Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-02


where to drop him. He walked toward the
place where he lived and went half block
past it before he realized where he was. And,
more than ever before, he realized the impasse
of the situation he in. Billy Bates
seemed to be grinning it at him and Olive
smiling it at him, and together they were riding
him down, with all those ambitions it had
been such fun to wake up to in the morning,
all the things that put zest into living
Morning brought Sunday, and Cornelius
walked through the district of boarding houses
and apartments where he lived, taking that
direction because he did not want to meet
people whom he knew. Olive lived, as all OF
Olives kind of people did, on the East Side.
He found himself before long clearing the out
skirts of the business places and coming into
suburb.
It was a fiat new little suburb, cleaning
with fresh timber and clean stucco with COM
monplace little bungalows grown up every
where like CHEEKY mushrooms. The sidewalks
were new cement the trees were only saplings.
A street car ratified nosily through the main
street every few minutes, and young men in
shirt sleeves we're putting up storm windows
or washing small cars 1t was altogether
lively place. Cornelius felt vaguely more cheer
full.
For sale and for rent signs peppered the
streets Cornelius stopped and looked idly at
a little white cottage set on a 5o-foot lot be-
tween two others. 1t was very neat and new,
and he wondered why that place stood empty.
Would you like to the houSe?" asked
some one at his elbow, and he saw young man
about his age. obviously an agent on the
lookout for house hunters.
"Oh, no." said Cornelius; "just walking by"
"Clad to show you around, if you're inter-
ested. No harm in looking. Best little place
you ever saw said the agent bhthely.
1t was a box of place. Small trim rooms,
painted freshly, offered themselves as kitchen,
living room, and what the agent said was
hrea fact There a miniature STAIR
case, couple of bedrooms above an ironing
board that let down neatly a basement with
new furnace in it.
From the kitchen window Cornelius looked
square into the kitchen opposite, where fat
baby sat in high chair and gaZed admringly
on life.
'"Who lives around here?" he asked.
"Young people-finest people you ever saw
honeymooners newly WEEDS. Fine air, good
committing, street car every 10 minutes, SIM
ply can't be beat There are garages across
the street for rent-community garages. In
the Summer, it's an awfully pretty little place.
And the price is only five thousand. Five hun
drew down. and the balance like rent $50
month. ANY one can carry it, on salary, you
know. And then you've got something. This
suburbs coming You're never going to sell
for less than you pay" He went on with
food of arguments.
Cornelius was noting the newness of every
thing, the freshness, and sense Of venture
erept into him.
eff were interested, whom should see?"
"See me-right now"
"oh, well. suppose this thing will be open
for while"
Don't you fool yourself" said the agent.
"Its just been finished It'll sell before sun
down."
TT seemed altogether likely to Cornelius. He
felt impulsively in his pocket for card and
check book 1t was just about what he could
swing. 1t was what he ought to swing at his
age. 1t was his own speed
IAN right" he said. "IH buy it. Wen fix
It up tomorrow, and in the meantime I'll give
you check to hold it."
"Now you're talking" said the agent. "And
believe me, you've got good buy!"
Cornelius tried to remember that, later in
the afternoon, when Olive whispered, tempt
ingly close to him, 81 spoke to Mother about
the apartment, and she says she expects to
help. I know she'll take care of all that,
Corny; and there's reason why she
shouldn't"
He made two attempts to tell her:
81 think I've found something else you'd
like"
Have you really? Where?"
He didn't tell her. He evaded promising to
take her to the place.
He paid for it next day, at least enough to
make it his temporarily, and went out after
work to unlock the door and look at it all
again. 1t was even smaller than he remem-
bered and very empty; but it seemed friendly,
if it already knew that it belonged to him.
Cornelius, who had lived in boarding houses
for five years and in college rooms before that,
die not know quite why he felt strangely
content in the vacant rooms. He did not recog-
nize the sense of home.
But there was Olive Mary. There were we'd
ding presents coming in now, for the invita-
tons were already out. Such things as Olive