Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1925-10-28
Sparrows-Hunan
Sparrows
10, 1925. Western Newspa per Union.)
By FRANCES E. GALE

Hardick was seated in his special
| den, the little sun-room thrown out
over the back porch Of his bachelor
home 1t overlooked his garden, which
| terminated at the high fence separat-
| ing it from narrow public alley. Last
summer 1t had also overlooked the two
vacant lots across the alley. Across
the alley there had sprung up during
! the fall and winter horrible mush-
room growth, q cheap apartment build
| ing, designed to house as many human
beings as could decently be packed
upon its five wide floors.
Hardick, in the unlit seclusion of his
den, looked across the blackness OF
sixty feet of cloud-ridden night, and
could see the settling operations OF
men and women as they unpacked and
placed belongings.
A week earlier Hardick's boOkkeeper
had stood by his employers desk nerv-
ously rolling and unrolling the month
ly statement just approved.
1--WE promised you the raise next
year." Burdick had said. not too pa
tiently, "why do you want it nowT
The color In the young mans face
deepened.
1.-THE fact u.s. Mr.. Hardick, l want
to get married this coming fall"
Married. Man alive. you aren't In
a position to marry"
I'm twenty-five"
"A great age, that. And how OLD
Is the young ladyT'
Twenty. could save enough by
fall to make a start If you could give
me that advance now"
"See here, Morton. l could give 1t
to you, but won't. When l was your
age l wanted to marry. too. Every
boy does. But the girl had been used
to a good home, servants. fine clothes.
She couldn't have done without them.
She didn't know it herself, but her
people did, and she came to see 1t
their way"
"What became Of the young lady.
Mr.. Hardick-the one you were speak
ing OFF,
"She married-a rich man."
"Was she happy?"
II don't know" Hardick said. short
ly. "She died"
The interview was fresh in his mind
as he watched the gaping windows
and the moving figures. Within the
oblongs Of light directly opposite him
4 girl worked alone. She wore light
summer dress protected by big flow
cred apron. He could see its gay col
ors as she stood under the center light
Slight and graceful, she moved quickly
from bureau to shelf, from range to
wall-cupboard, passing back and forth
between adjoining kitchen and living
room, the contents Of both In plain
view of the onlooker. A scene OF
thirty years ago flashed before Har-
dicks mind-a girl, dark-haired like
this one, willow-slim, standing ty
blossom-decked tree with hands up
raised to reach some bloom that later
she fastened at his breast and laid
her cheek beside it. His heart gave
queer twitch. What had he been doing
all those years? Waiting until there
should come convenient time to live.
And now it was too late to live. in any
real sense, at all.
There was a storm breeding In the
hot, black stiffness. and the girl came
to the window and flung the sash high
then leaned upon the sill, looking from
side to side into the darkness that
enveloped her new surroundings. Sill
houetted against the rooms brilliance
only the outline of head and body ap.
peared, the features being invisible.
Suddenly she turned and flew to open
the door, through which staggered
man. laden with a box evidently OF
considerable weight He lowered 1t
to the floor, playfully evading the
girls proffered help, and began to take
from 1t books A flash cut the gloom
outside. Thunder followed. At It's
crash the girl drew close to the man,
who, putting his arm about her, led
her to the window, evidently soothing
her fears AS she stood there, clasped
In the hollow Of his shoulder, another
electric sword leaped from the clouds
and she flung her arms about him.
hiding her face. He stepped back
pace, wrapping her protectingly In his
arms, then with one hand turned her
face upward and laid his lips upon
hers in a long kiss. The light fell full
upon the mans features. Hardick
reached quickly for his field glasses.
Through them he saw his bookkeeper.
Morton, a girl with hair like Caroline's,
and-Love.
did you have pleasant weekT'
Hardick asked as his bookkeeper
again stood in his office.
every. sir But I'm afraid you won't
be pleased at what ! have to tell you.
| Carrie-the young lady-and decided
not to wait until the fall and were
married three days ago. We've taken
| a little apartment in the North end,