The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-20
THE EVENING STORY
Penereave's Helping Hand.
py w. F. Bryan.)


Pengreave's Helping Hand.
(By w. F. Bryan.)
Pengreave, coming slowly down the
street, gave no heed to his surrounds |
inss. for twenty years he had been
coming down the same street. sometimes
little earlier. sometimes very much
laler. put always he passed along with |
unseeing eyes. his thoughts fixed upon
MS business and his home.
Al nfteen he had first turned into the
sloe street from the main thoroughfare
Horse cars had run unevenly over the
paoiy set rails and pickering gas lamps
nao lighted all save the business streets.
NOW there were trolleys everywhere,
ana even the alleyways were lighted
Dy electricity: but Richard Pengreave
gave no heed to these changes.
1t had been good locality once. When
| trousers and his first "reap' job. had
sought boarding place, Mrs. Beldin's
had been recommended as being In a
nice residential neighborhood."
1t had been q well-swept street then,
lined with rows Of three-story brick
| houses, and here and there a brown
stone front" to break the monotony.
Now the homes had given way to five
and six story tenements. Mud heaps and
garbage barrels Uttered the unkempt
pavement and the broken fiagstones.
The Beldin house. too, had changed.
Mrs. Beldin's daughter had assumed
charge at her mothers death, and had
changed it to a furnished room house.
declaring that the cares Of a large
kitchen weighed too heavily upon her.
Then she married and had moved up
town and some one else had taken over
the shabby house with it's shabby fur
niture.
The change had annoyed Pengreave,
and he. had promptly purchased the
place, for he was errand boy no longer,
but the proprietor Of a business. He
had retained the first floor for his own
use and real estate agent had rented
the other floors. He handed Pengreave
quarterly checks, and Pengreave worried
no more.
He was sure Of a home; the only home
he had known. He sat at his window
in the summer evenings and looked
across the square opposite and gave no
heed to the children swarming in the
street.
There had been few children when he
had first gone to Barrow street. ana
those were well dressed and orderly.
Now the policeman on the beat had his
hands full, and only Pengreaye remain
ed serene and unworried.
Once for nearly a year. he had Wor-
ried. 1t was when he was nineteen and
he had fancied himself In love. But
Lena had married junk dealer on the
corner below, and after an unquiet
month, during which he drank seidls
instead of the smaller glasses at the
Bierhalle, Pengreave, had recovered MS
placidity.
lieye that his life had been wrecked
and SO he kept Lena's faded photograph
! on the mantIepiece and at times ne
took 1t down and sighed over 1t. Also
he avoided all feminine society.
At his uncle's death, the latter's bust
ness had passed to him, and under his
even administration it had grown
greatly He 1unched at better places
and he also dined downtown He Dougnt
; a new suit of clothes whenever his OLD
cashier discreetly limited That one was
needed.
The woman who acted as janitress
for the house attended also to his rooms
and he found them always orderly. he
asked nothing more. A'
But tonight surprise waited for him
at his very door. As he let himself in,
a. voice from the darkness OF the floor
above reused him. 1t was a musical
voice with the indefinable accent Of
good breeding. and it gave to the sim
pie question the melody Of a song.
81 am not the DOCTOR" was his reply
as he kept on up the stairs instead OF
turning into his own apartments on the
first floor. rs there need of doctor
Some one is f1l?'
Mrs. Brady explained the voice
She scaided her hand and sent lit
tie girl for DOCTOR"
Pengreave turned up the tinv ficke,
of gas. The increased flame revealed =
dainty feminine form in a simple tall
ored gown. Pengreave was Conscious
only that the girl was well dressed. II
The features were well cut and reau-
lar, the eyes were calm and unafrafd
and of deep, tender blue that moved
Pengreave strangely.
Where do you live?" he demanded
The girl smiled.
"I don't live here" she explained. .sl
am a visitor from the Helping Hand
society,""
Pengreave was puzzled
They need charity here?'' he de-
manded- 81 thought that was only
, with the very poor"
These are the very poor" she said
simply. Don't you know"
Pengreave shook his head In bewild-
, erment Twenty years he had lived
! there. and poverty had come to be his
neighbor, but he did not know it.
Had known ! should have giver
him. Send me his bill I am sorry fol
Mrs. Mrs.
Brady" supplied the girl You are
very good"
: Pengreave went down stairs to his
, rooms. In a little while there was q
/ tapping at the door and he opened 1t tt
, discover the girl
MIS-. BraQy asked me 10 thank vol
, for your kindness she said. 1T,
/ pleased her so much that she almost
> forgot the hurt of the burn"
VI Pengreave smiled. He could not re-
: call ever having been thanked before
q He had never done anything to call fol
, thanks because he did not know how
You must come again when yo,
: need help" he said warmly. "I am here
: always in the evenings. You have bu
to ask"
: at shall hold you to your promise,
she said. There Is much good tina
you can do. We are SO handicapped b,
lack of money. and there Is so muci
that we want to do. You must see fol
yourself the misery about you. Goot