The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-08-23

Ihere were two small fats In each
mouse, and they were grouped around
horseshoe driveway which inclosed
an oval devoted to single pepper
tree. Space had been too limited to
allow front yards, and all six build
ings fairly dipped their shabby noses
Into the driveway, like little animals
Feeding out of winding trough.
On one of the crumbling stucco
posts that fianked the entrance, might
still be deciphered the words "Cluster
Court although the black paint
which had formed them had been
well-nlgh obliterated by the beating
rains of many seasons. 1t might as
well have been totally effaced, be-
cause no one ever used the name. BY
one of the earliest tenants it had
been corrupted into 1.-THE Custard
Cup" and the term had clung.
AS for Number Al, where Mrs. Pen
field lived, it had no frontage what
ever, being approached by cramped
alley at the curve of the horseshoe.
1t had nothing in common with the
buildings that composed the Court.
1t had been rendered habitable when
The Custard Cup had changed own
ers, year before, and had been of
fered to Mrs. Penfield, rent free, in
return for the most general supervi-
sion, including the collection of rents.
the assuagement of unreasonable de-
mands, and the responsibility of re-
porting any calamities that might
descend.
The landlord had left Mrs. Pen
fields life easily livable, but the ten
ants contrived to make it difficult
Wasn't she the manager? Well. what
did that mean if not to manage?
Therefore they summoned her as
promptly for the baby's Group as for
fire in the roof, as inevitably for
scalded hand as for a leak in the
kitchen. By common consent she was
regarded as first-aid to trouble.
And she never thought Of refusing,
although the increasing demands en-
croached sadly upon the washing and
ny WhlCh lhC uVuoCuOiu was
supported. Mrs. Penfield was an ex-
cellent laundress; and greatly to the
dismay of an architect who would
have planned 1t otherwise, she had
the largest back yard In The Custard
Cup. In consequence. she was able
to keep desirable patrons, who appre-
ciated the clothes she returned to
them, eloquent of care and decent
soap, and full of the freshness that
comes from the beating Of sun and
air in open places.
Her most important patron was
Mrs. Horatius Weatherstone, who had
become factor at Number Al and
was referred to with flattering fire.
quency, although the Penfields had
never seen her. Negotiations were
conducted through an efficient house
keeper. Indeed, Mrs. Weatherstone
would not have known that Mrs. Pen
field existed except that the name
was entered in her list of attaches
| and therefore came to her notice upon
| those occasions when the unselhsh
| impulses in her nature had accumu-
lated and found outlet In an acute
attack of philanthropy. When Mrs.
Weatherstone felt one Of these spasms
coming on, she ordered the house
keeper to assemble all superf1uous
articles and half-worn clothing; then
she herself descended upon this het-
erogeniety. divided 1t rapidly into
fairly equal parts, and dispatched
these in different directions.
Mrs. Penfield, as "laundress,' al
ways received. bundle-usually cast
off garments of Miss Geraldine and
Miss Bonnie Weatherstone, since their
mother knew that all poor people
have large families, and that all large
families are composed Of both girls
and boys. Mrs. Weatherstone would
have suffered fastidious shock If
she could have seen Crink and Thad
transformed by Mrs. Penfield's patient
ingenuity into innocent caricatures OF
Geraldine and Bonnie; but the sight
was spared her, and the Penfields
we're too sincerely grateful to crit1'
cize Their small income was hardly
elastic enough to cover the funda
mental items of food and fuel, school
hooks for Crink, shoes for two active
youngste g. and various articles oi
apparel which Mrs. Penfeld could mol
counterfeit at home.
Just at present the Penfelds were
riding on wave of prosperity, due
tn Crink's securing two hours Of WORK
eoch day at the combined grocery and
meat market which served the neigh-
borhood So far he had been PAID In
merchandise-stale vegetables. shop'
worn fruit, groceries which had sur
fered accident. shafts of bone and the
more muscular cuts Of meat. summed
hv patrons who possessed the where
wtthal of choice. Housekeepers OF