Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
This W,1ter, One OF the Wiuners of
the 0. HemyAgUa,ds, Has Selected PAila-
delphia as the Background for His Story.
and 1t Is Story Of a Different Type, a
Story Which W|iUH Hold the Reader to the
Ve,y Last Wud.

it for them; they fitted here they were as
much fixtures here the faded flags and the
bare wooden tables. Only Mr.. Candy, thought
as watched him, was out of place.
He was evidently under the need of the
strlctest economy He smoked only on Mon
days, Wednesdays and Fridays, a scent brand
OF cigar which he lighted with every appear
ance of enjoyment On these days he did not
buy dessert There was on the Arcadia menu
dish called Vienna roast, horribly unpal-
atable mixture of scrapings and left-overs
which cost only 20 cents, but which even a
starving man would hardly attempt more than
once. This Mr.. Candy ordered every Saturday.
though he did not eat much of it. Now and
then one of us might stab at monotony by SAL
lying among the more expensive a la carte
dishes; Mr. Candy, never. During all those
lunch hours his program underwent not the
slightest variation
was interested in him, but at the begin
ming my curiosity had to be content with the
poor qualification of sitting beside him. Good
morning. he would greet me in his grave, de-
tached way. might remark, Rather warm
today" He would consider a moment, reply
Slowly Yes, sort of warm" and then return
to the food on his plate, packing the morsels
on his knife with his fork as though by means
Of petty vulgarity like this he were trying
to convince me that he was as ordinary as
his appearance implied
HE AND. I were the only representatives at
Maggie's table Of our respective Offices and
could share in none of the anecdotes of what
the shipping clerk had said to the stenog or
now the boss had failed to take the speakers
advice. This community of isolation was an
other factor in drawing us together; and as
the days passed we gradually progressed from
perfunctory remarks about the weather to ex-
changing ideas on great variety of subjects
the high cost of living, the merits of automo.
biles which neither of us had any thought of
buying, the chances of the Athletics He was
laxative; his reserve had been due to shyness
He had very indecisive way of expressing
himself which rritated ime at first, perhaps
because of that impression which he gave me
that somehow-with better luck. say-he
should have been more successful, he should
have been able to make realities out of some
OF THESE dreams OF success with which the men
around him only made their failure more an
parent. He could never deliver an opinion
without interrupting himself to advance the
arguments on the other side "Of course he
would say rubbing his fingers over his st,,bbIe
OF beard, they'll never be able to enforce
prohibition-but guess it's good thing for
the country, and If the people get used to it
But he was unfailingly even-tempered
and cheerful never depressed and there was
something heartening for me in the fact that
modle-aged, gray-haired, he could so patiently
accept the petty discomforts that made his life
as though dingy surroundings and 3O-cent
luncheons could never be important.
After had known him for some four months
l was sent on business trip, and on my return
was Ill for week. 1t was with real pleasure
that he welcomed me back
Good morning." he said, swinging out nv
STOOL Tor me- you're quite stranger"
He was very sorry to hear of my illness
sickness is terrible thing" he remarked in
ms grave way. II know, I've had lot of
experience with it."
You look healthy enough" I objected.
oh, it's not me. I'm all right It's Mrs.
Candy. Mrs. Candy never feels, you might say,
really up to par"
expressed my sympathy Nothing serious
That's just it. OF course to look at her
you'd think she was strong but she never really
feels herself"
The doctor"
Mrs. Candy amt had much success with
doctors She's tried one after another. but
they can't seem to find the real trouble to lay
their finger on the real trouble, as you might
say"
That day the Arcadia seemed to me more
depressing than usual 1t was an insufferably
hot Saturday in July; in the restaurant it was
hotter and more oppressive than it was on the
street. Flies buzzed everywhere on the tables
on the food, on the faces and necks Of the
diners, everywhere but on the yellow spirals
OF hypaper that hung motionless from the CELL
ing Maggies cheeks, around the rouge, were
shiny with perspiration and the men sat pale
and dispirited in their shirt sleeves swearing
at her slowness instead of kidding her. AS
Mr.. Candy talked to me he kept wiping with
the back OF his hand the little beads of sweat
from his forehead, and something in the pa