New Britain herald., 1926-01-29

liilly FlitNl on lilS pUdlu alh cioPN ped the iron down on it.
 Barbara rose Ind tottered from the kitchen. The stairs seemed steep and narrow. but she grasped the bannisters and pulled herself up, step by tagging step.
 The sounds upstairs had ceased, Barbara went Into her room and put oh her hat and coat
 As she started down the steps, the sounds of splashing began again in the bathroom. Mrs. Crumpett was just coming out of the dining room, wiping her hands on her apron.
 That good-for-nothing Mrs. Biggs has spilled the water again." she whined. Its dripping down through the kitchen ceiling. I told her not to do any more laundry" She made a lunge for the steps and clambered to the landing, as Barbara went out the front door.
 The street was more lively than it had been the night before. Barbara looked about with languid interest. Fer head was throbbing violently. She passed the brick house with ifs weedy lawn, and the bungalow that was once the home of Wilma Col lins. The washing had been taken down. but the red-eyed poodle sat on the step as though he hadn't moved all night.
 A few children were to be seen on the porches, but most of the houses were dsmally silent, with windows staring blankly uncurtained.
 Barbara met one or two working men. They carried tin lunch pails and shouted cheerily at one another, A flashily dressed woman brushed past, usurping the entire sidewalk.
 A vacant lot where Barbara had played many games of tennis in her high school days was now grown five feet deep with weeds. Even the posts where the net had been spread were overgrown with the rank stalks of jimpsen and giant dog fennel.
 Barbara turned and walked ra- pidly toward the bus station. A few doors beyond it, she found the lunch counter that Mrs. Crumpett had spoken of. It was merely a wooden shed, with a glass front and two or three broken steps. A man with q soiled white apron and chefs cap iauntily over one ear stopped wiping off the counter with a dirty rag as she entered. Hello, sister" he said. Barbara did not respond to the greeting. She took her place at q high stool by the counter and asked for coffee. "Nothin' else?" he in- quired sourly. She shook her head.
 He brought her q cup of porcelain a half inch thick. The coffee was spilled in the saucer. Barbara lifted the cup to her lips and the coffee dripped f<>m the bottom of it on her coat. She set it down again Have you any napkins?" she asked the man.
 He shook his head. "Cut out the taffy," he said. This ain't the Waldorf-Astoria."
 Barbara swallowed a few mouth. fuls of the brew. It was not bad coffee, but the edges of the cup were greasy. She set it down half full and paid the waiter.
 He glanced at the cup. Whats the matter with the coffee?" he ex' claimed belligerently.
 Nothing" said Barbara, and hur' ried to the door. Once outside, she ,breathed more easily. Even the small quantity of coffee had helped the throbbing of her head.
 She was turning toward Mrs Crumpett's house, when she heard her name called excitedly, behind her. Looking around her. she saw very pretty young woman hurryine toward her, baby carriage thump ling after her.
 Barbara, when did you get back My, I'm glad to see you!"
 "Well, Wilma!" answered Bar bara. "I hadn't any idea you stil lived here. Everything's so changed since the old days. l just came il last night"
 Wilma bent over and put th' brake on the baby carriage. T don
 live here. We moved out Q yea ago. Hated to give up the bungalow but the neighborhood got so bat we couldn't stand it any longer. w were losing money every minute VI held the place. You were lucky tt get rid of that big house of your when you did. Property here isn'
 bringing anything now. Do vol know, I've used your madeira lunch
 con set more than anything else
 have?"
 A loud voice from the perambu
 lator broke in upon the conVersa Ition, Wilma rushed around to tn front of the carriage and lifted tn covers anxiously. Barbara followe' and looked over her shoulder.
 round pink face In fluff of whit wool bonnet smiled at them. Ap parently the vail had been only bid for notice.
 Did you ever see anything lik him ?" asked Wilma.
 Barbara stammered. "I suppos every baby is more wonderful tha every other baby" she said. "Bu 5 this one really Is exceptional . pretty"
 Wilma smiled at her son. "C s course he is. There was never ar
 other like him." She put out flnge r and the baby grasped it in both h a pink hands, and gurgled, wrinklin s his nose.
 U Wilma turned to Barbara. "You'V d no i'd "a what a baby is like, Bab }, till you have one of your own. |. used to scoff at fond parents just { loudly as anybody. but here l ar 7. singing the praises of my son to tf 8 heavens, and not caring who thini n I am a darn fool. feel so superit d to anybody that's never had one - Barbara could find nothing 10 sa
 wall Wilma " CI