Evening star., 1928-05-14
The Black Wall.

r. LIEN BOGART sat on the tiny
- rickety balcony that formed an
a entrance to the apartment
A-1 which she occupied with her
aunt Why. Underneath the
balcony flowed brook somewhat low
az that season. There was nothing
much to see except the brook. and that
vanished suddenly behind the walls of
q garage.
Aunt Why was within. sleeping. The
heat of the torrid afternoon was grate-
ful 10 her. for she was old and chill
But Ellen could not endure to breathe
the air Of the small living room, there
lore she had sought the balcony with
hex work basket.
But she was not sewing Instead
she sat staring down into the brook
trying to master some of the many diff
1lcultes that beSet her, The greatest
difficulty OF all was Aunt Why. For
Aunt Why could no longer be trusted
to hive alone as she had formerly done
while Ellen was away teaching, and
Ellen could not take Aunt Why with
her because the old woman could not
be persuaded TO leave the house where
she had lived all her life long. II was
Just q question of Ellen'S giving up her
work to stay with Aunt Why, and how
could they live? All they had besides
the meager rent of the lower apart
nent must be earned by Ellen and al
q distance from home,
She had come to the black wall az
last. There had been other walls. gray
walls white walls, low walls--walls that
she had somehow succeeded in scram-
bling over, but always she had known
that some day she would come TO that
most dreaded obstacle of all. the black
wall which admitted of no foothold.
And now here il was staring her IN the
face.
She had a momentary impulse to
pitch herself off the balcony into the
brook and so end her troubles forever.
But that was cowardly and mean
Besides what would become of poor
Aunt Why? Trembling and ashamed
of her own weakness she buried her
face in her hands.
The sound of distant shout made
her take her hands from her face. Up
the brook came sailing fotilla OF
Young ducks with a mischievious air Of
running away. And behind them
stumbling through the shadows came
little boy of 3ls. The water was up to
the top of his blue-and-white socks. his
hands were clenched. his little face
knotted with perplexity, yet he was
struggling determinedly on over the
slippery stones. quite oblivious OF what
he was doing TO his clothes.
.'why. its Bobby Gregory Ellen ex~
claimed. She leaned over the rickety
railing Bobby! Bobby" she cried.
SInok OUT Don't 60 any farther.
There's a deep hole Just ahead of YOU"
The child looked up and waved his
hand toward the fotilla.
-Ny ducks." he cried.
Ellen sprang up and ran down the
stairs with all the speed of her light
feet and slight. supple body But before
she could reach the wall that guarded
the brook the disaster had occurred
Bobby. slipping upon stone, had fallen
head down into the deep pool and was
out of sight
Ellen sprang from the wall. fell. felt
= hurt on one knee. and found her
self half way to her waist in water.
She gToped and found the child. Sod
den with water and struggling II was
all she could do to lift him. He had
swallowed water and was checking.
She was bearing him to the wall
when she heard shout and saw a
man running along the wall. He was
vigorous OF frame with dark, grave
face. fine in every lineament. Leaping
OF the wall he caught the child from
Ellen. shook him upside down and
Uifh slap or two restored him more
quickly than Ellen could have done
with any of the first aids she knew
Seeing that the boy was all right he
tossed him upon the grass and turned
90 Ellen
$50 you've been in the brook, tool"
he said. with a faint gleam of smile
%I went after my ducks. daddy"
walled Bobby.
ayes. And Miss Bogart went after
kou-ilst in the nick Of time, / should