Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-01
CHAPTER l..

CHAPTER l..
Byrd took out her key and opened
the door of the house where she
roomed. II was a family by the
name of Kelly. All the houses on the
street had once been the homes Of
well-to-do people, but as the city
grew. they had moved further out.
Practically every house had the
sign Furnished Rooms stuck up in
the windows.
Byrd had chosen this room be
cause Mrs. Kelly didn't have the
boarding house look"
She was a small, Sweet-faced won
an with kind grey eyes and grey hair
with just a suggestion Of The brogue
Of her fstherland still clinging TO
her tongue.
Byrd started up the stairs. but
stopped as Mrs. Kelly called to her.
Wont you come ii a minute, Mrs.
Browning, and meet my family p
Byrd hesitated. She shrank from
meeting strangers. She had decided
to make no new acquaintance SO
that she would never have to explain
who she was or why she was working
and living with strangers.
But these were plain people, she
thought to herself, who were trying
TO be friendly.
She stepped into the little sitting
room and met Mr.. Kelley, a small,
stoop-shouldered man with near
sighted eyes and a strange, raspinS
voice. who, Mrs. Kelly explained
proudly. had been %bookkeeper at the
Corrigsn steel mills for thirty years.
Then Mrs. Kelly introduced her
to a tall young man, who had kept
his eyes fastened on her ever since
she had come into the room.
This is my son, Martin Mrs.
kelly's voice showed the great pride
she had in her family, and then ex-
planned that Martin had graduated
from a technical school in the east
last year and was now with the Cor
rigan steel mills, too.
you a see, Mrs. Browning"
said Martin. laughing easily. that
for mother no other family exists"
And lastly, she met Rose, who was
IN her first year at high school.
Byrd noted the plain furnishings.
the worn rugs and the old piano
whose cracked skin gave evidence Of
great age.
Mrs. Kelly went up the stairs with
Byrd, looking about the bedroom
which opened off the real hall, to
see that everything was in order.
"The other two are men,"
said Mrs. Kelly. "They have the
front rooms and they leave very
early and come home late. We've
never taken before, but my
husband has spells of asthma when
he can't work and Martin is paying
back the money he borrowed 10 put
him through school"
Byrd asked about breakfast. Could
she have a tray in her room at
seven-thirty?
I'D like that. too" said Mrs. Kel-
". 1T would save fixing up tho
table for you. The men take all
their meals out"
She said goodnight and left.
Byrd sat down on the edge Of the
he'd and looked around the room. The
furniture was unvarnished oak. and
gave the room a dreary. woe-begone
look. There wasn't even the relief
OF dainty covers or curtains. thought
Byrd. for on the dresser and wash
stand were plain towels, a little grey
from inadequate boiling, the curtains
we're faded ~cretonnes. and on the bed
was a cotton, crinkled bedspread,
also touched with grey.
4 pathetic smile turned her lips as
she thought how Henrietta would
carry on IL she ever learned that cne
Of her daughters was living in a
drsb. run down rooming house. shar-
irc the common bathroom with half
a dozen strangers.
And Jim would he terribly hurt
10 think that she hadn't consulted
him in her trouble. The thought Of
her ~father-no. she wouldn't think
Of him.
He'd never. never forgive me-" she
said to herself, with a catch in her
throat.
Byrd was the very first to arrive
at the bank the next morning.
she went to her little office which
opened into Mr.. Folks. and put II
into shinir~ er'--.
She arranse papers in the