South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-20

wares trom the grocery and the res
taurant.
on the table he laid them-bread
an dbutter. cold meats. cakes. pies.
pickles, oysters, a roasted chicken.
bottle Of milk and one of red-hot
tea.
This IS ridiculous" said Rudolf.
blusteringly. TO go without eating.
You must quit making election bets
of this kind Supper is ready" He
helped her TO a chair at the table
and asked: us there a cup for the
tea?" "On the shelf by the win
dow" she answered. When ne turn
ed again with the cup he saw her.
with eyes shining rapturOusly, be-
ginning upon a huge dill pickle that
she had rooted out from the paper
bags with a wOman's unerring in
stinct. He took 1t from her, laugh
II gly, and poured the cup full of
milk. Drink that first" he ordered.
and then you shall have some tea,
and thena chicken wing. If you are
very good you shall have a pickle
tomorrow. And now. if you'll allow
me TO be your guest Wen have sup
per-"
He drew up the other chair. The
tea frightened the girls eyes and
brought back some of her color.
She began to eat with sort of
dainty ferocity like some starved
wild animal She seemed to regard
the young mans presence and the
aid he had rendered her as a ma
tural thing-not as though she un-
dervalutd the conventions: but as
one whose great stress gave her the
right TO put aside the artificial for
the human. But gradually, with
the return Of strength and comfort,
came also a sense of the little con-
ventions that belong; and she began
to tell him her little story 1t was
one of 2 thousand such as the city
yawns at every day-the shop girls
story Of insufficient wages. further
reduced by fines" that go to swell
the stores profits; Of time lost
through illness; and then of lost po-
sitions, lost hope, and-the knock
of the adventurer upon the green
door.
But to Rudolf the history sounded
as big as the Had or the crisis in
"Junie's Love Test"
ITO think of you going through
all that" he exclaimed.
1T was something fierce" said the
girl. solemnly.
"And you have no relatives or
friends in the city,"
None whatever"
Il am all alone in the world. too"
said Rudolf. after a pause.
'I am glad of that" said the girl.
promptly. and somehow it pleased
the young man to hear that she ap-
proved OF his bereft condition.
Very suddenly her eyelids dropped
and she sighed deeply.
I'm awfully sleepy" she said,
"and l feel so good"
Rudolf rose and took his hat
Then I'll say goodnight. A long
nights sleep will be fine for YOU"
He held out his hand. and she tool;
it and said goodnight" But her
eyes asked a question so eloquently,
so frankly and pathetically that ne
answered it with words.
"Oh, I'm coming back tomorrow to
see how you are getting along You
can't get rid OF me so EASILY"
Then. at the door. as though the
way of his coming had been so much
less important than the fact that he
had come. she asked: How did you
come TO knock at my door,"
He looked at her for a moment, re-
Wondering the cards. and felt a sud
den jealous pain What if they had
fallen into other hands rs adventur-
Gus as his? Quickly he decided~that
she must never know the truth He
would never let her know that he
was aware of the strange expedient
10 which she had been driven BY her
great distress.
Zone of our piano tuners lives in
this house" he said. Il knocked at
your door by mistake"
The last thing lie saw in the room
before the green door closed was her
smile.
At the head os the stairway he
paused and looked curiously about
him. And then he went along the
hallway 10 its other end; and. COM
ing back. assembled TO the floor above
and continued his puzzled explora-
tons. Every door that lie found in
the house was painted green
wondering. he descended to the
sidewalk. The fantastic African was
still there. Rudolf confronted him
with his two cards in his hand.
win you tell me why you gave
me these cards and what they
mean 20 he asked.
In a broad. good-natured grin the
negro exhibited a splendid advertise
ment OF his masters profession.
Oar IL is. boss" he said, pointing
down the street. But 'spect you i5
a little late for dc fust act"
Locking the way he pointed Rudolf
saw above the entrance TO a theatre
the blazing electric sign OF is new
play. THE Green Door"
I'm informed dat it's fust-rate
show. sah." said the negro. DE
agent what represents II pussented
me with a dollar. sab, TO distribute
few of his cards along with de
doctahs May I offer you one OF de
doctahs cards subj
At the corner OF the block in
which he lived Rudolf stopped for
glass OF beer and a cigar When he
had come .out with his lighted weed
he buttoned his coat. pushed back his
hat and said stoutly, 10 the lamp
post on the corner:
"All the same. believe IL was the