THE CENTRE
ABOUT
MIGGLES’
ALLEY
By HERMAN BROWNSON
(© by Short Story Pub, Co.)
IS real name was Tim O'Hagan,
but In Miggles' alley he was
familiarly known as Shingles.
This was because, while a
bootblack by profession, he spent a
large share of his life on the roof of
a five-story tenement house, tending
his baby brother. On this particular
occasion, however, he rose above his
calling of bootblack and nursemald,
and became a hero.
The region about Miggles' alley Is
not precisely a hotbed of heroism. In-
deed, there Is probably not a corner
of America in which the poverty-
stricken and depraved of all nations
meet In such strength as here, where
the social sewers from the four cor-
ners of the earth seem to empty them-
selves. But Shingles, looking down
upon the streets from the high plane
of the tenement housetop, saw more
of the color, and whirl, and bigness
the streets than of their mud and
meanness, He saw the circus parade
swept gleaming by. He saw the
crowd pouring through the neighbor-
ing streets—a black river of humanity.
Best of all, he looked almost daily
on the wonderful maneuvers of a fire
company, whose engine house, oppo
site entrance of the tenement
house, was Shingles’ favorite resort.
On those rare occasions when he was
free to ply his trade, Shingles earned
dimes and nickels, and Incl-
many golden opinions, from
of
as it
one
several
dentally
ognized a kindred spirit In this mite of
ten. And when chained by duty to
his post on the roof, Shingles could, if
he liked, exchange occasional salutes
with the objects of his worship as
they lounged in the street below, As
for moments when the alarm
gong rang, and his friends at the en-
gine house jumped Into thelr places
on the hose carriage or the hook-and-
ladder trucks, and were whirled off to
scenes of adventure, those pe-
fjods of combined pride and palin to
Shingles. The pride was for his
romrades; the pain that he, by reason
of his ten years and absorbing occu-
pation, was cut off from any share
In these deeds of daring. Only In
make-believe could he climb ladders
and rescue people from burning build
Ings: and. while It was easy to play
circus parade with the baby and pussy
cat in a soap-hox on rollers for the
band chariot, the heroism
laddies called for a greater exercise of
talent.
On this June morning Shingles’
mother, who was today engaged In
scrubbing at one of the blg Insurance
bulldings on Broadway, left the young-
with his charge on the
screaming back strict injunctions to
the boy to keep the baby amused. To
this task Shingles addressed himself
with an ardor born of the beautiful
day and the pecessity for some occu-
pation for the long hours that stretched
between now and supper time. What
wonld he do to amuse the baby and
Incidentally himself? Why, “play
fire,” of course. His engine-houge ex-
perience, joined to hls observations
from the roof, gave him a famillarity
with the fire laddies’ modes of opera-
tion that resulted in the most stirring
realism. The baby seemed pleased,
and listened with open-mouthed won-
der, while big brother imitated the
clatter and clangor of the engine gong
or the hoarse shouts of the firemen,
and gazed with special delight at
Tim's astonishing climb up an Imagin-
ary ladder as foreman of the rescue
corps. Indeed, he was so much
amused by this new game that he did
not wince while Shingles tied one end
of the clothesline around the tiny fig-
ure, puffing and blowing laboriously
for imaginary smoke the while. Baby
even thought it great fun, until brother
bore him over the edge of the roof and
began to let him down, down-—a tiny
morsel of humanity dangling five
stories above the pavement of Miggles'
alley. Then fun changed to frighy,
and baby set up a lusty howl. It was
this scream that aroused Shingles
from his realistic play to the grim
earnestness of the situation. There
wns no ladder waiting below; there
were no brave comrades—only himself,
a mite of ten, clutching in his small
hand the very end of the rope from
which dangled the helpless figure of
his tiny brother. Real fear gripped at
the little fellows heart. Slowly, pain-
fully, he began to pull In that endless
length of line. Inch by inch he brought
that tiny, swaying figure nearer to the
housetop. Then suddenly a knot In
the rope caught In the Iron railing.
Cold perspiration rolled down the little
fellow’'s cheek, Already his strength
was failing him, To slacken a single
foot meant to loosen his hold alto
gether, He tried to call for help, but
the shrill little volce attracted no more
attention than had the baby's feeble
wail. In the neighborhood of Miggles'
alley children lift up their volces In
lamentation so often that nothing
short of an alarm of fire or murder ex.
cites special notice. Suddenly, In this
moment of agonizing terror, the boy
was seized by an Inspiration. On his
left rosé a large chimney, Around this
the little fellow drew the taut rope,
making It fast to the clothes-hook In
the masonry. Then he rushed to the
edge of the roof, and shouted: “Fire,
fire, In Miggles' alley!”
