The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1906-09-06
~ THE 1
PINK KIMONO
BY lZoLA FORESTER
Copyright, 1879. by Ruby Douglas

and somewhat square. Three of War
wiek'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 "is hat,
coat and gloves and carried the whole
lot, parcel letters and paper, into the
comfortable study and dropped into a
deep chair.
There was an hour before the crowd
would arrive. Everything was ready.
The spread would he 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 4
was to be In New York stranger
Money could not give one the PISS
word that admitted one to the inside of
things, the getting next to the tness
of ALL" as Stanton said. Ard IL 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 aud clever. The
only thing that allied him was too
much money, and the confidence he
had therein. He was 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 lie was
satisfied, All the boy needed was di-
rection and a 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 VS.
itor. Ever since he could remember
the Weekly Visitor had visited reg
ularly at the quiet, big gray house that
crowned Warwick's 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 We're 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 pink, delicate, shimmering,
sllken thing. He stood up and shook
it out to IT'S full length. 1t reached to
the floor. 1t was not bath robe. 1t
could not possibly be smoking jacket.
1t was Woman's garment, unmis-
takably
The texture was the softest Japa-
nese Grape, the silk interviewer around
the sleeves and neck in a border Of
golden butterflies. There was no mark
on it nor on the paper. Warwick
looked carefully.
The door bell buzzed imperatiyely,
once, twice and long one. That was
Billy Trainor's ring. Warwick hest
tated, cast the pink silk thing behind
him on the chair and opened the door.
Billy stepped in smillngly, interroga-
lively looked about the room and spied
the pink silk thing.
Rex" he said reproachtully; "why,
Rexw
'It was left here by mistake" said
Warwick hastily. The hall boy did
1t. What is it,"
Billy lifted it by the shoulders and
beamed with the appreciative eye of
connoisseur.
Its kmono, the real Imported ar,
ticle. No bargain sale. Who's the
lucky ladyY
The door bell buzzed again. War
wick took the kimono with deliberate
forethought, went to the wardrobe in
his dressing room and concealed it
therein.
Its Stanton" Billy announced, "and
the rest"
Warwick played the host with more
inner discomfort than ever before in
his life, 1t was not the mere fact OF
the mistake that troubled him, nor that
he minded the boys knowing OF 1t, but
he didn't want TO see that particular
what had Billy called it?-klmono?-
handled and laughed about and specu-
lated over, Somewhere there must be
the girl who wanted that kmono. He
hoped she was brunette. Pink was
best for brunettes, Not too much Of
brunette, perhaps with blue eyes, or
gray-yes, gray--a gray eye or so.
Billy was pushing back the chairs
and taboretS for the spread. Stan
ton was singing at the piano. Out in
the kItchenette Yates and Rogers and
the Danforths were rummagIng for
dishes and knives and forks. Big DE
Veau was up on the dyan with its red
Turkish cover draped plcturesquely
about him, rec!ting some original
poetry.
REX, don't You own decent table
cloth, you beggar?' called Yates.
Warwick sucked without replying.
Through the haze he saw the brunette
girl with the pink kimonO about her
smiling doliciously like geisha-no, he
didn't want her to be II gelsha smiling, |
well, Just as a girl should smile when
she had the right one to smile at,
Stanton left the piano and came over. |
Say, you're prince TO get me here
tonight" he said, II didn't know You
had place like this. Beats hotels, |
doesn't 1t? What do you call it,"
'StudiO apartment" said Warwick,
lazily. Half den half home, not con-
fined to bachelors, like 1t, When a
fellows had home, 1t always sticks to
him a bit. There's Jap comes In ana |
cleans up for me, and II waat meal,
can have IT,"
"I-I am going to housekeeping too"
began Stanton aWk WaFdly