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romantic answer。 Of course she must know that
Ravenel； the poet； lived there across her garden。 His
picture； too； she must have seen in the magazines。
The delicate； tender； modest； flattering message could
not be ignored。
Ravenel noticed beside the roses a small flowering…
pot containing a plant。 Without shame be brought
his opera…glasses and employed them from the cover
of his window…curtain。 A nutmeg geranium！
With the true poetic instinct be dragged a book
of useless information from his shelves； and tore open
the leaves at 〃The Language of Flowers。〃
〃Geranium； Nutmeg … I expect a meeting。〃
So！ Romance never does things by halves。 If she
comes back to you she brings gifts and her knitting；
and will sit in your chimney…corner if you will let
her。
And now Ravenel smiled。 The lover smiles
when be thinks he has won。 The woman who loves
ceases to smile with victory。 He ends a battle； she
begins hers。 What a pretty idea to set the four roses
in her window for him to see！ She must have
a sweet； poetic soul。 And now to contrive the
meeting。
A whistling and slamming of doors preluded the
coming of Sammy Brown。
Ravenel smiled again。 Even Sammy Brown was
shone upon by the far…flung rays of the renaissance。
Sammy； with his ultra clothes； his horseshoe pin； his
plump face； his trite slang； his uncomprehending
admiration of Ravenel the broker's clerk made an
excellent foil to the new； bright unseen visitor to the
poet's sombre apartment。
Sammy went to his old seat by the window； and
looked out over the dusty green foliage in the
garden。 Then he looked at his watch； and rose
hastily。
〃By grabs！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Twenty after four！
I can't stay； old man； I've got a date at 4：30。〃
〃Why did you come； then？〃 asked Ravenel； with
sarcastic jocularity； 〃if you had an engagement at
that time。 I thought you business men kept better
account of your minutes and seconds than that。〃
Sammy hesitated in the doorway and turned
pinker。
〃Fact is； Ravvy；〃 be explained； as to a customer
whose margin is exhausted； 〃I didn't know I had it
till I came。 I'll tell you； old man … there's a dandy
girl in that old house next door that I'm dead gone
on。 I put it straight we're engaged。 The old
man says 'nit' but that don't go。 He keeps her
pretty close。 I can see Edith's window from yours
here。 She gives me a tip when she's going shopping；
and I meet her。 It's 4：30 to…day。 Maybe I ought
to have explained sooner； but I know it's all right
with you so long。〃
〃How do you get your 'tip；' as you call it？〃 asked
Ravenel； losing a little spontaneity from his smile。
〃Roses；〃 said Sammy； briefly。 Four of 'em to…
day。 Means four o'clock at the corner of Broadway
and Twenty…third。〃
〃But the geranium？〃 persisted Ravenel； clutch…
ing at the end of flying Romance's trailing robe。
〃Means half…past 5；〃 shouted Sammy from the hall。
〃See you to…morrow。〃
THE CITY OF DREADFUL NIGHT
〃During the recent warmed…over spell；〃 said my
friend Carney； driver of express wagon No。 8；606；
〃a good many opportunities was had of observing
human nature through peekaboo waists。
〃The Park Commissioner and the Commissioner
of Polis and the Forestry Commission gets together
and agrees to let the people sleep in the parks until
the Weather Bureau gets the thermometer down again
to a living basis。 So they draws up open…air resolu…
tions and has them 0。 K。'd by the Secretary of Agri…
culture； Mr。 Comstock and the Village Improvement
Mosquito Exterminating Society of South Orange；
N。 J。
〃When the proclamation was made opening up to
the people by special grant the public parks that be…
long to 'em； there was a general exodus into Central
Park by the communities existing along its borders。
In ten minutes after sundown you'd have thought
that there was an undress rehearsal of a potato
famine in Ireland and a Kishineff massacre。 They
come by families； gangs； clambake societies； clans；
clubs and tribes from all sides to enjoy a cool sleep on
the grass。 Them that didn't have oil stoves brought
along plenty of blankets； so as not to be upset with
the cold and discomforts of sleeping outdoors。 By
building fires of the shade trees and huddling together
in the bridle paths； and burrowing under the grass
where the ground was soft enough； the likes of 5；000
head of people successfully battled against the night
air in Central Park alone。
〃Ye know I live in the elegant furnished apart…
ment house called the Beersheba Flats； over against
the elevated portion of the New York Central Rail…
road。
〃When the order come to the flats that all hands
must turn out and sleep in the park； according to the
instructions of the consulting committee of the City
Club and the Murphy Draying； Returfing and Sod…
ding Company； there was a look of a couple of fires
and an eviction all over the place。
〃The tenants began to pack up feather beds； rub…
ber boots； strings of garlic； hot…water bags； porta…
ble canoes and scuttles of coal to take along for the
sake of comfort。 The sidewalk looked like a Russian
camp in Oyama's line of mareb。 There was waiting
and lamenting up and down stairs from Danny Geog…
hegan's flat on the top floor to the apartments of
Missis Goldsteinupski on the first。
〃'For why；〃 says Danny； coming down and raging
in his blue yarn socks to the janitor； 'should I be
turned out of me comfortable apartments to lay in
the dirty grass like a rabbit？ 'Tis like Jerome to
stir up trouble wid small matters like this instead
of 〃
〃'Whist！' says Officer Reagan on the sidewalk；
rapping with his club。 ''Tis not Jerome。 'Tis by
order of the Polis Commissioner。 Turn out every
one of yez and hike yerselves to the park。'
〃Now； 'twas a peaceful and happy home that all
of us had in them same Beersheba Flats。 The
O'Dowds and the Steinowitzes and the Callahans and
the Cohens and the Spizzinellis and the McManuses
and the Spiegelmayers and the Joneses all nations
of us； we lived like one big family together。 And
when the hot nights come along we kept a line of
children reaching from the front door to Kelly's on the
corner passing along the cans of beer from one to
another without the trouble of running after it。 And
with no more clothing on than is provided for in the
statutes； sitting in all the windies； with a cool growler
in every one； and your feet out in the air； and the
Rosenstein girls singing on the fire…escape of the sixth
floor； and Patsy Rourke's flute going in the eighth；
and the ladies calling each other synonyms out the win…
dies； and now and then a breeze sailing in over Mister
Depew's Central I tell you the Beersheba Flats was
a summer resort that made the Catskills look like
a bole in the ground。 With his person full of beer
and his feet out the windy