The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-23

.
TIME trolley stopped at almost
Il every block Of the snow
Clogged avenue. Even in the middle
of the block, it sometimes jerked
to standstill, changing impatient
ly at an automobile trying to get
freehold in front Of it on the icy
street
Helen wished that she mad taken
The subway. as usual instead of
yielding to a sudden impulse to
stay above ground. Every time the
car stopped small, impatient
tremor ran through her.
If only some of these girls who
felt that families we're nuisances
would try going home from work
every evening to room with the
bed made but everything else just
as she had left it that morning.
And then have to sit down to one
OF. Mrs. Why's grease-coated meals
under Mrs. Wiley's cold, hard, al
most hostile eye.
Mrs. Wiley was above taking
boarders. She accommodated"
Helen as a favor to her married
daughter, who had stayed the pre-
vious summer on the farm near
Peterdale.
1t was Mrs. Wileys married
daughter who had told Helen that
Helen's talents for drawing and
looking like moving picture direc-
tors idea OF a farmers daughter
were being buried in Peterdale.
Wasn't it only common sense
to go to New York. where talent
and beauty were rewarded with big
incomes and handsome husbands?
TLELEN had been a Gothamite
Il Il for more than a year now She
had no husband. not even homely
one. She did not have beau. Her
big income had crystallized, into a
check for S100 month from a
daily newspaper for lettering work
in its art department.
What a town. A family could
live next door to another family
for so years and never bake the
other a cake if there was death
or a sickness. There were no
neighborS.
ances, but they forgot you the mo-
ment they got out of sight And
romance The kind New York was
advertised to have, like most adj
Vertising, was a lot of Euoey
New Workers must have friends.
She saw people chatting and
laughing together. But where did
they make them?
She had been reading one phrase
over and over so she closed the
book. 1t was more than a mile to
her corner, but the crowd had
thinned until there were no more
standees. A little boy of about
stumbled against her knees, on his
way to the seat next to her. His
mother, with an infant in her arms
and 2year-old staggering along
side, followed
nON'T do that, Jacket" the
bmother pleaded in a worn
voice.
That's all right. Let him stay"
Helen smiled.
The boy had clanbered up on
his knees so that he could look out
of the window. His snow-covered
Tubbers brushed Helen's coat. but
she wanted them to. Something
worn and soft and friendly like a
kitten was beside her.
A young man, sitting directly
across from Helen, lowered his
newspaper to listen. He had a
stern, rugged face and Helen for
got all about it when she noticed
the young man sitting next to
him, The second young man was
aftfully and completely arrayed in
gray tweed. You felt that he had
spent a fortune slipping fabulous
tips to walters.
WHAT was he doing in street
w car? Being near him. by
some miracle, how did one get to
know such a one? Even he lowered
his gaze to the children. Next to
him a determinedly youthful wom-
an, her face stiff with rouge and
her mouth grimly lipsticked, put
her vanity mirror away to gaze at
the children.
She smiled. The smile crept
down the length of the car. Every
one hung on the syllahles of the
children. Something became vital
end alive for a few minutes.
Then the little girls eyes
dropped, and she leaned against
her mothe..s arm. The boy re-
sumod his digniied examination
OF the street. The car returned to
its introspection. The gray-tweed
young man slipped back into his
boredom. the grim-faced young
man lifted his newspaper. But be-
fore he did so, he glanced at Helen
Their eyes met and for fleeting
second Helen felt tremblingly alive.
Then the feeling was gone and her
eyes as If magnetized. turned back
TO the handsome one Her imag-
ination leaped all barriers.
The trolley car stopped with
jerk. An elderly man. on his way
TO the exit, stumbled over Helens
imaginary lovers feet. stuck out in
the aisle.
nAM fool" the crotchety man
II muttered. Helen hated him..
She glanced out of the window.
1t would soon be time for her to
get OF. The trolley was starting