The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-21
THE EVENING STORY
Night Patrol.
BY Dorothy Douglas.)


ed into Patricia's soul. She lay wide
awake drinking in long draughts of
midnight fragrance and wondering not
. that her brother and his wife were SO
vastly contented in their country
home.
st am a nomad," sighed Patricia, yet
her blood tingled through her veins at
| the secret knowledge that she would
soon again be on her vagabond way,
straytng perhaps, even into the heart
of Africa.
Patricia's sister-in-law had given
her a room on the ground floor, and
| it was without trace of fear that the
~irl had left her easement windows
open through the hush of the night.
ct wonder" unused Patricia, "wheth-
er or not a night marauder would have
scene? I doubt it," she murmured
and dozed off into semi-consciousness.
She awoke because her brain was
keeping rhythmic time to soft foot
Patricia sat up and listened.
us that footstep stealthly and pad
ded, or Is it merely a passerby?" she
asked herself "a belated home
Conner" she decided, but continued to
listen.
The footsteps grew nearer and
seemed to be encircling the house.
Suddenly they stopped. Patricia felt
strained forward so as to look out
over the garden. The moon had slip
ped behind cloud and only vast
darkness greeted her.
looming up out of foggy sea, a
mans figure INSTRUCTED Patricia's
vision of that outer world. The figure
was apparently perched upon the wide
coping that surrounded the veranda.
The girl almost guilty of holding a
tense breath, watched him tumble for
his pipe and tobacco and leisurely
strike a match. She heard him swear
softly when the first match went out.
But the second attempt was success
full and when the light of the match
flared across his face Patricia caught
a swift breath.
With an instantaneous flash she was
thrown back on memory'S path. A
bi" ocean liner was blowing it's way
silently over a moonlit sea and there
on the bow of the boat stood a man
and girl. The mans voice was deep
throated and had sent its vibrations
over the girls sensitive frame; his
eyes were like points of cut steel and
he seemed to be carved from granite,
so unyielding was his l-ature to hers.
HE did not love me a Bit sighed
Patricia and looked out again at the
man on her veranda who so resem-
bled the man of the sea.
slim wedge of moonbeam darted
out from the cloud and Haunted its
brilliancy over the intruder's face.
1T is he" Patricia half whispered
and lay back among the pillows to
wonder at the presence of the man
whom she supposed to be in Australia.
"And is he a highway robber, a sleep
walker or merely roet inspired by
tie moonbeams? The latter is not
probable" sighed Patricia, and a Curl
Gus little smile lurked in her eyes
After a long smoke, there on her
veranda, the man got up and again the
rhythmic football lulled Patricia to
sleep.
At breakfast she summoned her
n w 7o tn, ho1
mind. Her brother smiled as she
questioned.
WAS I dreaming last night or do
tho inhabitants of this park prowl
about at all hours of the night and
light pipes on their neighbors' veran-
das?"? She glanced up, her eyes
slightly yelled.
Jimmy Collins laughed and turned
to his wife. Pat must have been
seeing some of the night PATROL
Might patrol?" Patricia questioned,
trying to retain her calm.
I'VE forgot to tell you last night
that we have been having so many
burglaries in the park that we found
1t necessary to band ourselves into
night watch" Jimmy sighed. I'VE
men take turns and patrol the park
suppose you were frightened
MOO" said Patricia, at was only
wondering who the man was whom
I saw last night" Notwithstanding
her cheeks.
Jane Collier scrutinized her sister-in-
law and demanded a description of
the man who thus brought the
bushes so sham eless1y to view
"Of course he is good looking"
laughed Patricia, land his eyebrows
are so heavy that they meet over his
blue eyes"
Jimmy laughed.
''Hoskins!' he exclaimed. "And
where, pray, in your vagabond career
have you run across Sidney Hos
kins ?' He exchanged a glance with
his wife to make sure that she. too,
observed the unusual hiding of Pats
eyes.
"Once upon a time" began Patricia |
in the voice of one telling fairy stor- /
les, "a man and a girl were thrown !
together on moonlit sea- In the end
the girl knew that she had dashed her
forces against a granite man. That
is ALL" Patricia looked up and smiled .
because she was called the Smiling
girl" Jimmy exchanged another |
glance with his wife.
"And the ruined, broken hearted |
one is Pat Collins and the man in the /
case is Hoshns," laughed Jimmy. |
''You might take a shot at him to-
night" he suggested.
81 may do that" Patricia told them
with twinkling eyes. "Or might
enter the cloisters."
''wen. do not make scandal in the
whatever you do" adj
Enonished Jimmy's wife.
IT won't If I can help it," Patricia
told her, and added under her breath,
''You cannot always help things, how
ever"
That night when the village clock
struck midnight Sidney Hoskins was
startled by an apparition that seemed
to rise from the very ground itself.
He was sitting quietly on the veranda
Of the Collins home wishing for q
IfC T7la1xr NO rk7l
when a figure that resembled moth
ing save a fleecy white cloud came
before him.
Il do not remember drinking any,