The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-01
THE EVENING STORY
The Manner of Man.
(By Harrison Snith.)


ting in a corner of the smoking COM
partment. consulting impatiently the
time table and lighting cigarette after
cigarette, arose hurriedly as the train,
a half hour late, pulled into the sta
ton.
He grasped his suit case, swung
himself down from the platform be-
hurried through the waiting room at
a pace approximating a shambling
run.
Into a waiting taxicab he tumbled,
turned up the collar of his overcoat.
for the evening was decidedly chilly.
and gave an address brusquely to the
chauffeur.
''And look here. my son." he added.
'get a hustle on. How long will it
take to met me there? A half hour,
Ell? Well. there's quarter in it for
you for every minute you take off that
half hour-see? Now let her out.
Never mind the speed regulations.
Take a chancel"
The taxicab hurried away and the
young man lighted another cigarette,
smoking furiously, and pausing only
to urge the chauffeur to even better
speed.
They swung into the avenue, lodged
in and out amid the stream of traffic,
turned into a side street, shot round
a corner, and stopped finally before a
shabby looking brownstone house,
which was Identical with every other
brownstone house as far as the eye
could see.
The young man sprang from the
cab, thrust a bill into the chauffeur's
palm, and, mounting the steps, gave
the bell vigorous tug. Presenting
the door was opened by a middle-aged
and rather frowsy woman, who sur
veyed him suspiciously.
"'Is Miss Evans in 2" the young man
demanded.
The woman's face became more
forbidding. mo, she's not" she said.
do you know when she will beg"
I'm sure I couldn't say
every well. I'll wait for her"
And the young man calmly pushed his
way into the dingy little hall, lighted
dimly with its single gas jet turned
low.
I'm here, if you please" the woman
suggested, opening the door of big,
bare front room. The young man
hesitated
Where is Miss Evans room?' he de-
Third flight back"
"Pll go up there and wait for her."
said he. And before the other could re-
monstrate he was half way up the first
flight.
Three flights back was a dingy lit
tie side room, a veritable hole in the
wall There was but one window,
which commanded an unimposing view
a none too clean alley.
The young man lighted the one gas
jet on the wall and looked about him.
Close to the window was a table-a
work table, evidently-covered with
boxes of water colors, pencil sketches
and partly finished designs on bits of
academy board
Vaguely he recognized the original
drawings for fashion plates. He looked
them over silently, almost reverently.
inc of a IA mi CHI
he let his eyes wander about the mar
row room. 1t was decidedly cherries,
with its couch and a patent rocker of
red plush. He sat down in the. red
plush rocker which squeaked complaint
ingly beneath his weight.
'Humph!" he unused. ''She's plucky,
all right. Imagine spending your days
in hole like this!''
There were light steps outside. The
door was pushed open, and girl stood
staring at him from the doorway, as if
she could not credit her eyes.
She was pretty girl, with dark eyes
and cheeks at that moment decidedly
rosy. She carried several parcels, two
of which fell unnoticed to the floor as
she gazed at the apparition in the red
plush chair. q.
Philip Holt" she gasped at length.
What on earth are you doing here?'
The young man sprang up with
bound. Margaret" he cried, his eyes
glowing; Margaret" He caught both
her hands in his own, while the rest OF
the parcels slipped from her arms.
What are you doing here?" she de-
manded again, when she had recovered
from her surprise.
81? What am I doing?" said he.
'Why-why--
"You have broken the truce" she said
severely. The year is not up yet Why
are you here2'
He drew her into the room and
gathered up the fallen PARCELS; while
she sat down on the couch.
IT came" said he, "because-because
well, 1 thought you'd be glad to see
me: because 1 imagined-had an tntut-
ton you know-that you were living in
some such sort of a dingy house as this
on just such a shabby street; because L
weren't succeeding tremendously, and
that you might even be living on these"
he ended calmly, fishing a doughnut
from one of the paper bags he had
picked up and holding it out accusingly.
The girls eyes flashed. Her lips
curled. The color in her cheeks deep
ened.
you had no right" she said quickly.
truce You said a year-or, rather, you
agreed that for year
81 was a fool" said he with convic- |
ton, IAN insufferable fool ever to be |
party to such silly agreement.
didn't realize that when you went away
the place would be so barren, so utterly
But 1 kept my mouth shut
and plugged along. Then we had
streak of luck, Tom and I. We sold
the Sunk Hill lode to a couple of capt.
talists, and got close on to $4,000
apiece out of it. That settled it. Year
or no year, had to come. So came,
he finished ingenuously.
'.And your promise counted for moth |
ing" said she. I'm another month the
year would have been up, and then
s'Then what%'
you could have come without violat-
ing any promise Il
The young man sat down in the red