The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-07-11
WHY
CLARA WAS
SOBBING
By JANE OSBORN


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60. lszA Mcciurs Newspaper syndicass.l
Bertram sat at the fragile bit Of
furniture that his landiady had desig-
mated as writing desk and began to
write.
Dear Bill:
$50 far haven't found life in the
big city so very exciting"
Then he stopped, laid down his pen
and listened intently. After a full
minute OF acute listening. hearing
nothing, he resumed.
II left the hotel and am living in
q boarding house. OF course no man
wants to. live in boarding house al
ways"
Again the fountain pen was laid
down and Bertram listened. looking
intently at the wall in the direction
from whence the sounds came. The
sounds were faint but quite surely
they were sobs. He heard them again
Low, soft, heartbreaking sobs-sobs
that would induce at least mild nos
talgia in the heart Of anyone so far
from home as was Bertram.
'The girls here aren't anything won
derful. To be sure Eve seen some
that dressed better and looked smarter
than the girls home. There are a
couple Of girls in the office, but
never cared about mixing business
and
Just then succession of sobs deep
er and more poignant than the last
were heard and then a quick, really
startling thud. Bertram listened for
the cry or shrek that he thought
ought to follow this last sound Of
trouble but none came. so he resumed
his brotherly letter.
"a girl in the boarding house that
looks pleasant and rather pretty that
I've spoken to because we sit oppo-
site each other at table. If get really
lonesome Eli get acquainted with her,
though she seems bit stiff and might
not be interested"
Bertram wrote little more, telling
his brother Of his share Of success in
his work and Of his plans for the fu-
ture and then the soft, low sobblng be-
gan again.
Il guess I'd better quit" Bertram
wrote. This old house must be
haunted or something. Anyway there's
a.Queer noise coming through the walls
that makes writing hard. Hope it will
stop before try to Sleep"
The next evening just as Bertram
nad opened a new magazine, lighted
ahis favorite pipe and spread out on
the lounge chair which was the only
really luxurious piece Of furniture in
his room. the same sort Of soft sob
Ding began. He closed his book
Rainy night though it was, he donned
his hat and coat and Went out, found
q nearby public library, took a book
On engineering from shelf and pro-
ceeded to work over most complicated
problems Of his profession.
The next morning at breakfast Ber-
ram scrutinized the faces of all the
3oarders In the dining room, and he
went thither early and left late 50
that ne might be able to see them all.
de tried to find one In which fingered
traces Of the sadness that had been
poured forth in that soft. gentle Sob
Ding in the next room. Nobody there
could sob like that. he concluded. SO
perhaps It really was, a spook.
Meeting his landlady in the hall
that evening, he asked her whether
the room next his was occupied aud
In that way drew from her the infor-
nation that 1t was now. and had been
Tor the past two years. occupied by
Miss Clara Pringer.
"She sits across from you at table. !"
smiled the landlady. "Nice girl and
not at all stuck-up-teaches school
high school. l think-sends money
home.to an invalid aunt"
"She isn't unhappy" began Ber-
tram.
sBless your heart. no." said the
tandlady. "What would she have to
be unhappy about ?-got a good job.
got her health, and doesn't give q
whoop for the men,"
"Of course. of course" said Ber-
tram and went up to his room.
He had determined to forget all
about the sobbing and would perhaps
have done SO had 1t not disturbed his
peace of mind that evening. It was
very faint. very much subdued and
might not have been audible to one
possessed of less acute sense of hear
ing than Bertran.~
The next morning Bertram scruti.
nized Miss Clara Pringer rather closely.
True, he observed, she appeared to be
happy. but there were light shadows
under her gray eyes, delicate turn
to her pretty lips that might betoken
sorrow. Certainly she looked little
more weary, now, than she did when
he first came to the boarding house a
month before. Without quite meaning
70 do so he asked her If she had been
at home the evening before, and she
said that she. had. He asked her II
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