Evening star., 1934-01-22

Q6dVtU Dlic always 1CAg AAAS
NN walking. She rushed out OF
Y the penthouse for long
brisk walk q few minutes
after Eoug had asked her If she would
70 out with him in the evening. She
vas so happy she did not even realize
In which direction she was going.
Suddenly she stopped stock still. She
vas in the heart of New York's East
Side. There was a great commotion:
She gathered her senses and fealized
she was in crowd. ThdrN the
brightness went out Of her day
On the sidewalk in front of her sat
his wife weeping. Four little children
clung to her skirts. She held another
In her thin, white arms. And out Of
the tenement beside them two husky
men were throwing miserable sticks of
Sick with pity. Charity felt herself
drawn to the side of the woman. She
bent over to say tenderly, "Is-isn't
there something can do, my dear?"
The eyes that lifted to Charity's
were hollow with grief. The woman
shook her head dazedly. Nothing.
There's nothing anybody can do. We've
got to get out"
"You're-being dispossessed?" Char
and back to the pinched face Of the
mother.
The man answered bitterly. his hand
elenched savagely on the arms of his
wheel chair Thrown out becaus.
we can't pay our rent. And after we've
lived there seven years and paid every
penny up to three months ago, when
busted my back"
"But-surely," Charity choked mis-
erably, they can't do that. Where
will you go?"
The woman laughed hollowly. ITO
the river I guess-all Of U.s."
Charity looked at the five little chill
dren. the baby whimpering hungrily-
the helpless father, the bitter, dishev-
eled mother Something had to be
done. She turned to an officer stand
ing quietly by.
"Who is the owner of this building?
He-he can't put those people out like
this. Tits brutal"
The deputy marshal shrugged III
differently. He can't, can't he? Well,
he's put more than hundred families
out in this block in the last week be-
cause they didn't have no dough"
Who is he?"
"Well, I don't exactly know, but old
Temple, the banker. owned em till he
kicked off a few weeks ago. And any
one that owed that old skinflint a
penny paid up or got t'hell out.
guess his son owns 'em now"
For a moment Charity felt as though
she were going to faint. The officer
stared at her blankly when she said
coldly, Take those things back into
the house These people are not to be
put out of their home
What have you got to do with it?'
he oSkpd nl11zlpd "YOn cdnt sion
'em bein' put out"
Charity realized there was only one
thing to do. She didn't want to re-
veal her identity. So she opened he
handbag. How much rent do these
people owe?"
"Sixty-three bucks" The officer
looked at her as though she were some
sort of lunatic. "You-aint goin' to
II am. Tell the men to take those
things back in-and give me re-
oeipt''
sWell-Tn be-say, lady, you got a
hearth The man took the money
dumbly and turned to the mother and
father "Lookit This woman here
paid your rent. Go on back in and for
get it,
II don't understand" the woman
sAid. "You-dont mean"
The officer turned a hand to helping
the two men who were carrying the
furniture back into the fiat, grinning
broadly. 1t was a nasty job, kicking
people out Of their homes ard sending
them out to wander the streets with
their kids. Especially fathers in wheel
chairs. But it was his job-and had
to be done.
Charity felt the arms of the mother
around her neck, the mothers tears
on her face where she had kissed her
Historically. Heard the cheers of the
neighbors. Felt her hand gripped until
It ached by the relieved father. Her
first impulse was to escape. But she
couldn't leave her charges until she
made sure they were all right-that
they had food in the house-a doctor
for the father.
She went into the little fiat, sur
rounded by the now rioting children.
The mother sat down in an old chair
in the middle Of the living room.
"You-don't even know our name"
she said thickly 'Oh-lady, God will
bless you for this"
Charity's own eyes were wet. What
Is your name?" She tried 10 smile.
MRS. John Brown" The mother
bent to put the baby on the floor.
Charity saw that her face was white as
death. Before she could ask Wnat was
the matter the woman let out a low
moan of pain.
"You-are ill?" Charity asked fear
fully. It was hunger, she thought. with
4 wrench at her heart The mother
got up to stagger to a couch. Tits
the baby, I guess" She sat down
meekly.
It was some seconds before the mean
ing of the womans words broke upon
Charity. When they did she jumped
to her feet in alarm. "1'll call
doctor"
In nearby shop was a pay tele-
phone booth. and Charity called DR..
Thornton Bachelors number. In .
moment a woman's voice answered,
This is Miss Owen, DR.. Bachelors
once at the hospital and send him to
you. I'm sure he's there. / just talked
with him."
1t was such relief to know that
Batch was coming; Charity felt her
jumpy nerves quieting. Her head
cleared. She returned to the tenement
and knocked on q door across the hall
from the Browns. When it opened she
recognized a woman who had thrown
her arms around her on the street
few minutes before.
"Oh-cOme 1n, the woman Deameo
q welcome. Then she saw the worry IN
Charitys face and asked fearfully, Has
Mr.. Brown been took with one OF his
spells again?"
ITS Mrs. Brown Charity tried to
anlile bravely, 1--WE called doctor. May
I bring the children in here2"
Mrs. O'Brien was all concern and
action at once 1.-THE poor dear! Sure
and the little ones can stay over here:
Ny Mamie can take care Of them and
give them bite to eat. Til be comm
over and givin' you hand"
In few minutes the Brown children
we're settled in the O'Brien apartment,
clean sheets were on Mrs. Browns
ouickly-set-up bed, and water was boil
ing on the gas plate. Mrs. O'Brien had
zone through the experience Of having