Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-15

Tn MODERN buildings the stair-well
L is CONSTRUCTED to such narrow space
that If one stands on the twentieth or
thirtieth floor and looks down one will
probably not see more than lighted
Slit. with no suggestion Of the depth
below. ,Aforetime. however, when peo-
pie were not so cramped in their build
tng--or In their sOuls--stair wells were
generous. In the old fashioned four
story mansion, now roOming house,
where Florence Eldrdse lived, the stairs
wound in stately fashion around u
space good six feet square, reaching
from ground floor to roof. Florence.
who lived on the third floor, could peek
over the banisters and see the second
and first floors 60 about their business.
She rather liked the stair well 1t spoke
to her Of ample days gone by, of large
hospitality and easy going lives, remote
| from the rush and roar OF modern times.
Florence lived alone In II little room
on the third floor. as we have said. On
the second floor lived nice young man
His name was Arthur Hayden, and he
worked in an engineers office and got a
perfectly amazing salary. lie and Flor
ence had met over the mail table in
, the lower hall. and had passed by cere-
mOnious degrees from simple Good
morning" to "There's a letter for you.
Aren't you the lucky one" or some
such polite badinage.
The stair.well remained impassivc to
any budding romance that might or
might not be burgeoning on it. 1t had
seen too many brides in its time to
grow excited over two young people
of opposite sexes who were getting
acquainted in Its shadow. 1t seemed
to say to itself: ''If those young folks
don't arrive at the point it isn't my
fault. They are eminently we'll suited,
and l must say that the young lady is
brides who have wended their way
over me in days gone by; but why
should ] interfere? am an aristo-
cratic stair well, and it's none Of my
business. Thus did the stair we'll com.
mune with itself in the night hours, as
! stair wells do, with little confidential
creakings and rustlings.
This went on for some months
Winter showed signs of relaxing into
spring. The cold was less intense. The
streets were slushy. The shops dis.
played new hats. Everything pointed
to the coming of the benign season. And
Easter was at mana.
Florence bought herself new hat in
celebration Of the annual festival. She
also noted with some concern that Mr..
Hayden showed no sign of any spring
! like reaction He remained as impas-
sivc as ever, His calmness before the
advent of Il goddess Easter irrltated
Florence su onsciously. and she took
| to hanging IT the stair well when he
went out ors anne in to see II he had
bought himsclf bright necktie, for
! instance, or had a flower in his button
hole, or showed any of the signs by
which the male Of the species responds
to the call Of the spring. The stair
WELL wise In its generation. allowed
Florence to look without hindrnncc, and
even warned her, by sundry creakings,
when the nice Mr.. Hayden was coming
Mr.. Hayden, in fact, sho-ld have
bought new hat. His winter head
piece was several seasons old and
showed 1t. 1t wasn't as though he
couldn't afford 1t; he got, as we have
already said, Il perfectly amazing sal
ary but be Just didn't. Some men are
! that way. He continued to wear his
old felt, that looked like coal scuttle.