Roanoke Rapids herald., 1924-01-18
As Cold as a
Barn
BY RUTH JONES

HsSSSSSSsSScSSSSSSS SSSS$SSSSSSSxSSSSSSA y
t@). 1924. by Mcclure Newspaper indicate. }
When Fred Twells came home from
his lecturing at college at four that
afternoon he had matle up his mind to
make an excursion into the lower re-
gions of his apartment house and seek
out the janitor. Something simply
had to be said and done concerning
the lack of heat in his apartment He
heard the husky voice of that digni-
tary in the back Of the entrance hall.
"Ye can see tile agent if you like.
miss" that familiar voice was saying,
but 1t won't do no good. The coal
we are on short rations we can't make
it no warmer"
But the point is," persisted the
little lady who was talking to the jani-
tor. "that sometimes my apartment Is
as warm as toast-and then again 1t Is
uncomfortable. You see 1t isn't just my
own comfort I'm thinking about.
make my living tutoring. and If my
students find my rooms unendurably
cold they simply won't come"
"Well. l dunno, l dunno" was the
janitor's response. "Fact is that there
isn't enough steam for All and A..
When All has his steam turned on.
then you don't get any, see? If you've
got your steam on first then All has to
go cold. Maybe you could fix it up
with All. I'm not supposed to be tell
Ing you this, you understand"
Fred Twells had found excuse 20
linger in the hall. At mention Of All
he fingered without finding excuse.
For he was All. Doubtless what the
janitor was saying offered an expla-
nation for his own difficulties as we'll
as those of this very charming young
woman who apparently made her liv-
ing at tutoring.
Cant You arrange with 4H?" asked
the girl. you see l am in with my
students usually all the morning and
most of the afternoon. but l am ut
tending night school at the university
every evening, so l don't mind about
the neat then" The girl took dollar
from her thin little purse and held it
out to the janitor. perhaps you
would do this for me?" she said
The janltor took the proffered tip,
beamed and pocketed it. Thanks,
he said. I'D like to take the matter
up with All, but you'd have better luck
yourself. You see, that All Is pro-
of JJn l.
obliging-kind of a fussy old bachelor,
my wife says, though he's not SO old,
either"
Fred Twells entered the elevator
and signaled the boy to take him up.
but the elevator operator, seeing Miss
Landis. the young tutor, waited for
her
"Would you tell me the name of
the person in 4H?" she asked the ele-
vator boy? "ls he so very, very cross
and horrid?"
The boy in question grinned and
looked namely toward Mr.. Twells
"Well, I shouldn't say as how he is,"
chuckled the boy. "This is him,
a-standing before you. Mr.. Twells,
ma'am. lives In 4H."
Mr.. Twells and Miss Landis alighted
at their floor and walked toward Fl
and ]. Miss Landis briefly and with
some embarrassment told Mr.. Twells
Of her difficulty in getting heat.
II was going to suggest she be-
gan, and then, feeling the awkward
ness of keeping Mr.. Twells standing
In the draughty hall, she started out
afresh: perhaps you would come in,
If you are not awfully busy, and we
could talk about this dreadful heat
proposition more comfortably"
So Mr.. Twelis was ushered into
Miss Iandis' living room, not richly
but very pleasantly furnished little
sanctum 1t happened to be com
fortably warm.
"Now 1t happens to be warm" the
girl said, offering her caller a chair.
"That is because you haven't turned
your heat on. But sometimes you leave
1t on all day and then don't have a
smidge of it. Now what / was going
to be bold enough to suggest was this !:
I'm home all day with my pupils. At
four usually go out walking or on
some errand or other and I'm at eve
ming classes almost every evening. l
imagine you are away all day-home
just when l am away. Now l was
going to say that maybe when you go
away you'd turn your steam off-that
would send 1t over here; and as soon
as am through I'll turn mine Off and
that will send 1t to you. Does that
strike you as n good plan?"
Mr.. Twells hadn't been paying very
good heed to the plan. He was so
much more interested In watching the
speaker and noticing her little man.
nerisms and changes Of expression
thnn in needing exactly what she said
Still, after five minutes discussion Of
the matter he grasped the situation
and declared the plan admirable.
"Imagine calling this old barn Ver-
sailles," exclaimed Miss Lands, see
ing that. though they had finished
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