Evening star., 1927-11-12

1 ready with bacon rlnd
taken from n costly porcelain
cup on the sideboard. A pan of bis
| cults was slipped into the oven ana
the coffeepot set on the back OF the
stove. And as she worked she num-
med a quaint little air.
"Hullo. yes" came the friendly
voice of red-faced washerwoman,
who was passing with a basket of
| clothes on her shoulders. "Tis foine
| breakfast We do be havin' this morn.
| can fairly smell the coffee in the
steam comm from the spout. An
| singin' while We work. too. Is them
true silver an porceline on that hand
worked stand cloth?"
''Why. yes, thank you, Mrs. Mullins.
I've had them good many years,
| Won't you come in and have break
fast with mo?"
Thank ye. an 7 wish twas so I
could. But I'm busy this morn. Tis
| twice we've asked me, an the thirds
! the charm. SO | warn We. The next
askin' will likely find me ready to eat
| with the silver an porceline an then
| be hurryin off to brag to me neigh
bores. 'Bettina told me they were
them, so l asked ye.''
The hesitation in the invitation was
| Her face had broad smile as she
| waddled on with her load, but the
white-haired old woman behind gave
a regretful sigh of relief as the wash
| erWoman passed from view.
With the Coffeepot Steaming and
the biscuit in the oven Mrs. Forest
Martin slipped into the second of her
! two rooms. which was a mere closet
| two-thirds filled by a cotbed. From a
| shelf the old woman took part of a
| loaf of bread. which she munched
eagerly until she had eaten about
| half. The rest was carefully placed
| back on the shelf.
Back in her coZy main room. with
| its two windows opening on the side
walk of q squalid street Mrs Forest
| Martin again busted herself about the
| breakfast.
Half dozen eggs We're taken from
silver jar with a curious unicorn
cover, the shells opened over the
| fryingpan and then the contents
poured into a third silver dish. This
dish had a cover and the cover was
replaced to keep the eggs from losing
any of their flavor. thought two oh
servers who We're watching through
the corners of their eyes. 1t was too
early yet for trade to be good on the
street. and Bettina of the Concertina
and dance and Sudie of the apple
stand, both permanent, looked covet-
ously toward the homelike room and
the preparations for breakfast. The
fine old lady had asked both of them
to eat with her, and both, with con-
scious feeling of inferiority, had re-
fused. Now, encouraged by one invi.
tation. they wished she would ask
I.l- Ea h1JI
this time. Also the whole street
passed that window and they could
watch for trade almost as well inside
as out Their covert looks became
more direct and their thought now
was to catch her eye. If they could
do that they would be invited to break
fast. The lady was like that. She
was just a great lady with a motherly
heart of gold. All needed was just
to have her see them. And it would
be such sweet breakfast, like every
morning. Yes, there was the fruit
now, in a fourth silver dish-oranges
and grapes and peaches and pears,
some of them from costly hothouses,
as were the flowers in the cutglass
vase.
But somehow Mrs. Forest Martin
did not see them, though they stood
expectantly quite near the window,
now. She was still singing softly, her
gaze steady and clear, but fixed upon
her work about the stove and dainty
| breakfast stand, her head as high as
her bent back would allow. They
could not see her face, but they heard
her voice Though white-haired and
very old, the voice was sweet and
clear and of wonderfully flexible
range.
Suddenly they fell back to their
accustomed positions on the sidewalk.
Big Jim Book, the groceryman, was
stalking straight to Mrs. Forest Mar
tins door, his face grim, paper III
his hand. From his store entrance
he. too. could see her windows and
the preparations for breakfast.
You will pay me my money, now,
he demanded as he entered the room
unceremoniously and without knock.
ing, and shook the paper in front oI
her face.
She shook her head smilngly, but
with a straight look from her eyes
II cannot" she answered. See.
She took an old.time purse from her
pocket and shook it's contents into her
hand. -Four cents. 1t is all l have.
/ had thought to buy a stale loaf WITH
it tomorrow"
The man made an angry gesture
toward the breakfast stand, with its
silver dishes, the oranges and grapes
and peaches and pears. and other
foods and costly cloth. Feeding your
self like that" he accused. II saw
| you cooking eggs without number
high as they are. And look at the
| flowers. I've never been able to live
like this-I never expect to be able
| What have you to say? You came tC
| me and asked for credit. l felt sorry
| for you, an old lady alone. l let you
have all you wanted and you paid me
| by the month for while. Then you
stopped. Yes, you bought three months
on credit after paying, then stopped.
You have not been in my store since
| in three months. Why?"
II did not have the money!" simply.
"But you will be paid some time. /
| told you I had a remittance monthly,
and ! expected it to be continued as
| long as / lived. But it ceased. / do
| not know why. ! met you on the
| sidewalk at the end of three months
| and said YOU will have to wait awhile
longer. You remember. The money
had not come yet"
"But look at your table," sternly
| 'It's been like this every day. I've
seen it from my store. And yet you
have no money. Then some poor dupe
like myself is giving you credit"
You don't understand" smilingly
| though her face had grown a little
| white. you have been very kind tc
| me, Mr. Book. I apprecite it. VIII
YOU have breakfast with me now? Ii
| is ready"
He stared a moment, then nodded
and drew a chair to the stand. Yes,
I WILL" he answered, shortly. I'D
like to see how things taste that
can't afford to buy, and out of silver
| dishes. Sit down yourself, though.
after I serve you. / have ne
| servant" She opened the silver egg
dish and set 1t before him and fol