Smyrna times., 1906-10-17
@ THE e
PINK KIMONO
By IZOLA FORESTER
Copyright, 1906. by Ruby Douglas


and somewhat square. Three of War
wick's letters lay on top of it, neatly,
as the hall boy had placed them, also
his weekly paper from home.
Warwick glanced at the letters,
again at the clock. tossed off his hat,
coat and gloves and carried the whole |
lot, parcel. letters and paper. into the |
comfortable study and dropped into a |
deep chair.
20 There was an hour before the crowd |
would arrive. Everything was ready
The spread would be sent up at $50
sharp. He hoped Stanton would be
able to get away. He liked Stanton
The boy needed a good friendly grip
just now. He knew himself what il
was to be in New York a stranger.
Money could not give one the pass
word that admitted one to the inside of
things. the getting next to the illness
of ALL" as Stanton said. And if the
right path did not open, and one hap
pened to be lonely, there were others
wide and welcoming. Warwick knew
The boy was young and clever The
only thing that allied him was too
much money, and the confidence he
had therein. He was a bit handy with
it all-the whirl and the swing and the
chance for big success. Warwick had
kept an eye on him for weeks, measur
ing and judging him. and now he was
satisfied All the boy needed was di-
rection and cool hand checking him
now and then, and he would win out.
Warwick opened the weekly paper
| from home and smiled to himself at
the familiar heading, the Weekly Wis
ltor. Ever since he could remember
the Weekly Visitor had visited reg
ularly at the quiet, big gray house that
crowned Warwicks hill, up in Hills
boro, n. II. And Stanton was from
the country, too, some place out west,
out in Nebraska. He wondered if he
had a weekly paper, too, to keep him
in touch with the old world, and the
ethics and standards of something be-
sides New York.
The letters were unimportant. He
took up the parcel and slipped off the
cord. Laundry probably. He had not
ordered anything.
The paper fell to the floor and he
sat staring at the thing in his hands.
1t was a pink, delicate, shimmering
silken thing He stood up and shook
it out to its full length. 1t reached to
the floor. 1t was not a bath robe. II
could not possibly be a smoking Jacket
1t was a woman's garment, unmis
takably.
The texture was the softest Japa
nese Grape. the silk interviewer around
the sleeves and neck in border OF
golden butterflies. There was no mari
on it nor on the paper. Warwick
looked carefully.
r The door bell buzzed imperatively
; once, twice and a long one. That wa
2 Billy Trainor's ring Warwick hest
. tated. cast the pink silk thing behin'
him on the chair, and opened the door
Billy stepped in smilingly, interroga
lively looked about the room and spie,
the pink silk thing.
: Rex" he said reproachfully; "why
. Rexr'
at was left here by mistake" sal
Warwick hastily. 1.-THE hall boy di
L it. What is itY'
o. Billy lifted it by the shoulders an
beamed with the appreciative eye of
IS cOnnoisseur
!, ITS a kimono, the real imported a
$ ticle. No bargain SALE Who's Il
$, lucky lady?"
!. The door bell buzzed again. Wa
8 wick took the kimono with delibera
forethought, went to the wardrobe
his dressing room and concealed
therein.
Its Stanton" Billy announced, sal
the rest"
- Warwick played the host with mo
inner discomfort than ever before
his life. 1t was not the mere fact
: the mistake that troubled him, nor th
he minded the boys knowing of it,
IA he didn't want to see that particular
by what had Billy called it?-kimono'
on handled ana laughed about and spec
o. lated over. Somewhere there must
raj the girl who wanted that kimono.
erS hoped she was a brunette. Pink W
the best for brunettes. Not too much Of
4
at gray-yes. gray-a gray eye or so.
zee Billy was pushing back the cha
and taborets for the spread. st;
'ch' ton was singing at the piano. Out
the kitchenette Yates and Rogers a
e. the Danforths We're rummaging
e. dishes and knives and forks. Big
+. D. Veau was up on the divan with its
Turkish cover draped picturesqu
~ about him. reciting some origi
poetry.
t the Rex. don't you own decent tai
y Of cloth, you beggar?' called Yates.
z an Warwick smoked without reply
Sec Through the haze he saw the bruno
! OF girl with the pink kimono about
Of smiling dellciously like a geisha-no
,by didn't want her to be a geisha-smil
on well, just as a girl should smile W
anee she had the right one to smile at.
Stanton left the piano and came O
pave Say, you're a prince to get me
" fonipbf - la said NT didn't know