At t sound the firemen lounging
in the wt below lenped to their feet,
Looking up, they recognized the figure
90 the roof's edge as that of thelr little
those
were
roof,
ster
comrade, and, convinced that this was
no false alarm, rushed into the engine
house, A moment later the street hee
low resounded with the rumble of
trucks, the whang of gongs, and the
rush of the surging crowd. In this
focal point of cosmopolitan New York,
where a quarter of a million people
are located within a stone's throw of
a common center, the elements of a
stirring scene are always at hand, At
the sound of the alarm, Chinamen
crept from thelr basement bunks In
Mott street—reeking with oplum and
dazed by the noise; long-haired He-
brews tumbled into the alley from
thelr sweat shops; swarthy Itallans
came pell-mell from their hovels; and
the Arab lost his fez, which, in the
surging crowd, was trampled under
foot. By the time that the engines
and hook-and-ladder company reached
the alley they found it jammed with a
mass of excited humanity, whose eyes
were focused upon a tiny white bundle
that swayed in mid-alr, 70 feet above
the pavement. At once the firemen
realized that they had been duped;
but the necessity for effort did not
escape them, Up shot the great lad
ders, one above another, and then an
agile rescuer began the swift ascent,
The crowd cheered in a babel of
tongues; but as the climber reached
the last few rounds, and began creep
fng out over the slender threads
toward the preclous prize, a hush fell
upon the multitude. Now he was al
most there—now he stood directly
under the dangling mite-—now he put
forth his hand with extremest caution.
The crowd stood on tiptoe, Not
breathed. Then, just as the strong
hand touched the hem of the little
frock, the child began struggling once
more, this time violently that, In
the very moment of apparent safety,
it slipped from the noose and fell,
In that moment even the hardened
faces of the multitude helow, accus-
a soul
80
ger and wickedness, blanched with ter-
ror; eyes bleared by drink or oplum
were shudderingly averted from the
awful that seemed Inevitable
Meantime the tiny bundle of humanity,
in Its wild plunge downward, struck a
scene
ing full of wet
with the
lost In ing
white, A few y rags
down-—but the baby—? It had disap-
The
and
clothes,
strain,
fly
giravy
broke the
was the mass
to make a desperate
catch the flying walf fell
at many a side.
speechless, dumfounded,
An Instant Iater a
woman In the second-story
stretched
to
child with
little body.
gether!
scarlet bars around
“By all the saints
she cried. dropping on her
knees, “if thot kid didn't rain
from heaven of'll niver say
pather noster as long as I live!”
And It took the combined eloquence
of Shingles and his distracted mother
to convince the old lady of the child's
earthly origin,
its
Hard to Cope With
In a score of different
these Islands underground
smoldering. Some have been slight for
many years and are falr imitations of
volcanoes on n small scale,
in most cases Is conl,
A pit between Ayr
caught fire In 1847
ing at the beginning
century. “The Steaming
country folk call It.
Landore, an Important junction sta-
places
and
ug.”
rendered useless by an
and metal refuse,
going on deep beneath its foundations,
ple,
It Is easy to understand coal cateh-
ing fire, but more difficult to compre
hend land blazing up.
nomenon happens quite frequently.
Some years ago there was a remark
ahle outbreak at Halsall Moss, near
Birkdale. A potato farmer plled un-
siaked lime on one of his flelds and
set fire to the peaty soll that had been
rendered bone-dry by a month of sun-
shine. A wind got up and soon three
acres were ablaze, the fire biting deep
into the ground.
Two years ago there was a similar
outbreak near Shrewsbury. The burn-
ing of a plle of brushwood started it.
The fire caught Into the roots of a
great tree and five weeks later the tree
crashed down. Then the whole earth
wns found to be afire, and the fire
spread until winter rains put It out.
London Tit-Bits,
Degeneration
“The American people used to read
Thoreau and Emerson. Today thelr
iden of Intellectual enjoyment Is to
gloat over films of pretty girls In
bathtubs.”
