Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-01-23
LEONE and OMELET
BY JUNE GAHAN.

more around the Dig studio, Wnere
there was a fascinating clutter of cas-
els and paint tubes, sheaves of brushes
in ancient pottery jars, portfolios
spilling their contents in dusty cor
ners, cabinets of curios from every
corner of the world, and the melan-
choly assemblage of Jim's unsold pic
lures.
The room was rapidly growing dark,
and Leoine lighted lamp and sat
down at the table to write few caus-
tic lines to her most forgetful brother.
"There!" she murmured, as her lit
tie hand folded the paper. You won't
forget that lecture very soon, Master
Jim!"
A moment later she had extin-
grished the lamp and was cropping to-
ward the door. 1t resisted all her ef-
forts to open it. The knob simply re-
fused to turn. She pounded on the
door in the vain hope of attracting the
attention of some other tenant of the
building. She remembered with a
tremor of fear that Jim had said the
other tenant of the top floor had gone
abroad, that there was no telephone in
the studio
There was no fire escape and the
great windows in the slant of the roof
did not offer hope of escape. There
was no possibility of Jim missing her
for hours and he would only seek the
studio after he had been home and had
been reminded of the dinner engage
ment This was the second time he
had forgotten her. 1t would be the
last.
He won't have another opportun-
ity," half sobbed Leone as she leaned
drearily against the window that
looked out on the fiat roof of the build
ing next door. 1t was an older build
ing and Leone knew it as place
pigeon-holed with the tiny studios of
impecunious painters and art students.
Jim had started there, but had moved
into the more pretentious building next
door when it was opened.
II believe l could get down there
The daring thought came to Leone as
| she looked down at the roof below. II
| was a drop of twelve feet, but Leone
Colson wss like a cat on her feet and
| quite fearless.
She pushed the window wide open
selected sofa pillow from the heat
on the couch, tossed it to the roof be
low, gathered her trim skirts about hel
little feet, sat on the sill, slipped tt
the wide coping below, and from there
| jumped toward the light patch tha
| represented the pillow.
The moon peeEed over the roof o
the taller building and saw Leon,
| struggle to her feet. She was gaspins
for breath and she felt bruised ant
beaten as she picked up her scattere,
belongings-stole and muff and hand
bag, and as many of her amber hat
pins as the moonlight revealed.
/ SILLY IDIOT" muttered Leone. limp
ing toward skylight which showed
yellow patch of light. How do know
whether anyone will let me into tn
building? My story sounds incredibl
| -but-ah." She peered down int
the room beneath.
1t was a small room and meanly ful
nished with the barest necessities.
convertible couch bed, table, fe,
chairs, bookcases, and some paintin
paraphernalia. The canvasses wer
turned face to the wall.
"a young man, gaunt of frame, griI
of countenance, was cooking soms
thing over small gas stove. Presen
ly he came and laid table for on
person. 1t was meager meal when
! 90 ha'
loaf of rather dry-looking bread, and
most appetizing omelet hot from th
pan.
At that moment, when the youn
man was about to sit down to th
4 meal-and somehow Leone knew thu
he was hungry for it-she arose wit
the intention of finding some stairwa
that would lead into the building. Th
sight of the appetizing meal had mad
her hungry.
AS she turned away her heavy gol
mesh bag slipped from her careles
grasp, struck the glass skylight an
disappeared from her startled sight.
From below came the sound of
crashing of china and a surprise
shout. Two minutes later door bur
open and the gaunt young man. e
cited and wrathful, appeared on tt
roof
Leone hurried toward him.
Il am so sorry" she tried to e
plain; but l was trying to find IL
way down and 1 dropped my bs
and"
you spoiled perfectly good ON
lett" he interrupted tragically. "Wor.
luck, too-the last egg had" The
with closer look at her, his tol
changed to one of astonishmer
What under the sun are you doing =,
here?"
Leone held her head haughtily. 81
was hungry and she was near to tear
Her ankle hurt-she believed that 81
had sprained it, and he was so We
angry
AS for the man, he stared back
her with incesasing surprise. Oh
does not expect to find on the roof of
studio building at eight p. M bea