The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-28
THE EVENING STORY
Miss Dobson's Chance.
(By Katharine KINGSLEY Cros

IKE process of law or GETTING mar,
, r,eo. nc however. but simply by going
n1 pu1 s shs stage ha In pursuancs of this
theatrical manager, Malcolm Sturzis.
Iar up on the top floor of one of the
oIoer office buildings In that part of
ras CITY wnlch the casual shopper
The elevator boy got to know her
very Well. Jim was a susceptible
youth, ana when, on one of her as
tensions Miss Dobson CHANGED to
arop the circlet Of blue ribbon which
einow. ne made love knot of It and
decorated the controlling lever. His
passengers. if they noticed it at ali.
ooupt!ess ascribed it to some hidden
esthetic yearnings
From all this you may guess that
MISS Dobson was pretty, which was
very true, and moreover dainty and
sI .I which does not always follow.
gold in her soft brown hair
She had a reserve of temperament
and dramatic power which her COM
pIexlon and bearing quite belied.
| however, and 1t may have been this
winch made it so hard to get q hear
Ing In the office above stairs.
Jim had carried her back and forth
now Tor over month, and noticed
that her color was beginning to fade
a 1act which proved it to be her own.
at least, but also suggested that her
ambition was slowly Consuming. her
with it's white heat
he knew her type, for he had seen
them before, and they never gave up
But this girl was younger and fresher
and-well; different; Jim thought. He
awake nights thinking how he might
help her. He wondered IL it would do
any good to speak to Mr. SturEis. the
manager. about her some morning.
Maloom Stursis had given the boy a
five-dollar bill the previous Christ
mas. and always passed the time of
day when he was not thinking about
som ething else, but somehow his
manner did not invite liberties.
A second month passed while Jim
Miss Dobson's neat black suit was
wearing shiny at the seams In spite of
careful brushings. Then the end
came. 1t was late in November,
when the days are very short and
been waiting for the time when the
door of the great mans office should
open and she be hidden to enter
So she had waited all these weary
weeks, watching others pass in and
out and reading on their faces what
| their fortunes had been. In spite Of
the despair which she so often saw
her own hope never faltered, for she
was sure of herself and her powers.
For this reason she was still sitting
| there, though it was after and ev-
erybody had gone except the mana
ger. Suddenly the door opened and
Malcolm Sturgis hurried out and
crossed the room into the corridor
| outside, where the elevator was wait
ing. The girl sprang up and followed
and the door Changed upon them. the
two of them, and Jim.
II 1t hadn't been for Jim-we1l,
failure does not make an interesting
story, most people think For Miss
Dobson was just gathering her wits
for a third appeal to the august man
for a hearing on the morrow when
the car stopped.
The boy juggled with the levers
and the elevator went up few
inches, stopped again, then shot down
another story, where 1t stopped def
nitely and so suddenly that 1t fairly
| bounced.
Instead Of her speech, Miss Dobson
exclaimed earnestly, "Graciousi" and
the manager incurred, "Jovel What's
piled truthfully enough that she had
never acted like that before and he
guessed the power must have given out.
well, open the door. can't your de-
manded Sturgis impat1ently.
| Sorry, sir. but We are between
floors" replied Jim. who had so arrans-
! ed 1t.
Where is the watohman?"
DOESN'T come Till I, Sir.
So there was no help for It, and NAL
com tried to take it philosophioally He
| turned his attention to the girl Where
had he seen her before7 oh. yes, she
was one OF those little stage struck
| things whom he had been trying to tire
Please, sir" said Miss Dopson
bravely. please. Mr.. sturgis. may DO
some Of my parts now7 Tit may
serve to pass the time while we are
| The manager expected to glover at
this bold request, but the man In him
| smiled instead. He, too, noticed DIFF
| ference, and her pluck appealed to him.
| He would try to let her down gently.
what experience have you hadY" he
| inquired.
"only in college," she smiled. but
| listen!"
1t was tiny stage. that little car,
darkness everywhere beyond the reach
| of it's single incandescent. A tiny stage,
| but her audience forgot 1t In the g1a-
mour of the scenes she spread before
! them:
she recreated old parts SO freshly
| that the great manager could only
wonder how else they might be played.
Ancient and modern, from "She Stops
to CONQUER. to Alice who Sat by the !.
tragedy and comedy and problem-she
| forgot her audience completely, TIL an
| Involuntary .Bully!" from Jim, who
could contain himself no longer,
brought her to herself.
.eWhere did you learn to do it?"
gasped Malcolm Sturgis, when Miss
Dobson stood, somewhat abashed. in
her own personality.
.why, I've always done it," she stam-
mered; do you think-do you think I
will do?"
YES" he answered briefly, II think
you will Meet me here at 10 tomor-
| row to talk over the contract"
do you mean for an engagement
her ewes were wide with establishment.
aFor an engagement" he said. and at
| the look Of gratitude she gave him he
| suddenly conceived the possibility Of
secondary meaning to the phrase