Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-24

hated him, his wife feared him. He di,
the family buying himself, haggling owe
pennies. But the baskets old Ishmae
took back--young Ishmael then-wer
full and overlooking, for william Cola,
was fond of his stomach.
At noon ne came home to @ midda,
dinner, and after It he stretched on
on the hard leather sofa In his library
and slept for an hour, with a handker
chief over his fact to keep out the light
But one day when Sarah went in tn,
handkerchief was not moving with hi
breath. He left no great grief, con.
siderable property for those days, {
widow who was too old to learn eithe,
how to handle or to spend money and
family Of children, now fairly grown
who had never known liberty and founs
1t sweet to their taste.
He had been dead for Is years wher
Missile entered that house Of his, witt
Stella'S theatrical trunk to follow. Tha
queer dead-alive house, where no servant
ever raised q voice, where the yer,
brooms were muffled in cloth and where
old 1shmael, when he was not driving
lived mostly in the front hall. Wher
Mrs. Colfax was about-he did moi
mind Adelaide-he stood just inside the
'front.' door. When she was resting, ole
1Shmael rested also. He sat on q hal
chair, red plush with ball fringe, an6
sometimes he dozed. His head would
drop forward: then the bell would rims
or there would be some movement up-
again.
Old 1shmael was coachman-butler
There was always faint smell of the
stable about him.
Williams furniture was still there
IL
l1amS carpets covered the floors. Old
Ishmael was a dark island in a sea
OF carpets: the parlors, the library, the
dining room, the hall stairs were COW
ered with carpets. Later on, on sweep
ing days, Missile was to see in the sun
light the masses Of dust which rose
from them. The servants swept and
then let 1t settle. When it had settled
they brushed 1t off the furniture with
busters into the carpets again.
And Is her house, so was Sarah. II
was queer, repressed life on which the
girl had embarked: it limited of old
tragedies: it was filled with stiil living
resentments. The house was ALWAYS
quiet, except when Adelaide dropped
something. Missile saw, however. tifat
she usually did this when she held
something in her hands and her mother
spoke to her. And Mrs. Colfax had
learned this, SO she generally waited
until Adelaide had put down her cup,
or whatever 1t happened to be.
sometimes Missile watched them to-
gether, puzzled. Incredible that they
were mother and daughter. Mrs. Col.
FAX still regarded Adelaide as a child
She had even less liberty than Missile.
And-perhapS as q result Of that
Missile learned something curious about
Adelaide also. '-'
Adelaide was afraid to cross streets,
She would stand at the curb, hesitate.
take step out and retreat like q scared
rabbit. -
ITS all right now. come on"
Just minute, Missile! There's
something comingl"
Sometimes. on bad days, she would
not cross at, all. They would walk
around and around the block instead.
Even the sidewalks terrified her. BIZ
cycles were ridden on the pavements,
the streets being rough, and Adelaide
would shrink back against the wall.
They go so fastl'' she would pant.
But 1t was the streets that really
frightened her, the streets that later on
Missile was to realize meant life to her,
life and adventure. Adelaide. standing
Jerking on corner, advancing and
then retreating, was Adelaide confront
ing life and then withdrawing from IL.
She was too old. It only frightened her
now. She could only stand at the curb
and look on.
When Missile understood that, she
pitied her.
For two weeks then she strove To
adapt herself. The small services she
offered were refused. Don't spoil the
Marcella." In the MORNINGS
she turned down her bed TO air, opened
the windows and faced q day without
interest and without hope.
Not entirely without hope, however
She began to count the DAYS until FL
lens return. Never very close, Missie
found herself now clinging to Ellen.
waiting for her hard practically. even