The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-24
THE EVENING STORY
The Lack of a Nickel.
(By John Hazen Haskell. }

The Lack of Nickel.
(Isy John Hazen Haskell)
Holloway landed breathless on the
top step of the elevated station just
as the north-bound express pulled
out. He was already five minutes late
to a dinner engagement, and he could
have made it in ten If he could have
caught that express.
He had visions of a pretty little
woman in a vioiet colored evening
gown tapping an impatient foot on
the oriental rug in the corner of the
library.
An empty express xhizzed by on the
other track en- its way down town,
then south-bound local pulled in on
the opposite side, unloaded a passen-
ger and went on its way.
The passenger was tall girl In
gray, with a fluffy fur about her face
and a big black hattie dim light
and the distance across tracks between
revealed no more to Holloway
She did hot leave the platform but
sat down on the edge of bench in
the uneasy way of some one who does
not expect tc stay long.
waiting for some one said Hall
| oway. He thought she must be pref
ty, and wondered what color the hair
under that big hat was.
Three or four minutes passed. The
pair, divided by the glistening lines Of
rails, eyed each other covertly and
tried to look unconscious. The girl )
foot was tapping the floor. and she
turned at every sound to peer down
the stairs. At last she leaned for
ward and called across the chasm:
Pardon me. sir, can you tell me
what time it is?"
Certainly. 1t is now ten minutes
past =" he called back.
He heard the girl gasp, whether IN
surprise at the hour or in recognl-
ton of his voice he could not tell.
THANK YOU" she said, after a sec
ond. Then silence, and another empty
After a while she spoke again.
| "Haye you been here long?" she ask
/ "Seven minutes or So"
Ibid you happen-that is. you
might-did you see-a-a gentleman
waiting here?"
Holloway was sure of the voice now
| and also that she did not recognize
him. mo; 1 am sorry to say l have
not. You are waiting for some one 2,
Eyes; but I am a little late. rear.
Are you quite sure your watch is quite
| right?"
| official time at g."
Thank you, just the same, she
said and sighed.
HalIoway's express pulled in. and.
| banishing the vision of an irate hos
| tess, he let it go without him. When
the train had gone and the girl saw
him still there, she sat up very
| straight.
| "Wasn't that your train?" she ask
| ed with suspicion.
| "Why. yes-no-that is. am wait
| ing for some one, also" he lied cheer
| fully.
| and went. passengers alighted and
disappeared down the stairs, theatre
| goers began to arrive and in due time
were carried on to the city. Still no
| man came to meet the girl and still
Holloway paced the PLATFORM. he
! had let two express trains go by now,
and he meant to stay till he saw the
i girl safe aboard a downtown train.
| Also. he burned with an Othello-like
/ desire to see who the gentleman
| might be.
/ When once more they had the plat
/ forms all to themselves, the girl spoke
again. >,
.sI am going to ask you a question"
/ she said. eff a man had an engage
ment with a girl for $40 and she did
i not come till after z, do you think he
/ might not wait for herr"
/ He might think she was not COM
/ ing" Holloway replied.
do you think he might be this late
! himself -
i Holloway took out his watch. Hail
past seven; well. hardly"
"Then I surely ought not to wa1'
longer" said the girl, and rising, start
ed toward the stairs. But suddenly
!, she stopped with little cry.
What is it?" asked Halliday. for.
getting everything but that this CIR
who was everything to him was In
trouble.
ooh. just thought of something
said the girl. She walked slowly back
to the bench and sat down. with her
eyes bent on the tracks. in deer
thought.
Halliday went to the edge of the
platform and leaned as far out as he
could without falling in.
you're in trouble; won't you let
me help you?" he pleaded earnestly
sewhy, thank YOU she faltered: Il
| don't know think. maybe SUD,
denly she threw up her head and
/ HaiIoway,s heart, well, the fact is
she continued, that I was so sure OF
meeting my cousin here that only
slipped nickel In my glove-and-
well. you see, have no car fare"
Then they laughed together.
/ That one word cousin" was as
balm to a wounded heart. Holloway
knew this cousin well; he had
/ boarded at the place as did Holloway
himself. and he had left him in Jacket
and slippers. pipe in hand. loungine
in his favorite Morris chair. 1t was a
pure case of forget
"Oh, if that's ALL" said Holloway
ST can Just come over and escort you
myself to where you wish to co.
i The girl drew herself up with dig
nity. sI would not bother YOU she
; said. "but If you would be so kind
You might fold your card about a
nfckle and toss it across-and I could
return it in the morning
"Oh. certainly. if you prefer" said
Holloway
A happy thought struck him. In
pretense of hunting a card, he step
/ electric
raising his head so 1t might shine In
his face.
| -sDick Hallowayi" he heard her cry
He turned grinning-she stamped her
foot on the edge of the platform
How dare you speak to me-" she
!. cried latter 1 told you never to