The Boston critle, Everett P,
Wheeler, was addressing a women's
union. He wefit on:
“A sight-seeing motor bus was glid-
ing through Boston's historic streets,
The man with the megaphone was
ralsing the Instrument to his lips for
another splel when a pretty girl gave
his coat tall a yank and sald Impa-
tiently :
“Aw, say, cut out that heavy stuff,
You've told us enough about the
splendid Oliver Wendell Holmes of
Boston. Now can't you show us In.
side a few of them for a change”
(0S, 1926, Western Newspaper Union.)
Remember when heartsick and
weary;
sunshine comes after
rain,
Tomorrow is time to
Tomorrow we take
The the
be cheery
hope again
Tomorrow the son will be brighter
Tomorrow the skies will be
fair;
Tomorrow our
Highter,
We'll cast aside sorrow and care,
hearts will be
PICKLING TIME
Some good housekeepers can the
prime ripe tomatoes when at- thelr
best and Inter
when the canning
season Is over
and more leisure
18 found, make
catsup, chill sance
and various other
tomato combina-
tions,
Chili
canned six
tomatoes, add
cupful of salt, two cupfuls of vinegnr
und the following ground spices: Oue
of a of
half a
eplce
three
teaspoonful cnyenne
nnd
1
ull together
teaspoonful of cloves
mixed, Cook
hours, then bottle for
use, This makes a thick sauce,
adding more vinegar a wl
be made,
Bordeaux
cabbage,
RO
may
Take two zallons
of
Sauce.
of one
gallon green to
matoes, one dozen medium-sized white
red nil
Mix one ounce of cloves
one-fourth pound of white mustard
seed, ounce of celery are
and three-quarters pounds
and
the
onions, six sweet peppers,
chopped fine,
one seed,
of sugar,
one gal
of tomatoes «
cabbage
after chopping
from the peppers,
are tied In small Boll
minutes, This makes 12 quarts,
Pickled Onions.— Remove the outside
skin but be careful not to break them
Sonk 24 hours in strong salt
wipe and put them Into jars with
of red pepper. Allow enough
to fill jars and to each
add a teaspoonful of mixed
Seald the vinegar with the
Repent
time be
vinegar. Drain
tomatoes
ion
mensured
the
and are
Remove wowed wn
>
hangs
vinegar the
splees,
two days, cooling each
fore pouring over the onions,
Jellies and Jams.
frult or vegetables are fresh,
work will be light
and In a
wieks the
fow
et will be well
raspherries
to
cupfuls of
with sugar
makes a fruit
of raspberry
rhubarb,
rhn.
barb
fa rich
all the flavor
the bulk of
make
that
sance
has
Straw ber.
rich in flavor, added to rhubarb
extend the flavor,
Peach and Raisin Conserve,
will
Take
pounds of sugar, three cupfuls of wa-
ter, two cupfuls of seeded raisins, one
one-half cupfuls
monds shredded. Slice
removing the stones,
sugar and cook
thickens: add
five minutes
and of blanched al-
the
add
until the mi
almonds and
longer,
peaches,
the
tire
the cook
Plum and Raisin Jam.-—Cook
cupfuls of pitted plums in three
cupfuls of water until they are soft,
add two cupfuls of seeded raisins
and four cupfuls of sugar and cook 30
minutes, or until the mixture Is thick:
stir occasionally. Pour into jelly
glasses and seal with paraffin,
Pineapple Marmalade. Pare and cut
into small cubes one pineapple, saving
the juice. Add three cupfuls of
sugar and the grated rind and juice of
three lemons, Cook 30 minutes or
ing. Cook five minutes
pour Into glasses,
Chinese Pears, — Wipe, remove
stems, quarter and core eight pounds
of pears. Slice them in thin slices,
add four pounds of sugar and one
fourth pound of Canton ginger ent
into small pleces. Let stand over
night closely covered. Slice three
lemons, rejecting the seeds, add to
the pears and cook slowly for two
hours,
Apple Catsup.—Peel and quarter a
dozen apples, stew them in a very
little water until soft, then put them
through a sieve. To a quart of the
apples add cme cupfal of sugar, one
teaspoonful of pepper, the same of
cloves and cinnamon and, two medium.
sized onions choped fine. Stir all to-
gether, add one tablespoonful of salt,
a cupful of vinegar, boll ene hour and
bottle while hot,
Grape Marmalade. Wash and mash
grapes. Cook slowly until soft. Force
through a sieve until all but the seeds
and skins has gone through, Rinse
the seeds and sking with a little wa-
ter and add an equal measure of su
gar for the grape pulp. Boil 10 min
utes until very thick.
