Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-11-30
~ THE 50
PINK KIMONO
By lZOLA FORESTER
Copyright, 1903, by Ruby Douglas

md somewhat square. Three of War
wick's letters lay on top Of 1t, 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
deep chair.
There was an hour before the crowd
would arrive. Everything was ready.
The spread would be sent up at $3.50
sharp. He hoped Stanton would be
able to get away. He liked Stanton.
The boy needed good friendly grip
just now. He knew himself what II
was to be In New York n stranger.
Money could not give one the pass
word that admitted one to the inside of
things, the getting next to the itness
of ALL" as Stanton said. And 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 and clever. The
ohiy Nhihb abCd Wuo wv
much money, and the confidence he
had therein. He was bit handy with
1t 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
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. IL. And Stanton was from
the country, too, some place out west.
out In Nebraska. He wondered IL he
had weekly paper, too, to keep him
in touch with the old world, and the
ethics and standards of something be.
sides New York. 81
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 Mt the thing In his hands.
1t was pink, delicate, shimmering,
silken thing. He stood up and shook
1t out to Its full length. 1t reached to
the floor. 1t was not bath robe. II
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 border of
golden butterflies. There was no mark
on 1t nor on the paper. Warwick
looked carefully.
The door bell buzzed imperatlvely,
once, twice and long one. That was
Billy Tralnor's ring. Warwick hest
tated, cast the pink silk thing behind
him on the chair and opened the door.
Billy stepped in smilingly. lnterroga-
lively looked about the room and spied
the pink silk thing.
REX" he said reproachfully; why,
Rexw
at was left here by mistake" said
Warwick hastily. "The hall boy did
It, What Is III"
Billy lifted 1t by the shoulders and
beamed with the apprecIative eye Of
connoisseur
ITS "A klmono. the real imported ar.
ticle No bargain sale Who's the
lucky lady,
The door bell buzzed again. War.
wick took the klmono with deliberate
forethought, went to the wardrobe In
his dressing room and concealed II
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 itf-kimon0?--
handled and laughed about and specu.
lated over Somewhere there must be
the girl who wanted that kimono. He
hoped she was II brunette. Pink was
best for brunettes. Not too much Of o
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 kltchenette Yates and Rogers and
the DanfOrths were rummagIng for
dishes and knives and forks. Big DE
Veau was up on the divan with Its red
Turkish cover draped picturesquely
about him, recting some original
poetry.
Rex, don't you own decent table.
cloth, you beggarT called Yates.
Warwick smoked without replying.
Through the haze he saw the brunette
girl with the pink klmono about her
smiling deliclously like gelsha-no Ire
didn't want her to be geisba- smiling,
well, just as a girl should smile when
she had the right one to smile at.
Stanton left the plano and came over.
Say. you're prince to get me here
tonight" he said. u didn't know you
had place Ike this. Beats hotels,
doesn't It? What do you call itT
studio apartment" said Warwick,
lazily Half den. half home not CON
fined to bachelors. like r. When
fellows had Il home, It always sticks to
him bit. There's Jap comes In and
cleans up for me, and II want a meal,
I can have It,"
IL am going to housek eeplng too"
began Stanton awkwardIy.
Honeymoon WarwIck's eyes light
ID with amusement. He had not
dreamed the boy had gone so far.
"No, not as bad as that" Stanton
hesItated, glancing at the Joyous, riot
Gus crowd about the plano. It's my
sister. Mothers sent her on to take
care Of me until she can come herself
I guess they didn't get very good
accounts of their little boy In Manhat-
tan. But ] wrote home and told them
about you and what sort Of chap
you were and how you had taken me
under your wing, and I promised to
L.