Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-16
Jimmy LoUed a Voice and He Had No Rest
Until He Met Its Ogvner-7He Writer
Has Turned Ont Several Best-SeIIing
N0Uels Within the Past FegU Years.

p" HE children shouted and the wind
blew the dust and papers I'D the
empty block 1t was . hot night and
the windows In the bfownstone
houses that lined both sides Of the
street were open. Curtains blew in and out
beige curtains, curtains Of faded rose, curtains
81 so8led white net. In the house where the
Two spinsters lived curtains Of dusty green
plush stirred uneasiIy. It would have taken a
aale 70 put any motion into them.
Bored and lonely, Jimmy Smith leaned out
window on the fourth floor Of No. %. After
three years In the same block you came to
know o lot about IL. No. 20 had Q caTetaker.
It's family was the only one rich enough TO go
20 the country IN the Summer. The caTetaker
sat now IN the areaway. In the basement the
phOnosr4ph blared "LOvin' Sam" over and over
again.
No. "a, the house opposite, had glamour.
In the way Of boarding houses It's occupants
changed with dawn and sunrise. Only Mrs.
Skoyles rernained-Mrs. Skoyles, the proprie-
tress, neat, starched. forbidding.
Jimmy pulled in his head and put on his
glasses. In one corner of the room was day.
bed, feebly disguised as divan. In the center
stood nat table covered with paper, ink and
pens and draftsman's Tools under the circle Of
light from o green-shaded lamp. wash
stand, an extra chair and . pine bureau. That
was al. 1t was not . cheerful room.
TnnGY was serious young man, with o stub
born mouth. He worked In an architects
once and he was conscientious. His short,
thick hands told the story. He had no genius,
but he had . great fair for sticking to the job
That was why he brought work home and sat
up until midnight, working carefully and me-
.t5culOusIy over fOur-room houses. At the ONCE
they cOmplimented him and from time 10 time
raised his salary, untfl now IT, had stood still
for 10 months ct &4s o week.
He worked over each four-room house as If
eAcil one were his own. Each one became an
end IN itself, although one varied from the
other % slightly that the eye Of layman could
detect no difference whatever. In Jtmmy's
mind was the hope that some day he might
plan home for himself Some day the right
girl would come along, quiet, pleasant wen
behaved and docile. He would know when he
found her. It never occurred TO him 10 look
0& . girl with any other thought than Of honest
marriage, and always when he had looked at
had disappointed him, always because he came
70 believe they were secretly pOking fun ct him.
Tonight he was homesick. Il was four years
since he had been IN SteubenviIle, four years
since he had been home, four years spent in
loneliness. He would like TO zee the back yard
again and the muddy Ohio River.
Out Of the confused noises Of the street rose
IN at once the sound Of . piano and then Of
q clear voice singing. It was o strong soprano
That rose crystal and cool above the other tired
hot, dusty sounds-cleft its way through the
confusion straight into his room.
LESS than the dust, benee-uth thy
charyut whee-ulsl
Less than the rust that nevaire stained
thy swo-ord!"
The accompaniment rang out noisily and
flamboyantly, ct once gay and tragic, colorful
A..NH ~.lAAr a.
notes which passed Jimny's ear unnoticed.
The romantic words sounded across the abyss
o. the noisy street.
Jimmy sat back and listened.
Loves last reward, death, come 10 me
tonight
Farewell, zahirOudinl zahiroudin. fare
weyulI"
The romance Of I'll The tragedy! Jimmy
yelt q tingle down his thick, sturdy SPINE
In q little while the sound Of the piano rose
Once more. Again the same hamboyant roul-
sound.
Pale hands loved, beside the Shall
mar-uh,
Where are they nowa Who live benee-
nth their spe-ell?"
Jimmy's eyes grew larger. He located the
sound. It came from the top floor Of Mrs.
Ekoyles, from behind the red curtains that
stirred In the hot breeze. He leaned farther
out. Yes, there was girl behind the curtains.
sitting at the piano. Her hair was red and as
she sang, she swayed backward and forward
the way pianists sway on the vaudeville stage.
II WOULD have rather felt them round
my thro-oat,
Crushing out lifah than waving niece
fare-wellah"
1t was beautiful, beautiful. The tears
threatened to come to Jimmys eyes. He tried
to make out the face Of the girl and found 1t
he IN eka T11o