Celery may be found In most salads;
It not only adds flavor, bulk and veg
etnbie acide, but It haus a medicinal
value un well,
longer and
Rough Woolens, Panne and
Pile Velvets, Crepes Are
Prominent.
There may be and is a certain
unmount of speculation concerning the
styles of the crisp tomorrows, but the
fabrics are fairly well determined, Ma
terials, of course, according to a fash
fon authority In the New York Herald
Tribune, have always been established
before the rest of the mode, but the
more complex weaves and designs of
rogent seasons make the fabric the first
consideration by several months of
every new group of styles. For this
autumn two inter-related facts stand
forth as characteristic of the new mate
first the domination of the sports
Influence and secondly the distinctly
English atroosphere about many of the
new cloths,
Meyer et Cle have an attractive ar
nunbined with silks and having a de
velvety This ix
the colors du
manve, framboise)
and bright
beige nnd dull
black
They make
of goat's hair
sports, calling it capria.
house
bois
nap
spring
rose, raspberry
SHEe greens, navy
and nattler blue, some
und a
minent
Pre
Irn
pre
little being most
a satin-surfaced
out and silk for
Rodier, ns
ng
has an Interest.
autumn materials,
I8 replaced by kasha
onsely woven cloth with the beautiful
rashmere weave of kasha,
always,
collection of
Rasha
"his artist
n cloth is creating some lovely kasha
shaded from top to
for and dresses,
conts One
SORE
~
RR VR SR RETIN HT RR
heautiful plece is shaded from black.
red to pale rose, another from deep
bottle green to pale gea green, and se
on. The printed materials, all in one
color, show thelr motifs very large at
the bottom and gradually becomes
smaller until at the top they are quite
tiny.
Many of the new Rodler materials
for winter have futuristic borders ip
Warm Coat of Raccoon
for Fall and Winter
Daddys |
Event
Fai
gy ‘MALTY - GRAHAM - BONNER
THE RHEA
“I am white and I am beautiful”
sald the Rhea. “Everyone knows that”
“l am gray and
I am beautiful”
sald Mrs. Ostrich,
“l am black and
I am beautiful”
said Mr. Ostrich.
“All or
rather both of
you, are very
stupid. You have
to copy me You
can think of noth
ing new to say
for yourselves,
“Of course®™
the Rhea added,
“l can think of
no better creature
for you to copy.
“If you can't
think of anything
you
of you,
Exquisite Bird.”
we.”
“You don't do
Ostrich, in a rather
ke yourself much,
The Rhea didn’t notice the tone of
“You are mistaken” sald the Rhea,
At that toth ostriches lsughed hagd,
“You see,” sald the Rhea, “I am far
“It to live a long
and fine and
is hard for me
I am delicate
bird
beautiful, exquisite
Showing one of the very latest
coats, made of raccoon |
skins, designed for the cold blasts of
fall and winter. [fPwas among the fur
wraps recently displayed at a fashion
dull colors, and his kasha is gorgeons
ver thread lurafyl, the
beautiful |
French interpretation of English men's
for many au
have been made into fall garments by
the Paris couturiers, Pellisine, a8 suede
finished cashmere, is 8 beautiful new
Rodler fabric, and this house has also
many new materials with damask pat
terns In faint
Among the colors very dark Veronese
green, a full range of blue, many grays
gports suits, which
lines of white on wool
Drecoll sponsors a sport ensemble
sontisting of a cape and frock instead
3f the usual coat and frock ensemble.
with a wide border of red around It.
i
|
prominently.
Embroidered Girdle
Has Matching Tassels
A smart girdle for a frock em
broidered In color and has matching
tassels. This has a very clever fasten- |
ing—one embroidered end slips
beneath the middle |
strap and comes out opposite Its
mate, each point then snapping down
neatly into place at the tassel. On
dress this girdle is
worn rather low on the hips and is |
especially becoming to a tall girl |
The emtroldery may be either red or |
is
Small garments depend upon needle
work for individuality.
A frock of checked gingham for
little sister is smocked with linen
thread und has collar and cuffs of
vhite linen edged with color.
For the simplest form of smocking
make chalk or pencil dots one-quarter.
inch apart on the wrong side of the
Pass a thread through each
in each row and draw up the
threads at one glde. The material now
resembles an accordion plaiting.
