The Dolores star., 1924-08-08
THE DULL GRAY
THREEDECKERS
By DORA NOLAN
"a. 1924. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate)

IN
AVA hind her. the door which the
Deans shared with two other families.
II was the ugly gray door of an ugly
gray house. As Mary walked down the
steep grade of the sidewalk she
passed, at regular intervals, other
houses as like it as peas In pod.
They cluttered the hill like a litter of
huge dingy packing-cases. One hun
dred, the specifications had called for,
three stories high and housing six fam
lilies each. There We're no trees-roots
damage walks; no vines-vines rot
wood" Some one had named the hill
"Threedeckerdom," and the name
stuck. 1t was the housing develop
ment of the Bates Loom works where
Mary's father worked-and Mary
hated 1t.
Mary had made plans to pull herself
free from this environment, into which
she had been born, before her roots
took firm hold; and. as the appointed
day drew near she found her courage
weakening. After all, It meant leaving
her father and mother-and Eddie. II
was TO strengthen her resolution that
Mary had set out on that Saturday af-
ternoon's walk.
At the foot of the hill lay yet more
densely populated neighborhood, sec
tion of ancient, dirty houses bulging
pulse to hug still closer to her slen-
der self the scanty folds of her blue
frock.
Now straight ahead loomed steep
hill. crowned with stately tower of
stone modelled after medieval castle
TO honor the memory of famous man.
Mary found the beginning of dirt
path at the foot of the hill and fol-
lowed its winding rise to the top. Be
fore her stood the tower; below her
lay the city.
Gaining the battlemented observa-
tion platform, whence spiral stair
way led to the tip-top Of the tower,
Mary paused for a moments rest.
With her back to the city she looked
first at the distant mountains. Beyond
them, where the sun was already slip
ping. lay the city where she would
find work and begin the struggle for
the things she craved.
A sound from below intruded on
Mary's thoughts. Footsteps on the
stone stairway! Should she hurry to
the top, or start down? The October
twilight would be short. Yet, II she
should start down now she must pass
him-for Mary felt sure 1t was a man.
The footsteps sounded on the last
flight of steps now; still Mary stood
irresolute.
Eddie Morrisseyw Relief made
Mary's cry one of joyful welcome
and yet, ten minutes before she would
have desired anything but his coming.
MARY! 1 thought l would find you
here! Why Is 1t, Mary? Some force
seems to draw me straight to you I"
Eddie was a slightly built boy with
dreamy brown eyes. He spoke the
name, "Mary." as though 1t were the
word he loved best.
Eddie, don't-please! want to 20
to the top just for a few minutes,
Eddie, alone. Then we will walk home
together"
THAT stairway is narrow and steep,
Mary; better let me go with you"
Eddie persisted. So together they
climbed to the very top Of the tower.
AS Mary looked down she felt that
dizziness which comes of great
height; felt that horrible desire to
fling herself out into space; to fall
down-down- She closed her ewes.
Her body swayed. Then came Eddie's
steadying hand on her arm and again
she was glad he had come.
Mary opened her eyes to the glory
of the setting sun. Now was the time
to carry out her purpose in coming to
the tower. She must turn from that
miracle of color in the western sky to
the clutter of dull gray threedeckers
On the top of this tower hate of their
ugliness had first been born in her ::
here she would clinch her resolution to
leave them forever
But Eddie was disturbing factor !!
Emboldened, he was slipping an arm
around her waist. He was speaking
and the word love" occurred often.
She couldn't find it in her heart to re-
buke him, for surely his years of de-
votion deserved one memory. 1t
dimmed the clearness of her vision.
r1lA 1.
peace and content there, on the top of
the world, alone with Eddie. 1t was
an anesthesia from which she must
arouse herself, for marrying Eddie
would mean staying on the desecrated
hill Of drab tenement houses.
So Mary turned her eyes toward the
east and saw-a reflection of the sun
set, all pastel grays and pinks and
blues She saw thin, nebulous mist