Evening star., 1925-06-21

had been cast from theil
IL thrones. before gold had beer
superseded by paper, before
empty dwelling houses had come TO be
as rare and precious as pearls. there
was q row of 81 new small. reddish
houses on the east side of the muni
cipal park Of Bursley in the Five
Towns.
Exteriorly they were all alike. ex
Cept that 50 of them had the bay win
dow 10 the left of the front door. while
- had the bay window to the right of
The front door. The street was not
grand enough TO look directly on the
park, but the houses had long. IL mar
row. gardens AT the back. with a fa il
open prospect of the colliery-strewn
moors which inclose the Five Towns
Interiorly many of the houses were
alike. especially in temperament, but
some were different; and the most diff
ferent of all and the most individual
the most independent, the most eff
cient, the most successful, was No. 4
inha bited by the F'urber family.
Dinah the elder daughter, aged %
fair, buXom, placid. plain, was the
hOusekeeper. She got up first, went
To bed last, and received no salary
when she wanted little money for
clotheS-She seldom wanted money for
anything elSe-She had to ask for it
aS for favor. Mary. the younger
daughter. aged 25. fair. golden, slim
pretty. nervous. critical. too much
aware of the frailtieS of human nature
and the risks of being alive, was d
dreSsmakerS assistant, and earned
twice what she spent. Maidie. the
cousin really a second cousin). aged
-. red-haired freckled pretty. fiery
IugnaCiouS. Snub-noSed was a mistress
in The board school at Moorthorne
she earned more than Mary and saved
less: still. she saved
Last of the Young generation CO me
Ralph. u. of medium height. StoCky in
figure, with brown hair and A stiff
brown muStache. He WAS extremely
unCOuth. rather nervous, very untidy
and amazingly rude. He lived in the
house like a wild animal. quarreled
fiercely with Cousin Maidie and quar-
relied even with Dinah, who. neverthe-
less. was of 4 notably pacific DISPOSE
ton. also he had dark. suppressed
feuds with his father: but he never
Quarreled with gueruiouS Mary
though she made no attempt at all TO
placate him. Ralph was employed by
the Five Towns Engineering Co. Linn
tied. which manufactured machinery
for the earthenware works of nearly
the whole world and for many col
lieries. 1t was known and admitted
that he was marvellous at machinery.
and people said that he was, further
a considerable organizer and that al
ready he had performed various bene-
flcial wonders for the +. 7. f. G. He
existed solely for machinery and was
entitled To be called quite mad. He
used the front room as dra wing Of
flee. and in such d manner that the
girls could not use it as a parlor with
out much preliminary Strengthening
up and grave family complications.
And he had bought a small decayed
steam engine and renewed its youth
and erected 1t in a shanty indeScrib-
ably constructed of odds and ends of
wood, zinc and iron in the garden.
This engine actuated a lathe and
other contrivances. When steaming
II coushed-a sort of hacking cough;
and the neighbors complained of it
and even invoked the power of the
borough surveyor against it. Then
you should have seen how family
apparently disunited can be united,
welded and riveted together. The fam
lily defended Ralph's steam engine,
which in private the girls detested,
with ruthless ferocity. Neighbors for 40
yards on either side were alienated
magnificently forever. The appeal to
the borough surveyor failed. The
family spat out triumph on the re-
sentful defeated. The victorious en-
gine continued TO cough.
OVER all the young generation
~ stood the widowed Mr.. Furber; a
workman of the old Five Towns
School. with a short iron-tilings beard
and no mustache; trade unioniSt
hut A conservative. despising all non
L
senior warehouseman in an earthen-
ware mandatory at Hanbridse,
whittier he went every morning by
workmens train from the station by
The park. His uniform at work was
shirt sleeves and flowing white
apron. and from an artisans scorn of
the Jacket" tapparel of clerks and
other futile persons) he preferred TO
he in shirt sleeves even at home. Mr..
Furher was bi oadminded man. He
visited church and chapel impartially
studying the Varia tionS of religious
doctrine with a detached mind. He
kept first rate whippet. and some
times did bit OF Coursinc. But his
chief delight was foot ball, on which
subject he was omnisCiept.
Father and son slept in tho front
bedroom. Dinah and Mary slept in
the back bedroom. Maihie slept in
the cellule 'styled bedrooml over
tho Scullery.
Now on a hot summer SatUrda V
afternoon there was an astonishing
knock at the front door of No. Al.
Mr. Furber. for whom Summer meant
boredom through the absence of foot
hall was reclining on his bed in medi-
tation. Dinah was cleaning the
kitchen. Maibie was in her room
mendinG glove. Mary was afield
with young man, for. despite her
hyperCritical attitude toward life. she
had admirers to choose fronl-and she
chose. Dirah opened the door, and
when she opened ii she blushed le-
cause the male visitor was obviously
q swell and because her hair was in
irons.
Good afternoon" said the visitor,
"Can ! see MIR. Ralph Furber?' He
had a London accent, which real Five
Towners regard As affected and all
surd. but which intimidates them. He
did not say "Eafe:" he said "Faf.
II think he's in the engine shed.
said Dinah. all Of ? flutter. wondering:
What's afoot with our Rafe2' she
added: IF you'll step through.
The visitor stepped through. The
vhippet in his kennel Growled.
Ralph. you're wanted. cried
Dinah. and left the visitor alone 10
face Ralph and the whippet.
The impressive visitor stayed near
" an hour. and then stepped through
again. back to the front door, under
Ralph's own suida nee; whereupou
Ralph had returned TO the enSin.
shed and been no more seen.
* x
CUPPER took place III the clean and
~ tidy kitchen, at the bare white
deal table, under a gas jet 1t began
punctually because both Ralph and
his father were nllnctual persons wit h