The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-14
TIE EVENING STORY
Out of the Night.
nv lean Dickerson.N

fro in the strong wind. The rain
drummed steadily on the roof without
til Nancy tossed her magazine aside
and walked the floor to steady her
nerves.
She was all alone in this little noun
tain lodge; all about her was the
primeval forest filled with numberless
vague terrors of the light.
Nancy was afraid She had been
alone since o'clock that afternoon
suddenly left for home in response to
a telegram brought through miles of
dripping forest by a messenger from
Bidwell station.
had harneSsed the horses to the buck
board and taken Mrs. Carruthers to
the station. At the last moment,
Timcthy's wife, Mary Finn, had climb
that she had dozen errands to be at
tended to in the village and that she
would be home with Tim in time to
prepare Miss Nancy'S dinner.
In the haste of their departure and
the last hurried goodbys from Mrs.
Carruthers, Nancy did not realize the
significance of being left alone in that
isolated spot
When the sound of the wagon
wheels had died away and there re-
manned only the rain and the wind
and the fire on the hearth she felt
sudden pang of terror at the loneh-
The Firms were addicted to drink
when opportunity offered, and Nancy
shuddered as she realized that 1t
might be hours before they returned
and they might not come home until
morringi
She had fastened every door and
window and had drawn the curtains
closely and pinned them at the edges.
SO that no curious eye might discover
that she was alone.
Hours passed. She tried to read, but
the printed words held no meaning for
her. She opened the piano, but the
sound of the instrument only intensi-
fed the stiffness.
The clock in the corner chimed 10
and still there was no cessation of the
rain nor of the flashing wind.
Nancy thought of her father down
in the close, hot city, and she knew he
was counting the days till Friday,
when he would run up to the lodge
for his weeks stay. Every other week
mountains. There was usually a jolly
party of young people here, too, chap
eroned by Mrs. Meade, but now she
had gone to the city with her husband
and Mrs. Carruthers and Nancy Mead
had been left alone for a few days.
Il don't care how Intoxicated they
are if they will only come" declared
Nancy for the tenth time, as she
listened in vain for the sound of re-
turning wheels. "I simply can't stay
here alone all night"
The clock struck II, and almost as
If 1t had been waiting for that hour
there followed the sound of a human
voice outside, a mans voice calling for
help.
Nancy shuddered. Perhaps it was
the Firms coming home. She tiptoed
up the stairs that ran to the half story
under the caves and pushed aside a
on her hair and face, but the night air
felt cool and refreshing. There was no
sound of wheels, but again came the
mans voice:
Bungalow, ahoy! Help!"
1t was not the rich brogue of Tim
othy Finn, nor was it the voice of a
bacllwoodsman that called.
Nancy hardened 20 it's call, shud-
dering at it's growing feebleness, not
daring to go forth in answer to it, for
she had from a child been afraid of
the night with it's thousand terrors,
and this forest was axe to her after
sunset.
The voice sounded again; it was
from the lake. Some man had met
with an accident, and perhaps might
die unless she could go to his aid.
Then the voice became silent and
Nancy uttered a little sob and dashed
She wrapped herself in a large ulster
to her father and let her
self out into the dripping night.
She called once timidly. and the
with a note of hope in his voice.
Nancy made her way toward the
lake, now and then humping into
trees or stumbling over roots, for in
the pitch darkness she could not see
a hands breadth before her.
"Here!" sang the voice close at
hand, and Nancy floundered through
the wet leaves until she touched
something alive. Suppressing a de-
sire to scream, she asked bravely:
What is the matter?"
"I believe I've broken my leg-I've
been lying here for several hours. I
saw the lights of the bungalow, but
it was so quiet there l was afraid
it was deserted. If you can call one
of the men he might help me inside"
1t was a pleasant, refined voice with
a note of authority.
'I will help you in" said Nancy
firmly and she bent down to assist
him.
He was a big man., and heavy and
whatever agony it cost him to crawl
over the hundred yards that led to
the bungalow no one but himself
ever knew Nancy went beside him,
helping him over the rough places
and at the front steps supporting
him into the house.
When the door closed behind them
he sank forward on the great bear |
skin rugs and tainted away
Nancy quite forgot to be afraid.
With an unconscious stranger upon
her hands, she thought of nothing
to pantry and thence to the stove, |
where she heated a kettle of water |
She made him as comfortable as pos |
sibIe on the soft skins on the floor, |
propped his head with pillows re-
stored him with stimulants and then
sat down and looked at him.
He was a youngish man. perhaps
in his early forties, handsome, and