The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1925-12-18
Sparrows-Hufnan
Sparrows
%. 1915. west.r. NsvspAp.r Union,
By FRANCES z. GALE

0CPARROWsl Nesting. Noisy
- dirty, destructive; nuisance
human sparrows!"
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 1t from a 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 It's I've 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.
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 1t now?"
The color In the young mans face
deepened.
1.-THE fact Il, Mr.. Hardick. | want
to get married this coming fall"
- of
q position to 0-marry."
I'm twenty-five"
"A great age, that. And how old
Is the young ladyT'
Twenty. could save enough by
fall to make start II you could give
me that advance now"
"See here, Morton. l could give 1t
| to you, but won't When 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 1t herself. but hel
people did. and she came to sec II
their way"
"What became OF the young lady,
Mr.. Hardick-the one you were speak
ing Off"
''She married. 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
| q girl worked alone. She wore light
summer dress protected by big fiow-
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 9
blossom-decked tree with hands up
raised to reach some bloom that later
| she fastened at his breast and laid
| her cheek beside 1t. His heart gave 8
| queer twitch. What had he been doing
all those years? Waiting until there
should come convenient time to live.
And now 1t 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. Sil-
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 q
man, laden with box evidently OF
considerable weight. He lowered II
to the floor. playfully evading the
| girls profiered help, and began to take
| from 1t books. A flash cut the gloom
| outside Thunder followed. At Its
| 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