The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-08
The EDening Story
Room to Let.
(By HARMONY Weller. }

L
and patronized the same booksta1ls.
Often he had let his eyes rest upon
her she stood looking over the cur
rent magazines, and one rare Oc-
casion he had followed her into the
elevated train and journeyed as far as
Thirty-fourth street. She had left the
train there, no doubt to shop. The
remainder of the daily trip to Rector
street had seemed sorry affair to
Vance.
He was not sure that the girl had so
much noticed anything attractive
about him. 1t is true that they had
exchanged a ScrutiniZing glance as il
to sum up the general characteristics
of each other. There had been nothing
in the expression of either to excite
the wrath of Mother Grundy, and
Vance came to the conclusion that he
was only one of the many male crea-
lures who had entered her line of Wis
ion.
Vance had long ago made certain
that she was not a business girl in the
strict sense of the word. Otherwise he
would have had the joy of riding each
morning in the elevated with her.
Vance would have seen to it that he
caught the well-timed train
For an habitua1ly level headed man
Vance had done rather senseless
thing in falling in love with girl
whom he had not the power to be-
power had not made itself manifest
nor had a kindly fate come along to
help him in his love affair.
Vance realized that a true hero of
fiction would have tripped on the ele
waited stairs and fallen half the way
down so that the heroine would have
rushed to his side, taken his fevered
head in her arms and held it there I'M
however, had no desire to break his
head. His heart was sufficiently in
jured. The remainder of his physical
being he wanted to keep whole in case
he yxn1 q
his affection and present himself
sound of body well mind before
her. He was not conceited, yet he had
no desire to ruin his face.
Kindly fate did not enter the affair
until Vance had been gazing in silent
admiration for nearly three months at
the girls alluring beauty.
One bright morning in early May, |
Vance noticed that as the girl stood |
in the bookstall she had made the pur-
chase of a sign, on which was printed
in bold letters Room to Let
For the first time since catching |
sight of her Vance followed her
stealthily home. His chance to become
acquainted with her had undoubtedly |
come. If he lost the opportunity thus
flung before him he was a coward
and failure in love affairs. He had
somehow imagined the girl to be |
above the station of letting rooms, but
had she been a cash girl, a waitress |
or an heiress. If he could get room |
in the house in which she lived, every |
thing would be easy.
When he had made sure of the |
number of the more or less shabby |
dwelling in which she lived, Vance |
went back to the elevated station and |
down to business. During the day, |
however, he was beset by fearful wor-
ry lest any one, seeing that sign in
the window, would enter and snatch
the coveted room from beneath his
very eyes. He felt convinced that
every man in New York city would |
make a dash for that room.
However, his fears were groundless
made his way toward the address of
the girl he saw the sign in the win
dow of a room that seemed to be
three flights up.
I have to climb those stairs twice a
day or more" he ruminated; but it
will be worth it until 1 have to go out |
and search for a flat for two"
He mounted the brownstone steps |
leading to the front door and was ad- L
mitted by a slattern1y woman. Vance
hoped it was not the wonder-girl's
parent.
you have a room to let ?" he in
quired politely.
The woman was neither polite nor
gracious, but told him there was one
on the top floor. He could go up and,
see it if he wanted to. With that she
off to the basement and left
Vance to find his way up those three
flights of stairs.
Once there he succeeded in gaining
his breath, then stood gazing at the
closed doors of four rooms,
How in thunder do 1 know which !
room it 81" he questioned there in
the almost pitch darkness of a board
ing house hall.
He felt that his path of love was
not strewn with roses SO far, but he
smiled he realized that he was un-
der the identical roof that sheltered
the wonder girl.
After a seconds thought he rea- '
soned out the room that had the sign g
in it and knocked on the door.
He drew a sharp breath when the
girl herself opened it. For moment /
she, too, was nervously silent. y
''This room,'' blurted Vance, sud- S
denly, lis to 1et-isnt it ?" IN
The girl found voice and command S
of the situation first and opened the y
door for him to enter. Vance did so
and saw a coy room that was ap- t
Darently the den of a writer
MY landlady is most disagreeable." 9
the girl told Vance, and there was a
sparkle of mirth in her eyes. st have
for this room for a year
and she refuses to let me go until
If can subIet it-of
course, she cannot object"
Vance heaved a sigh of relief. The
was in no yEav cnnnecfed