The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-20
The Euenine Story
Mr.. Dents caller.
(By Olive Roberts Barton,

UG41B8 O0UeXs
| (By Olive Roberts Barton.)
| The double row of statesmen in the
anteroom OF the private office changed
expression when the door opened with
9 jerk and Smith emerged red and
| furious with a sample case in each
hand. Evidently Julius Dent of the
J firm Of John Dent & Sons was not in
q gracious mood.
| A young woman who had come in
| few minutes before and deposited
her bag at her feet was favored now
J with commiserating smiles instead of
the envious scowls which had greeted
her. Her turn was next, according to
the unwritten law among commercial
travellers. IT was case of ladies first.
SO be 1t. II Julius Dent were cross,
let her take what was coming. Per-
+, hapS her siren smiles would coax him
into q better humor.
Dick, the office boy, on Julius Dents
good days. that is. days that he had
retired before 4 g. m, would have
announced the new arrival behind his
i hand thus, "A pippin to see you, sir -
Upon which Mr.. Dent would have
pulled his tie straight, jerked down
his waistcoat, slicked over his we'll
barbered hair, and let fall the mask
OF businesslike severity he always an
nexed when dealing with gentlemen
| Of the road.
This particular morning having been
Il II.
Julius had turned out the hall light at
home, Dick knew better than to MUIR
muir behind his hand, and Mr.. Dent
was not desirous OF making an Inn
preston on any one.
- The boy held the door open re-
SIR" and the gentleman at the desk.
with his feet propped thereon, yaWned
twice before he turned languidly to in
spect the newcomer.
n. =
IxmaTked mentally. why In. thun-
der can't they seild man II could
Just Hwear hard at some one for about
+, an hour and a quarter I'd feel better.
That's the next best thing to going
He slowly removed his feet from the
/ desk. but not his hands from his
pockets.
"sit down." curtly.
The lady flushed painfully. no,
same tone. .'I shall only be here a
minute: I'll be very much obliged If
you will"
Great governor! Only here q min
ute! Did this butterfly think that all
she had to do was to flutter a note
book. open her satchel and write down
the orders as he picked things out?
She was probably selling perfumes, or
near-gold jewelry. Well. he would
show this green young agent a thing
take some Of her precious time and
never mind about the order. It
rather pleased him to think Of the
weary souls waiting in the anteroom.
too.
No. Mr.. Dent had never stuck pins
through caterpillers when he was a
, boy just to see them Wiggle. He need.
ed sleep, that was all.
.'Sit down." he interrupted sternly.
The girl sat down, astonished.
sSNhaf have Won got 2ss eVe1nQ har
"Gote" blankly. ..what do you
mean?" Then woman's intuition
swiftly enlightened her. "Oh! we'll"
There's some candy, and.
Let me see it!''
She fell n her knees and drew
forth a two pound bog Of chocolates.
who took It. looked It over, noted the
name of the manufacturer, and hand
eve can't sell this-too high priced.
ANYTHING slse2 IL T. =. this a side line or
'sYou might call It a side line" med
itatively, because I don't eat much
chocolate 1t upsets me dreadfully.
No. it isn't my regular stuff. Any
thing else? you asked. Why, yes! I
things, q couple of magazineA curling
irons, and q little eiderdown slumber
pillow forgot to put in my trunk. :"
Mr.. Dent had turned away and was
gazing intently out Of the window at the
skyline. The red which had mounted to
his face was plainly visible also over tho
top Of his collar in back.
IF there is nothing more you wish to
know about my luggage, she said with
gravity that belied the twinkle In her eye,
"I believe will 60. Oh. forgot to tell
you that in my handbag have four
handkerchiefs, . vanity case. nfty-eight
dollars and some cents. = buckeye found
this morning on the street, can never
resist picking them up-and-
He sprang to his feet "P1oase STOP"
he cried. IT confess have made Z fright
ful mistake. 1t seems tame to beg yor
pardon-but It II about all can do. You
sec mistook you for"
"Oh, that's all right" she replied amia-
bly,. Don't feel badly. please. think
I'd better be going now"
ssBut won't you tell, me what you came
for? There won't be any service too
much trouble. I assure you. Please let me
do something
s~There was something. but really I've
changed my mind There In nothing at
All Won can do for me now. Thank you.
Just the same. Good morning.
There was more than cha&rin In his
voice when he answered. Good morning.
What was the matter with him? He had
deliberately allowed her to walk out into
fha world without finding out the least
thing about her. He would never SEQ her
a9nln. that was certain, there was NO
Wv he could make amends. He would
something different from brute II he
That evening when he came down to
01unee hiB young sister introduced him t.