Milford chronicle., 1925-02-20
FIRST INsTALLMENT
CHAPTER 1

The christening party came along
under the tender green trees Of Princes
Avenue. There were three victOrias,
Toyalistic in appearance; blue-black
cOachmen held the reins in white gloved
hands while thoroughbred haclmeys
stepped high as if to meet the require
ments of a state occasion; silver harness
iingled after the best traditions Of the
days when Benjamin Harrison-God
rest his solid Republican bOneSl-was
offending the South with tariff un-
pleasantly protective. The dignihed
splendor of that turnout attracted an
attention to which it was obviously in
different. The public peered. Unin-
Vited spectators squinted through lace
curtains in the lesser mansions along
Princes Avenue. Negro pedestrians,
not so crafty as their white brothers in
the art of concealing emotion, stopped
In their tracks and stared, stunned by
celestial visitation.
For the Pealkes were driving from
their fine old house in Inness Street to
All Souls Church where, both as Chris
tians and as ancestor wOrshippers, they
owed an important visit. But more i'm
portant still, from the angle Of life at
which we view this story, was the re-
action on a certain small boy who had
set q heavy market basket in front of
his bare toes and was giving himself up
utterly to a dream Of human greatness.
Admah Holtz had lived eight years in a
seamy world. He was at the age when
the mind is like putty; curious putty
that will harden suddenly in spots, crea-
ting impressions on solid rock. But the
little creature who was the helpless
target Of so much attention had no
mind at all as yet. She was merely a
combination of jerky legs, unframed
digestive tract, aimlessly rebellious
lungs.
Gosh, what a fuss over babyl
So thought the boy with the candy
basket. Gosh, amt they high
tonedl Look at the niger nanny,
totin' that baby across both hands like
it was million dollars worth Of pound
cake. Gosh. Look at all that lace on
the baby. I bet Ma never seen so
much lace. And that Niger woman's
dress. Whittier than starch.
Here his thoughts scattered blindly
like frightened mice; or like mice sud-
denly dazzled by great light they
stood at palsied attention, unable to
move. A beautiful lady was descend
ing from her carriage, one foot stepping
out daintily as she laid frail hand on
an attendant elbow. She was of an
other world than Admah's. Daughter
Of q nation where, officially, there are no
classes, she stood so many ranks above
him that he must needs look up as the
gy,
its own tremendous clouds. A Peake
indeedl
Now the christening party was NOV
ing, q picture Of animation, toward the
church door. The lady, still leaning on
the arm Of her frock-coated escort,
showed her teeth pleasantly. Her eyes
were like pansies-if you can imagine |
pansies with disturbing fires at their |
centres. The gentlemen wore silk hats |
and Prince Alberts. The older ladies
dripped with Jet; their bodices were |
drawn tight over heavy busts. A |
gentleman Of fifty-five, leaning on gold |
headed cane, dirted humorously with q |
young lady whose black eyes snapped
with animation under her lace parasol.
And the newborn princess, cause Of It
oil, was beginning to cry. go.
''What folks IL thoseP" asked Admah
HoItE. directing his questions at a lanky
negro boy Of eleven. The boy, who
had been dividing his attention be-
tween the christening party and the
little bags Of peppermint candies in
basket, opened his mouth to a
gummy grin.
"Whuh you come from2"
''Crost the River" replied Admah,
quite without resentment at the colored
boys tone.
81 reckon ye come Ions ways How
some you don know Ieai,es Whon you
zee emp"
"Jedge Peakes, interposed stout
legress, evidently possessor of the lanl1y
BOY. 1t was said in the voice Of an old
line Viennese mentioning Hapsburgs. :
"Goshl' 'Admah's round eyes were
ocussed on the church door into which
he gay procession was now passing.
All that fuss over baby"
"Dat's a Peake baby" the negress {
him in chiding tone. Flora 7
Leo Peal1e is de name she'll be chris l
ened by holy sanctum Of de church. {
De fat gelman jes' passin' in wifi de cane Q