New Britain herald., 1924-06-26

| mean hunger that IS a SLOW star- | ration, that is not content to melt the l flesh and shrink the muscles, but works a fatal alchemy upon the heart and mind.
 Perhaps you do not believe In such an alchemy. Nevertheless you will concede that the mind possesses great i dominion over the body. And mis- | treated slaves oyerturn their harsh masters. Why should not the body, then, mistreated, destroy the mind that. ruling, has made no success of its reign? l say that no famished man will observe, after he has con auered feear. the laws that men with full stomachs have enacted.
 Conscience. and the words it con iured up before my mind. Honor, l fidelity, duty! Well, I had won honor on a certain meadow between two hills in France. Fidelity? For thirty years I held the faith implanted in me in childhood. Duty? Well, in my pocket was a paper proving that I had been honorably discharged l from the army of--does it matter which army? Does it matter where
 
 what had been, before the war, my station in life, my education?
 Let it be enough that I called my self gentleman and that scores, even hundreds, of your so-caled best people, term me such. But I was very hungry gentleman that night. not so long ago, when I returned to the shabby, even filthy lodging house on Thompson street, that l called home.
 My landlady was seated on a chair in the ill-smelling hall. She met my entrance with frown. Even had | been the kind to shirk an issue, I could not have avoided this one. Foi she rose from the rocking-chair at the rear Of the hall For a moment she would remove her watchful eve from the brood Of half-grown chil- ! dren who played in the kitchen. Sorry as I was for myself. was sorrier for her.
 Looking at her, as she shulflcd her carpet -slippered feet over the torn and stained oilcloth Of the hall, one found fl hard 10 believe that she had ever had youth, beauty and happi- ness. One seemed to know that she had stepped from .irlhood into middle age, and that the step had not been the bounding stride Of con fidence, but frightened. unnianned leap compelled by fate.
 Even the fiesh that shook npon her as she waddled toward me was not the firm fat of the we'll fed. but the gross flesh of those who five in. doors who work too hard, and who replenish their wasted tissues with food Of the wrong nutrition value.
 Without a word she held out her hand to mo. [ could feel myself coloring. and marvelled that thcre was enough red in my anaemic sys- tenn 10 furnish my cheeks with g blush.
 There is no humiliation more pain ful to A gentleman than his inability to pay his debts to persons dependent for their livelihood upon his financial integrity. Red with shame, could only stammer; I'm sorry, Mrs. Cannon"
 suppose that years before poverty and worry and disease had left their indelible marks upon her body and character, her mouth may have been pleasant even inviting. ft must havo been kissable, for although l had never seen Mir. Cannon, and vaguely understood that he had vanished from my landlady's ken a few years ago. the presence of so many young Gannons argued the bestowal of caresses upon my lsndlady's lips.
 But now her mouth was thin and sharp, in violent contrast to the over hanging cheeks and the double chin. Years or contact with impecunious lodgers had made snner Of what might once have been 2 smile.
 'sorry?'" " she repeated. and her shrili voice cut my very soul. "T can't pay my rent with sorrow. Not even with my own sorrow, much less a secondhand sorrow that I get from you" Her own witticisrn amused her, but I could see that it did not soften her.
 . From the room at the end of inc hall one of the brood saw me. He raced toward us stopping breath lcssly.
 Make penny disappear, Mr. Ainslcy!" he cried.
 Let him make q dollar appear" suggested his mother.
 "Aint you got penny, Mir. Aims ley" asked the child.
 suppose that my shame appealed to Mrs. Cannon. Anyway, she pushed inc child away. harshly or- dering him 10 go back to the kitchen. But pity for my humiliation could not make her forget her own needs.
 "The rent Of your room was due yesterday. Mir. Ainsley," she said. I'm always willing 10 give anyone a fair chance, but with plenty of people waiting for rooms. people as is able to pay for them, you can't expect mo 70 tet you have the room free"
 She told the simple truth. Even this Erimy house had become attrac- tive to me. because it afforded me shelter from the elements. because. Tor all lis degradation, 1t was better than the hard benches of the park. Mrs. Cannon would have no difficulty in letting the room which I occupied, the rent of which was only dollar a week. and yet rental beyond my power 10 pay.
 Well. Bhat you got 10 sayg" she demanded. Its a wonder to mo that good big strong man like you wouldn't get some kind Of a job if you wanted to-"
 I could not debate the question with her. How make her understand