Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-13
"where are the matches ?"

where are the Matches
Nan stumbled over a tabourette and
emitted startled exclamation.
''Forevermore! Eleanor, where on
earth are you?"
stand stlll until I can find where the
switch is. goose" There came the click
of button and the long reception hall
lay revealed in a flood of light Thank
goodness, the current wasn't shut off.
Everything else seems to be. It's better
than waiting five hours at the station,
anyhow, and we can get little sleep be-
fore we catch the morning train"
Where are you going? Don't leave
me alone. I've got the everlasting multi
grubs now. It's Ike a haunted house,
Eleanor smiled down at the forlorn,
tired figure on the offending tabourette.
II Just want to call mother up on long
distance so she won't send the gar down
to meet us at daybreak." She lifted the
receiver from the stand telephone. Hello,
hello? Operator? Why. this is turned
off, Nan"
1--WE could go to a hotel" dubiously.
WELL we won't Wen go right up
stairs and go to bed In comfort" Eleanor
drew of her long gloves and yawned
II was after u, and they both needed
rest more than anything after the trip
down from the mountains. Nan peered
down the shadowy hall
Empty houses are awful places, I
think. They always seem sort OF dead.
DO you remember Tennyson's Deserted
House'?s
Life and thought have gone away,
side by side "
''No, / don't, 'Fraid Cat" Eleanor
picked up her suitcase and cloak. II
don't believe in ghosts or gobble'uns, or
any fearscme things at all. Come along"
It was cheerer IN the cozy bedroom
suite upstairs The rooms connected with
each other, and Nan rambled about. her
brown hair in two long braids, and a
kirnono wrapped about her. looking at
the glrlish knicknacks and photographs
scattered about. 1t was Eleanors own
special corner of the house. One could
trace each of her college years by the
books. pennants and kodak pictures. All
at once she stopped short. Tucked into
a corner was one photograph that seemed
different from all the rest. II was such
a splendidly manly young face that
smiled out at one from it. He seemed
to take the whole world into his con-
fdence. Nan turned It over and read
on the back in scrawling, boyish writ
ing;
"Devotedly, Bill"
over at the little white dressing table
Eleanor sat brushing her hair. Somehow
no one would ever have connected her
with college boys who signed themselves,
Devotedly, Bill" She was so self-con-
tained. 80 rather imperious in her ways.
At old Brangwaine Hall. where Nan had
been her classmate for four years, the
other girls had nicknamed her Queen
Eleanor" But Bill did not belong to the
Brangwaine days. Nan knew there had
been a special course up at Cornell when
Eleanor had left the hall Bill surely
belonged to that period. And suddenly
Nan :huckled to think that dear old
dignihed Nell, as they had called her.
should have had a romance all by herself
with this wide-eyed, joyous youngster.
What are you chuckling over?" asked
Eleanor
''Devotedly. Bill"
"oh. Nell. 1 didn't mean to stir up
enything-
''oh, it's all right. You didn't strike
any heavy minor chord" She looked
down ht the photograph tenderly He
was Just boy met up at Cornell last
winter, the very nrst boy that ever dared
TO love me. You know, Nan, how IL
seemed as II I always rather frightened
away men. never could firt and be
nice like the rest OF you girls. And up