The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-09
THE EVENING STORY
Love and the Locksnaith.
(By Edward Waring.)

j1mm1eI''
Little Mrs. Barron's voice rose
shrfll and anguished.
don't care" insisted Jimmy Bar
ron. II said darn that lock- and you
ought to be glad that said no rnore!''
1T is the first time you ever darned
anything l wanted you to do" re-
preached Mrs. Barron. you don't
love me any more, Jimmy
Great heavens!" cried the exas-
perated Barron. 'EOf course. 1 love
you Nettie, but when you ask me to
stop and fix this lock when have an
appointment with Chilvers at the Of
flee at 10-anyhow it's the janitor's
business to keep the locks in repair"
Nettie turned away with a little,
hurt cry. This was worse than the re-
mark which had started the trouble.
To leave her to the tender mercies
or the Janttor was rubbing salt in the
wounds, and as Barron gave his wife
a hasty kiss and hurried down the
stairs he told himself that he would
send locksmith around to attend to
the matter at once.
OF course the janitor was there to
make repairs for the tenants, but he
was surly fellow whose breath
smelled strongly of drink, and Nettie
Barron was afraid to admit him to the
coy little apartment they called home.
For more than a week they had
been having trouble with the lock that
Barron had added to the faStenings
provided by the landlord. There was
burglar scare in the city, and
apartment houses were the favorite
points of attack.
Jimmie felt that having spent the
better part of Sunday afternoon put
ting the lock on, Nettie could not very
well expect him to keep it in repair.
Thus had started the first quarrel they
had had since their marriage, and
Barron took the car downtown feeling
anything but at ease with all the
world.
The Chilvers interview was salts
factory in the extreme. 1t was late in
concluded, and Jimmy had entered
upon a contract which meant that the
successful outcome of the business
venture in which he had engaged.
To cap the climax it had been ar
ranged that ChilVers, who was an out
of-town man, should spend the even
ing at the club with Jimmy, so it was
past midnight when Barron reached
home.
The elevator stopped running at -
o'clock and Jimmie toiled up the three
flights Of stairs to his apartment. Pin
ned to the door was a sheet of paper
and on it the words. "I have gone to
moth rs."
Jimmie felt the cold persplration
bedew his forehead. 1t had come,
then. He always had thought that
going to mothers" was merely a
creation of the newspaper humorist
but it was true. Nettie had probably
grieved over his refusal to fix the lock
and had ended by going home to her
mother.
Mechanically he turned and descend
ed the stairs. He did not want to en-
ter the deserted apartment 1t was
home no longer with Nettie gone. He
did not know just where he wanted to
go, nor what he wanted to do, but he
wanted to get away from the place
where they had been so happy to-
a n Il IT, II
night air and to realize what it all
meant to him. He was passonateIy at
tached to Nettie. and he had not
dreamed that they ever. could be
He thought dumbly of the dark.
silent apartment and shuddered He
would have to move from there, and
go to hotel to live. He never could
would be like violating the tomb of
their dead happiness.
He did not blame Nettie, but he Bit
Lerly reproached himself. He knew
he surly looking janitor, and she
could not even speak of burglars
without little shudder, and her hus- |
band had brutally told her that he |
would be darned if he would fix the
door, and had flung away, leaving her
with only the insecure protection of
he f1imsy lock provided by the land |
ord. And this was lock that even |
L CnllQ COulQ open with the DldQo Oh
/ knife when the Yale lock would not !
work.
Perhaps the burglars had come. He
'ather hoped they had. He hoped |
hat they had taken everything. 1t
would be honorable to have to give |
directions to have to give directions
or the storage of the furniture which |
hey had selected with such loving |
,are.
There was a sentiment attached to |
every chair, and tears started in his |
ired eyes as he remembered the little |
ootstool Nettie aid insisted upon buy
gn, though she would not tell him
what she wished it so particularly for.
1t had become her favorite seat
when he came in tired from the office,
ind she cuddled down against his
ide, the golden head resting COM
ortably on his shoulder while he told
Ter the story about the burglars. He
lid not want them to carry off the
title footStool.
AS he pondered the situation Jim
ME truged onward ana gave no heed
shock that he found himself turning
n at gate and realized that
Mechanically he had walked all the
way to Nettie's mothers, three long
niles.
There was a light in the window of
he room that had been Nettie's in
heir courtship days. He recalled the
lights when he had passed the house
ust to see the light in the window
md to know that all was well with
Ter.
Now there was the light, but moth
ng was well. For an instant a
voman's form was silhouetted against
he shade. and Barron came to a sud
len decision. There was an all-night
rug store on the corner. He would
all her up and sue for pardon.
1t seemed hours before there was
n answer to his ringing, but at last
came, and it was Nettie's sweetly
erious voice that replied. Il
ITS Jimmie he said brokenly. 81
ot your note" IL
ut served you right" said Nettie