Show Daily Short Fiction Story ACROSS THE STREET By OLIVE ROBERTS EGBERTS BARTON Copyright 1914 by the McClure Newspaper Newspaper News ewe paper Syndicate tc I Jumped out of ot bed with Ith her eyes yes es shut hut and had ad the al alarm rm silenced be before before be- be I fore tore she he opened them The room wa was dark and chilly chili for tor 6 o'clock 18 Is earl early In March arch In summer Rosemary got sot liPat up liP at 6 Ii She he lit the gas 1 ami 1 caught sight of the ribbon on her finger tied there the last the night ht before beCore Memory suddenly sudden sudden- l ly Jogged jogi woke up Mackerel That was wasH wasIL 11 IL The They w were c out of ot salt call mackerel for breakfast and she knew know that Uncle Peter would peeve e if It It were ere missing She had bad hadnot hadnot Ii not cred that tho the kit was wR empt empty until bedtime when It h- h had gone to th the kitchen to put It to soak oak Uncle Peter II liked It pretty salt talt o she Ahe had decided to hurry buny and dress ire In the morning and slip down to the store before the he neigh neigh- I hors bon were yera up That would give sho the fish two t o hours to soak for Uncle Peter never ne I breakfasted until D 9 9 Sho She dressed then looked at herself Inthe inthe In Inthe the glass undecided about her curl pa pa- pa perE pers They were not becoming In In fact tact the they were decidedly the reverse rc reverse but but th their lr removal al took time and time was precious When fn she wa was dressed and her hair lr properly curled and arranged she looked like the fl first t half haIr of her name that IS n. n If she were with people ople who took her her- herout out of or herself hersel lon long enough to forget foret th the tho slaty graynesS ness of ncr nCI every da day lIf life Ufe Then she would become como really beautiful the years ears seemed to drop off and she was wasH wasa H R girl Irl again vivacious and charming nut Hut she generally was called by the last half halt Uncle Peter had chopped chopp off orr the no Hose flose e when she ca came to J kelp keep house for tor him He Fic said it was wal flippant nd And to so little by little he lie lied had chopped of off the best things in her life until only the bare bore and ugly I things In time lime no flose- flose emary e- e mary had begun beun to look older than she hf really was a This morning In tho gaslight ht and curlers she looked M. M In reality she ehe was aB 33 A month ago so she would not have given Inn the papers paper a single thought But things 5 were ere different now What If she should happen to meet the tho boarder across the street stroet She he glanced at the clock She Sho would have to rl risk k it any anyway a It was n nearly arl 7 now and she lic must burr hurr hurry She put on a sweater uter tied a scarf cart over her head an anti anI l start started d down tho the street The shutters Mutter of ot the Blacks' Blacks J second story front were closed and the thc windows all down He was probably dressing dressing- and had yet to eat tat breakfast She was as safe sate She 81 sighed hed Pretty plump little Polly Folly Black Dlack probably looked as ac fresh as a dais daisy dalsy In the morning She did pot not need curl paper for tor her thick wavy reddish brown hair hall Mary Mai sighed d again for or as she was waR picturing to he herself charming smiling little Polly handing the boarder his bis cup cupat of at coffee she caught ht sight of herself in ina ina I a 8 plate glass window Dont he be such uch a silly Billy she exclaimed Why Wh you dont don't oven even know his hi name an and you certainly have ha no Identity as far tar faras as he goes He probably thinks youre you're the maid for dear knows he alwa always happens happens hap hp pens along when youre you're out cleaning windows win win- In loWs dows or polishing the door bell ben Didn't he h oven even catch you ou hanging out the clothes th the da day da h he hunted for tor Mrs Blacks Black's cat catIn catin catin in the alle alley That i Is It If he lie noticed you youat youat at an all all she sho added to herself The TIlE store was open when she arrived She bought her fish but heM held It awa away from her for the odor penetrated the brown bron paper wrapping and It made her sick Ick She hated fish Going home she planned for tor the days day's jork vork ork Her purchase had knocked sentiment sentiment sentiment senti senti- ment out of ot her head I Love ove ma may laugh at locksmiths but It turns urns up its Ita no nose e at other things and walks talks away war Mary tar was wondering If she could get set the lunch dl dishes heH washed In time lime to go ao down for some omo ne n new te tea