Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-17
The Old Days.


afAllg afternoon stretched ahead of
her. Ida Wheaton curled up on her
ehaises Tongue and closed her eyes.
NOTHING to do. There were plenty OF
good slows, but she had seen several
Recently and they were beginning to
pail. Six years ago a good show once
q month was rare treat. That was
before Ned had invented the clever
device that had curtailed the flow OF
gasoline by a big percentage, but at
The same time gave the maximum OF
power. She could go down and see
The Waldorf exhibit of antiques, but
even that wasn't interesting today. 1t
was strange that with everything
anoney could buy, she should be. SO
restless and disseminated. Had Ned
been coming home for dinner mere
This morning he had said when ne
kissed her good-by:
won't be home for dinner tonight,
dear Sorry to leave you all alone TO
the ponp and ceremony of that wood
en-faced butler and the maids. But
I'll try to get in early so we can read
together that new book brought home.
Its been months since we nave read
together as we did in the old days" He
had kissed her again as he turned to
leave. :.
Little bird in a golden cage-like it,
don't you? Could you go back to the
old days-the little apartment, doing
your own work, no cars, no trips.
what woman wouldn't like all the
luxuries I have, Ned? But / do miss
YOU so much. dear. see you so sell
dom now and in the old days
Penalty of being rich mans wife,
Ida Home early, sweet.
II happened so often nowadays. At
$50 she would dress-the butler had
formerly been in the employ OF Mrs.
sHockenstock and Ida knew they al
ways dressed for dinner; Sne was al.
WAYS uncomfortable dining alone since
they had this butler When Ned was
there. they forgot him in discussion
of the latest happenings, interesting
things in their days doings, their plans
for the future.
Four-thirty. Six years before she
would have been thinking about din
ner. She recalled Ned'S fondness for
sirloin steak-and Bermuda onions. She
could see him again across the oaken
table from her. aughing-talking-
did that so seldom now. And when
she called him. he would emerge from
the sunroom which he had appropriated
for his workshop his hair disheveled,
his face Smudged with black, his eyes
alight, and they would discuss the prog
ress of his invention; prophesying just
before-the big home, servants, cars,
luxurieS Europe.
Ned thought she was very happy in
the new life, and she would not tell him
differently; the new life that had taken
her husband from her-but had given
her everything else that woman's heart
yeaIns for.
And then strange desire took pos
session of her. She would have time
before dinner to drive over to the old
apartment they had moved out of six
years before. She was just plain home
sick for it She wanted to see again the
worn narrow stairs to the second floor;
the brass mail boxes and the IRON
grilled railing of the porch; the SUM-
flooded living room with the shabby
floors, and the little hallway leading
back from the dining room to the SUM-
room and kitchen on the rear. She
had always been thankful the sunroom
was on the rear when Ned had needed
a room of his own in which to work,
and such a disordered, untidy, Uttered
room it had been, with the rug rolled
out of the way, big drawing board
on an easel, the proportions of which
were almost as large as the room itself;
tools and papers on the window seat,
chairs and floor . - They had
always kept the door closed when COM
pany came. And then the two bed
rooms, one on either side of the hall,
the guest room papered In pink and
pink roses scrambled through it.
Jasper the uniformed chauffeur.
seemed little surprised when she had
given him the address. In fact, when
they had stopped before the apart
ment, he had scanned it appraisingly
from top story to the street floor, and
then she had decided to take a taxi
1a1 II hi Il
her feel as uncomfortable as did the
butler.
"Oh, yes'm, the apartment is rented"
said the stout voluble janitress. Most
year back, a gentleman took it to use
sort of irregular Don't know who he
is. Has Jap clean it up and do
his cooking when he is here y'know
his card. Pays cash, y'know. Yes'm
the one above is for rent-the very
same apartment only on the next floor.
Needs some decoratin', but that can be
arranged. Lots of sun and air. Would
you mind lookin' at it yourself, ma am?
I've got lumbago something frightful
; can't walk upstairs hardly,
and my husband is workin' days. Hard
times, y'know"
Ida walked slowly up the stairs to
the second floor. She had climbed them
hundreds of times before and it all
seemed so natural, although they were
not as clean as Mrs. Murphy, the JAM
tress of the old days, kept them. SIZE
stopped at the window at the end
of the hall and looked out over the
city. This was the hour she had begun
to watch for Ned in the old days. To
get better view of the corner at which
he alighted from the street car or sub
way she would come out into the hall
and stand at this window. She didn't
watch for Ned now. He was always
admitted by the butler. There was no