The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-12
TIE EVENING Story
Serrano's Senorita.
IBy Louise Merrifield.1

L
| She was at it again.
| Serrano stood back in the center
| of his own room, out of sight, ano
! watched her.
| Between them lay two yards, high
| fenced, uninhabited by humans. Never
during his two weeks residence at BOZ
had he seen any person down in those
barren little oblongs of earth. But IL
the house opposite she lived in room
| on the same floor as his own.
"I have been in New York one
month" Serrano had written bach
home to Panama. TT is most enter
tanning, but very, very lonely. make
no friends. 1t is wise, yes. 1 am but
| a poor Spanish student, madre milo, not
that which is called here 'spender.
One may not be a spender on dreams,
yes? A mere student, l, g. translator
day times IN a coffee establishment
By night a student in these most ex-
cellent United States colleges. So does
one become proficient in the amb1t1orA.
the hope, the heart dream of success
In two years 1 shall be at home once
again. Fear not for me. L forget
never tina. have the honor to be
your most affectionate and faithful
son. ,9JOoE-
Every day a similar letter went soutl4
to sonora Serrano, widow of the great
civil engineer who had been killed by
a. fall in the canal works, one fatai
over the towering lock.
Money was left certainly, but Jose
had sworn he would touch only what
was necessary for his education In
these student days. He would be IKE
his father, a civil engineer. He would
sail to New York, the city of gold.
and study there, work, fight his own
way. There would be then plenty for
his mother to maintain the two great
estates where so many American Oil
Gals had known Serrano hospitality.
Yet, after two weeks, even with the
highest ideals and forhhed by pre-
judices and resolutions both, jose
watched every day, once, twice, morn
ing and evening, for the figure in pink
negligee in the house opposite.
She was tall and slender, and di-
vinely young. Also she had splen-
dor of dark hair. He had watched it
fall in ripping beauty over her Shout
in much fresh air. Her windows were
wide open to the Manhattan ozone
from morning till night. Never did
she appear even to glance at those
opposite Jose knew why. She was
in some great, mysterious trouble. She
brooded She was miserable.
But today she was suffering more
than usual He stared, fascinated by
ner actions. She paced the floor, not
swiftly, but with steady, slow, rhytn-
mic step like some Gagged leopardess.
Sometimes she would pause before the
mirror. stare at the sad, strained face
reflected there, raise her hands above
her head as If in duplication, sink
on her knees and sob, then presently
back to the steady pacing. Her lips
moved constantly as if in prayer.
Jose felt he should go mad if it con-
tinued. Every nerve in his body was
tense with the desire to save her from
whatever it was she feared. His imagi-
nation pictured ten Thousands perse-
cutions. Finally, as she dropped again
to her knees, her shoulders shaking in
a perfect agony of emotion, he seized
his hat and rushed from his room.
The door slammed behind him. Down
the steps, two, three at a jump, he
sped down the street, around the cor
ner, and up the next street. Her num-
Der would be 80, he judged. There was
ivy clinging to 1T.
He traced it easily, and ran up the
steps in a fever of impatience. Come
her. He could at least offer his aid. |
let her know that in all that vast city |
there was one who would esteem it a |
blessed privilege to be allowed to help |
her.
The door opened. Chilled water |
seemed to course down his spine as he |
sought to explain his madness to |
placid old Mrs. Gilligan, the landlady. |
IT greatly wish to speak with the |
young lady on the third floor, in the /
back of the residence he stammered. |
Mean Miss Leonardo She turned !
her head, and called up the stairs, /
pleasantly, "Oh, Miss Leonard, gen.
.leman calling?''
And he was left there in the mar
-ow hall, alone, waiting. Down the
-wo flights he heard her tripping to-
ward him.
"Oh, dear, was sure it was a mes
she apologized. Did you
wish to see me?''
Jose's eyes never left her lovely
ace. Her eyes were blue, blue as
'orget-me-nots. no, he told himself,
| deeper, rarer blue, the blue of his
own southern skies when twilight fell.
And her face, tender yet proud, like
lis mothers. He threw himself on
Ter mercy, and told why he had
come. They had stepped into the long
irawing room Of the old-fashionedi