coming used to amaZements. We had
seen massed houses, millions of them
apparently, and miles of roofs from
the window of the train. The ride on
the elevated railroad was only a con-
tnuation Of this
Eventually we found the place, a
four-story house set in the center of a
block, some little distance from the
elevated station. At each corner stood
a tall apartment house, and from al
most every window protruded either
a mattress or a woman's head. The
streets were full of people.
That was the hardest thing to get
used tO-the 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 characteristic hoof-beats of certain
teams as they drove by!
There goes the DOCTOR" one OF us
would say, as Il 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
Murray's brown pony was driving the
family in town again.
But here
Certainly Violet and I were lost
souls in big city.
We rang the bell and finally we
were admitted by a middle-aged wo-
man with an eternally tired expression
of face.
Yes, I'm Mrs Topper" she told US,
taking the slip of paper We held out.
so the Y. w. sent you here. Well,
lp't lot
do. But | guess it's all right. I've a
loom anyway It's not much, but it's
large enough for you BOTH
She talked in queer. short senten-
ces, with pauses between each sent
ence as though the effort to let out
the few words almost exhausted her.
I'VE don't mind what sort Of room.
if it's clean" I ventured. 1t seemed
the proper thing to say-Esther had
cautioned me on this point. Mrs.
Topper turned tired eye on me, |
felt she would have been resentful of
this remark. had she not been so near
exhaustion.
"All my rooms are clean. The Y. w.
usually sends me more folks. This
room was $3.50. But it's So now. For
two people. The rents goin' up. SO
lave to raise my prices
She went ahead of us up the stairs
Presently, she opened a door and we
found ourselves in a large room, with
q high ceiling, and a double bed of
white enamel. There was one window
TALL and thin, that opened towards the
back, and gave us a narrow view of
some yards. There was highly
Vanished oak bureau, wash stand,
with a towel tackled against the wall
~, /,
legs that seemed to meet in a point