toweling and be home before before be- be fore the tho bak baked d beans for tor dinner would burn when she sho slipped on on two thirds of ot ofa ofa ota a square inch of ice fco and fell felt It was a a. most a awkward fall fall the tho kind I when ones one's self elt respect suffers most To Tomake Tomake Tomake make things wor worse her package e flew the dampened paper parted and Peters Peter's breakfast la lay shamelessly exposed on the brick pavement First we wc listen for a laugh laugh laush-It if we e can ean think of anything but hut a Jarred ana anatomy anatomy- tom tom- next nex vie we c glance surreptitiously to see hoW v tho public takes it Every Everything thin favorable and If our belongings happen to be Anything anything anything any Any- thing in tn the world but fish vc C pick them and ourselves up and march aw away away h haughtily or belligerently according according- to our dispositions Mary didn't hear anyone laugh but before she had time to pick pick- herself herselt up much less lesa her she belongings she saw caw a man running across the street toward her Horror or horrors It was as the boarder Are you hurt hurn hi he asked anxiously Mary shook her head bead She felt that her face race would soon n burst if It the blood did not top stop r rushing to It so Xo No thank you ou she finally stammered and started to get Jet up He helped her to her feet and started for tor tho the fish Oh h. h no o. o nol Please dont don't she protested pro pro ro- ro tested Ill Til get another Its It's only a few rew ba back k to the store In her confusion con- con fusion vim aliis h had not nt noticed 11 that h hr r scarf rt h had become m loosened ed until ih It dr dropped pp d at ather ather i her feet teet With a quick self elt conscious mo motion on both hand flew to her head hend Th man an picked it up When Then ho he handed it to her hershe she scarcely thanked him in her haste to get the telltale knobs under cover Her face tace had become sUd suddenly enl pale I believe I had hIld better go hom home she faltered fal tred avoiding hl his eye Thank you ou for tor being so 10 o kind Goad Good morning Sh She turned 2 way away L S But you OU are lii You will witt an allow ow rn ml me meto s sto to ko ItO goas fa far as your door wont won't you I Ican's Ican's cans can's leave you vou this way Then the flush swept her checks cheeks again agata No o. o thank you I feel perfectly well Good morning This Thia time it was as final and he looked after atter her puzzled The fish caught his eye and h he laughed hM softly soft sott- J ly jy with a a sudden BUdden inkling of or tho the situa situa- tion Poor child he said in a tone that would have g given gen en Mary food for thought Ill Ili bet shell she'll catch It when Ut Uncle U cia le Peter misses his mackerel Mary ry did catch It U. U and arid she Rhe tried to tomake make herself believe that that was the i reason eason she cried all an da day That afternoon a box of roses roes carte car for her There was no card It was the first box of or flowers she had ever re refel re- re I fel calved ed in her life lite She did not dare daro dr dream dream It It it was wicked to hope No It could not beS bel Because the following following fol tol- fol- fol lowing week sho ihie counted four times Umes that he be went Vent out with Polly Folly Black and a neighbor told her she had seen him dancing ing ng with her In a a. cabaret I I think its it's scandalous for tor a man of his age to be betaking betaking betaking taking out a young young- thing like that I 1 dont don't think hes he's too old at all declared de de- le- le hotly Why Vb he Mary cant can't nt be 40 yet yeti Then she he flushed painfully and the neighbor looked auspicious suspicious But the thc remark had gone cone hornet The next net week another bo box of ot rOl roses 3 came Clune The fourth box contained a n card May May J can call tonight ht Just pin a red rose roseon on on the curtain It was signed The TIle I Man oln Across the Street 5 It was wu a a- soft lort evening in earl early April Avril pinned the red rose rone to the curtain and when two to hours later there was a. a ring at the bell a 11 half hait grown moon moon was y hll high h In the tho iky It W B n Hose Itoe e. e not Mary who op opened the door and she he looked as many years under her her ace ace oa aa she fhe had looked older on that awful a. morning weeks before VI I thought perhAps you would brim bring Polly was wan Wu about all an she could think to say when they were I seated inside l H 18 1 Iau laughed hed pony gone to a a. show how with Tom Dixon Dc she's a dandy hItte but she He rt c ome with her Uncle Job S j tel ii i v 3 j. j IV t 4 10 i l li |