The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-02-01
CHAPTER Ky

CHAPTER XIV
A LICE had said that no one whs
"A either Russell or herself would
Abe likely to see them in the park
or upon the dingy street; but although
hey returned by that same ungenteel
thoroughfare, they were seen by a
person who knew them both. Also,
with some surprise on the part Of
Russell. and something more poignant
han surprise for Alice they saw this
person
All OF the dingy street was ugly.
but the greater part Of it appeared to
be honest. The two pedestrians came
upon a block or two. however. where
It offered suggestions of a less upright
character, like a steady enough work
ingman with a naughty book sticking
out OF his pocket. Three or four dim
shops. a single story IN height. ex-
hibited foul signboards, yet fair
enough so far as the wording went;
one proclaimfng a tobaccOnist. one
junk dealer, one a dispenser of soft
drinks and cigars" The most credu-
lous would have doubted these sign
boards; for the craft of the modern
tradesman is exerted to lure indoors
the passing glance, since If the glance
is pleased the feet may follow; but
this alleged tobaccOnist and his neigh
bors had long been fond Of aust on
their windows. evidently. and shades
We're pulled far down on the glass of
their doors. Thus the public eye,
small of pupil in the light of the open
srreet was Intentionally not invited to
the .dusky interiors. Something differ
ent from mere lack Of enterprise was
apparent; and the signboards might
have been omitted; they We're pains
thrown away, since it was plain to the
world that the business parts OF these
shops were the brighter back rooms
implied by the dark front rooms; and
that the commerce was in perilous
new liquors and in dice and rough
girls
Nothing could have been more in
nocent than the serenity with which
these wicked little places revealed
themselves for what they were; and.
bound by this final tie of guilelessuess.
they stood together in a row which
ended with a companiorable barber
shop, much like them. Beyond was a
series Of soot-harried frame two-storv
houses, once part of a cheerful neigh
bOrhOOd when the town was middle
aged and settled, and not old and
growing. These houses, all carrying
the label, Rooms" had the worried
look Of vacancy that houses have
f7r1I IF
without being anybody's home: and
there was, too, a surreptitious air
about them, as If, like the false little
shops, they advertised something by
concealing it.
One Of them-the one next to the
barber shop-had across its front an
ample, jig-sawed veranda, where afore-
time, no doubt. the father Of a family
had famed himself with a palm-leaf
fan on Sunday afternoons, watching
the Surveys go. by, and where his
daughter listened to mandolins and
badinage on starlit evenings; but al
though youth still held the veranda,
both the youth and the veranda were
in decay. The four or five young
men who lounged there this afternoon
parlors. Hats found no favor with
them; all of them wore caps; and
their tight clothes. apparently from
a common source, showed a vivacious
fancy for oblique pockets, false belts
and Easter-egg colorings. Another
thing common to the group was the
expression of eye and mouth; and
Alice. in the midst of her other
thoughts, had a distasteful thought
about this.
The veranda was within a dozen
feet Of the sidewalk, and as she and
her escort came nearer, she took note
Of the young men, her face hardening
a little, even before she suspected
there might be a resemblance between
them and any one she knew. Then
she observed that each Of these
loungers were not for the occasion.
but as Of habit, a look of furtively
amused contempt, the mouth smiled
to one side as if not to dislodge a
cigarette. while the eyes kept Ian
guidly superior. All at once Alice was
reminded of Walter; and the light
frown caused by this idea had just
begun to darken her forehead when
Walter himself stepped out of the
open door Of the house and appeared
upon the venranda. Upon his head
was a new straw hat, and in his
hand was a Malacca stick with an
ivory top. for Alice had finally de-
cided against it for herself and had
given it to him. His mood was lively,
he twirled the stick through his