Evening star., 1927-10-29
THE EVENING STORY

don't bring her no money. and we
| can't eat and she had to go to work
and got sick and couldn't co.
The girl spoke in dreary mono
tone, pausing now and then to sniffle
Il live down on Airport street, but
I come up here" she went on. "a
girl in our block was 'dopttd by 3
millyun- -aire so l came up here
where they's a-Iots a mill-yun aires
So l could be 'dopted too and give
my mother lots o. money"
AS the girl spoke. Stuffy's face
redeemed. She wanted TO be adopted
so she could help her mother; he
wanted adoption so he could buy
, automobiles and base balls. He saw
in an instant the futility and selfish
ness of his dreams.
He clasped her little red hand in
his, called to the proprietor of the
store to watch his stand and started
to Annie's home.
He found her mother tired lcok- =
ing, middle aged Polish woman, in a
tiny fiat over the rear of a grocery
store She was overjoyed at recov-
ering her daughter and thanked
Stuffy profusely. Annie told, in her
childish treble, the story of the
rescue.
Stuffy carefully ecrut;nized the
small. poorly furnished room that
served as parlor and bedroom. His
own room was as large as the two
which comprised this dingy fiat. 1t
was light and airy, compared with
the POvona home. and he shuddered
at the idea of Anni3's sick mother
dwelling in so mean place.
Il ask you stay for supper" said
Mrs. Povlona, "but no got nothings
good to eat"
Nothing to eat" commented Stuffy
to himself. He never went hungry,
for all the pinching and denying he
did
Just a minute" he saidA and ex-
cuSing himself. he dashed out of the
door He returned a few minutes
later with great armfHl of groceries.
Now" he said, I'VE can have
swell support"
The grateful woman wept loudly
and thanked him over and over again.
She apologiZed for not having food.
You see Pete Povlona he not come
back. He drink bad stuff all time.
Last week he shot man and now he
in Jail. | work but get seeck. Now
no can do"
Next morning Stuffy was back at
his stand early. A tender aura of
we'll being poured through him yet
with it was a poignant feel
Mrs. Povlona and Annie had touched
him deeply and he made vow to
aid them. His own meager circum-
however. deprecated his
chances. but a silent determination
to devise some means OF helping them
came to him.
AS the rich morning parade of mo-
tor cars filed past him. Stuffy felt a
sudden return of the desire that had
come to him the preceding day.
"SuDpose'n one o these guys really
would adopt me-" he enthused. Gee,
what / couldn't do for Annie"
But. shucks." he added a moment
later. that's just punk dreamin'. l
gotta get busy and do somethin':"
He cast a spiteful glance at the
flow of automobiles.
Huh" he grunted, 'if you guys
knew what a swell kid Annie is an
how much they need your dough-"
But the great river of motor cars
sped on heedlessly. Some grim reali-
zatiOn of the irony Of existence came
to Stuffy as he watched.
"All these guys with loads O money,
an I had to be the one to find Annie
an her mother. Why couldn't l be
rich?"
There was a trace of bitterness in
his thoughts, bitterness unusual in
Stuffy. In spite of himself he fell
to dreaming again.
Gosh! What if l was ricl.. What
II one of those guys did adopt me.
Or just give me a little money so
could help Annie!"
A large sedan drew up at the curb
and Stuffy seized a paper and thrust
it into the outstretched hand. The
exchange was quickly made. paper