The best effects are obtained by
asing a straight line of stitches at top
ind bottom and between each row of
‘hecks. This gives firmness to the
work as well as a border for the de
sign and is very easy to do—simply
ase an outline stitch, passing the
needle through the top of each plait,
Young brother's manly linen togs
find distinction in zig-zag bunds of out.
ine stitch In yellow, copper and brown
inen. .
By the way, linen still continues to
ne the smartest fabric for both boys
and girls, although a very smart little
cotton crepe, for a girl of eight, has
skirt and tunic blouse bordered with
points done in a contrasting color of
linen thread, with a twisted girdle to
match,
Another charming frock of powder.
plue crepe, with a tiny collar and vest
of white, Is shirred at the shoulders
and wrists with golf-color linen thread,
and fast along one edge of the vest
vith amber buttons.
Yet another, of sage green crepe,
yas collar and cuffs of cream, and
amocking of cream and black linen.
¥
Feather stitching In fast color
black linen thread. on gay colors is |
as effective as it Is easy to do. Around |
the hem line It is a charming finish for |
the bottom of brief frocks. French
knots often make their appearance,
frequently massed in a border effect
of solid diamonds, and fagoting
worked In the same color as the frock
is very good.
Bolero Adds Interest
in Fashions for Women
A development that adds consider
ably to the interest of the new models
is the attempt on the part of several
of the most exclusive designers to re
vive the bolero and in other ways to
bring back the natural waistline. To
be sure, in many Instances it is only
suggested in a most subtle manner,
but the Indication of a line Is unmis-
tukably evident.
And with the Introduction of =a
waistline in its natural pusition, skirts
have become fuller, but the greater
amplitude Is arranged in such a way
that the effect Is still slim and ex
ceedingly graceful,
The bolero is a detall that has all
the elements of novelty, for it is many
seasons since IU has appeared in the
ranks of fashion. Among the models
brought out the past spring were twa |
or three sults that exploited a short |
waistline Jacket obviously lnspirell by |
the bolero, and later models also re
veal an inclination upon the part of
the designers to give this new Ile
favorable consideration,
“You had better not boast so much,
all
aise
sald Mrs, Ostrich.
“We are far higger than yon
wr little dear”
I for
are,
I
“What care
Rhea.
“T know
size? asked the
re than
bean.
I am only a little mq
iful feathers
One
one
that
“To be sure, T am an ostrich,
family names is the noble
hut our other name Is
American Ostrich.
“That is the family to which we be
ong.
“1 come from Routh America, a8 the
name tells you, if you don’t
ANYWAY.
“You come from Africa. That makes
At least It does
it Is because
and you are
»f South
know It
Whether
American
in our
[ am
African 1 know,
“But 1 know that 1 am smaller
snd that T do come from South Amer
Lae]
Cage
Sout?
do not
do
“Uy neck
ire my
is long like yours and so
lege
“My body is covered with beautiful
eathers and 1 am most certainly =a
sousin of yours.
“But at the same time | cannot help
admiring myself for I am supposed
0 be handsome,
“Not only am be
I supposed to
“Well, we won't argue the matter”
said Mr. Ostrich, “for 1 am sleepy and
I would like in the sunshine.
“That te a far more pleas-
ant thing than to argue the
point.”
“1 would ike to doze
shine, too,” gald Mrs. Ostrich. “And 1
also think that would be a far more
pleasant thing to do than to discuss
size or beauty.
“Particularly mow that these gques-
tions are all settled so completely by
to doze
would
to do
in the sun-
“It sounds like
too," sald the
“Ah, you're my
he added “We're
all a lazy, stupid
sort of family.”
The ostriches
did not object to
this remark In
the least.
Instead they all
went to sleep and
dept soundly,
dreaming of their
homes in South
America and Afri
cn, where they had been Lorn, and of
the warm sunshine that was also to be
found In North America,
For the sun, they realized, belonged
to more than one part of the world
The sun had a happy way of shin.
ing everywhere at some time or an
pther, .
Mr. Ostrich,
The New Morality
Ferdinand Huxley, the well-known
{tbrarian, sald in a Denver lecture:
“The people are going back to the
older novelists, to Dickens and Scott
and Thackeray. Our new novelists
have disappointed them. They dont
tike our new novelists’ morality.
“This morality closely resembles the
chorus girl's. A stage manager sald
to her at supper one night:
“Could you love a man who was
false to you ¥
“No, oh, no’ the chorus girl an
gwered, Then, after a moment's sl
tence, she added thoughtfully. ‘But 1
could be faly *» « man who loved
me" ¥ &