The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-01
The Evening Story
The Closed Road.
(By Keith Kenyon.)


on Friday night he hadn't any very
distinct idea of where to go, but as
he passed to the elevator and looked
at the door of the office that used to
be Jane Tenny's he decided on a trip
to Piney Roads. Jane Tenny had been
a public stenographer. but when
things had grown dull in Wall street
she had given up her business venture
and moved off to Piney Roads to seek
her fortune in chickens and fruit
farming.
There is no use hurrying back on
Monday" Perry's senior partner had
told him as he left the office. '.Busi-
ness is dull and you might as we'll
enjoy the country as sit around in this
hot office
Perry hurried home to his boarding
house and that evening after dinner
dropped in at the garage to see that
his roadster was ready for an early
start in the morning.
1t wasn't altogether an easy task,
this first visit to Piney Roads. In the
first place, Jane hadn't asked him to
come. In fact. Jane had never been
very encouraging, and all that Bert
knew about her address was that 1T
was Piney Roads. With the aid of
his road book and in spite of several
unnecessary detours. Bert finally got
to Piney Roads bore the legend, 40
Miles"
1t was O'Clock Saturday evening
and Bert decided that his first stop
would be at the Piney Roads hotel.
There he would dress@it would never
do to let Jane see him dust covered
and grimy as he was-have dinner
and, later in the evening, perhaps tel
ephone to Jane.
There was but one hotel in Piney
Roads and, although there was con-
siderable summer touring through
that region. Bert had heard from
others that it was none too luxurious
in its appointments. He consulted his
roadbook Turn at the second road
to the right after leaving Piney Roads
turnpike" it directed. And, in spite
of the bad condition of the roads, he
found his way without asking ques-
lions.
Its a neatly kept little place."
thought Bert, as he surveyed the sym
metrical rows of hol1yhocks on either
side of the path, although it doesn't
seem very large"
Then he sounded his horn for some
one to come and take his car, but no
one seemed to be stirring and there
was no sign of a garage. He sounded
long and impatiently until at last
from behind the house appeared an
old man in overalls.
You fellows take your own time
around here" grumbled Bert. Here,
run this car into your garage or show
me where to go, and then wake up
the proprietor and tell him to give me
the best room he's got
There amt any garage round
here, drawled the man. You'll have
to take your machine down to the
crossing
Bert laughed grimly. That's fine
note,' he said. well, at least you've
got a stable or a shed where L can
put it. Fine kind of house you fellows
keep"
The old man smiled. Eyes, we do
think it looks pretty fine this year,
though I don't see that there's much
profit in them hollyhocks"
Where is the PROPRIETOR Bert
was getting impatient and, as the old
man seemed not to understand, he
added. the man who keeps the place,
1 mean"
"oh.. now I understand" dravked
nan-it's lady. She was back in the
orchard picking cherries, and she said
she had just stepped in to tidy up a
bit and would be out soon. Here
she is
Then Bert caught sight of a pink
dress and then he recognized Jane
Jane, whose interesting, pale face had
grown positively pretty since her So
journ in the country
And how unembarrassed and cordial
she was! She really seemed to be
From the garden 1 could see it was
you," she said, land 1 just had to take
off my sunbonnet. 1 don't want you
to make fun of my farming
There followed a few explanations.
mo, am not the proprietor of the
hotel" Jane assured him. There
must be some mistake in the road
tourist today who has come here
with the idea And you really came
all the way up here to see me? Why
didn't you let me know? But it
Il l. 81
just tell Mrs. Stokes, the farmers
wife, to get the guest room ready.
1t will only take a few minutes. I
know you must be anxious to get
off your dusty clothes, and then I'll
show you around the place"
Just then another car pulled into
the driveway, car of French build
that made Bert's modest roadster
look insignificant
..I say" called one of its two occu-
pants to the farmer, who was just
making his way back to the orchard,
where is the garage of this estab-
you have the proprietor ready to see
US when we get back here. We've
only twenty minutes for dinner
That's the way it's been all the
explained to the distinguished looking
tourists that her modest little house
made no pretenses at being
hosiery.
mat great disappointment,
said one of the men. ''It promised to
be something out of the ordinary in
the way of inns. When saw it I
felt certain you'd give dinner
worth eating. What? Back one road ?
Thank you
When Bert returrer to the veranda
from the room, Jane had solved the
mystery.
I've been looking at your road book
and it says that the way to get to the
inn is to turn at the second road after
you leave the pike Well, the county
has just closed up the first road and
put a row of poplars across it. That
accounts for. the cnnf11sion