, 1925-04-29

~ ''NioS 81 diS olIh lliSl
cheek-boned, in u work apron a cook,
apparently.
Good morning." said Selma. "Would
you like some fresh country vege-
tables?"
mo" She half shut the door, OPEN
Ing 1t again to ask, Got any fresh
eggs or butter?" At Selina's negative
she closed h door, bolted it. Well,
that was all right. Nothing so terrible
about that, Selma told herself. Simply
hadn't wanted any vegetables. The
next house and the next, and the next.
Up one side Of the street, and down
the other. Four times she refilled her
basket. At one house she sold a quar-
ter's worth. Fifteen at another. Tween
ty cents here. Almost fifty there.
Twenty-first street-Twenty-fifth-
Twenty-eighth. She had over four dol
lars in her purse. Dirk was weary
now and hungry to the point of tears
"The last house." Selma promised him,
the very last one. After this one
We'll go home"
The last house. She had almost FIVE
dollars, earned in the last hour. Just
five minutes" she said to Dirk, trying
to make her tone bright, her voice gay.
Her arms full of vegetables which she
was about to place In h basket al
her feet she heard at her elbow:
Now, then, where's you ll~cense?"
She turned. A policeman at her side.
"License?"
"Yeh, you heard me. License
Where's your peddler's license? You
got one, l s'pose."
why, no. No" She stared at
him. still.
well, say, where dye think YOU
are, peddlin' without a license! A good
mind to run you in. Get along out of
here, you and the kid. Leave me ketch
you O here again !"
whats the trouble, oficer?" said a
woman's voice. A smart open carriage
of the type known as "A victoria, with
two chestnut horses whose harness
shone with metal. whats the trouble
Reilly?' The woman stepped out of
the victoria.
woman peddllng without a license.
Mrs. Arnold. You got to watch 'em
like a hawk. Get along wild
you, then" He put a hand on Selina's
shoulder and gave her Il gentle push.
There shook Selma from head to foot
such a passion, such a storm of out
ragged sensibilities, as to cause street.
victoria. silk-clad woman horses, and
policeman TO swim and SILVER in a haze
before her eyes. The rage of a fas.
tidlous woman who had had an alien
male hand put upon her. Her face
was white. Her eyes glowed black,
enormous. She seemed tall. majestic
even.
Take your hand off mel" Her
speech was clipped, vibrant. "How
dare you touch mel How dare YOU !
Take your handl-" The blazing eyes
in the white mask. He took his hand
from her shoulder. The red surged
into her face. A tanned weather
beaten toil-worn woman, her abundant
hair skewered into a knob and held by
a long gray-black hairpln, her full skirt
grlmed with the mud OF the WACO
wheel, a pair of old side boots on hei
slim feet. a grotesquely battered old
felt hat Cher husband's) on her head.
her arms full of ears of sweet corn.
n carrots, and radishes and lunches
of beets; IA woman with bad teeth, fiat
breasts-even then Julie had known
her by her eyes. And she had stared
n then run TO her in her silk dress
n her plumed hat, crying. "Oh. Sc
lima! My deari My dear!" with n
sob of horror and pity. MY dear!"
And had taken Selma, carrots, beets.
corn. and radishes In her arms. The
vegetables lay scattered all about them
on the sidewalk In front OF Julie Hem.
pei ArnOld's great stone house on
Prairie avenue. But strangely enough
It had beer Selma who had lone the
comforting, pattlng jules plump silker
shoulder and saying. ove and over,
soothingly, as to a child. There.
there! It's all right. Julie. It's all
right. Don't cry. What's there TO cry
for! Sh-shl It's all right"
Julie lifted her head In Its modlsh
black plumed hat, wiped her eyes, blew
her nose. Get along with you. do"
she said to Reilly. the policeman, using
his very words TO Selma. "Tm going
to report you to Mr.. Arnold, see II I
don't. And you know what that
means
"Well. now. Mrs. Arnold. mn'am. !
wns only doing my duty. How cud !
know the lady was n friend OF yours.
Sure. L" lie surveyed Selma. cart.
Jnded horses, wllted vegetables.
"And why not demanded Julie
with superb unreasonableness. "why
not. I'd like to know. DO get along
with you"
lie got along. n defeated officer OF
the law, and II bitter. And now II was
Julie who surveyed Selma, cart. Dirk,
faded horses, wllted leftover vtgc.
tables. "Sellnn, Whatever In the world
What are you doing with" She
caught sight OF Sellna's absurd boots
then and she began 10 cry again. Al