The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-18
The Eoeni1,e Story

The Eueni1e Story
PhilanthrUplc Philip.
(By Dorothy Douglas.)
Sally Van Camp came home In =
state OF complete exhaustion from re-
hearsal. Since the losing of the en-
velope with her salary In it she had
been forced to go about her strenuous
days with scarcely enough food to
nourish canary and to sing and give
forth her vitality as IL the lack of
food were thing OF no consequence
for singing every night and two
afternoons q week In q big musical
comedy chorus was all she possessed
in the way Of financial support. Each
penny of it was carefully melted out
to snatch what she could OF life. while
body and soul seemed ever ready to
Qart-so great was the struggle.
| took her every penny to spread out
over the week. SO that at the end ct
| those seven days Sally would have
starved save for the fact that another
pay day arrived.
The wolf, ever prowltng about Sal
lays ballroom door, threatened an en-
trance during the days following the
loss OF her pay envelope. Already
Sally had tainted once at the theater
from lack Of proper food and a curt
| hint from the manager had warned
her that a second performance OF that
kind would rob her Of her meager pay.
Sally dared not faint again, and she
gritted her teeth and wondered II body
and soul could possibly hang together
| while whole week passed.
| However, three days had been got
through Had Sally not spent fifty
cents on an advertisement in the lost
and found column after she had
| h.
way she could have had some lunch
for five days. As 1t was, she had to
fight the pangs of hunger and won
der II any one finding her money
would ever return it.
| Philip Turner, who had read the
advertisement, pondered long and
specu1atively over 1t. He. surrounded
by every luxury and the manager of
a successful restaurant where people
dined and wined and listened to cab
aret music. felt strangely upset that
some poor working girl had lost a
trifling sum Of So and that it was her
all.
Perhaps Philip Turner was half
philanthropic. Certainly he was curl
Gus 70 see il the girl who had lost her
salary In q white envelope was honest.
Turner's hobby, IL hobby it could be
called, was to test human nature. II
he found it wanting he only shrugged
his massive shoulders and forgot the
weakling. II the character under his
observation proved worthy 1t was
Philips habit to swing the arm of
friendship around that person and
perform his part of the bargain.
whom he had succored worshiped
him.
81 will send S. v. c.. a white en-
velope with IS in it and tell her
found it in the subway" he decided
as q conclusion to his speculations re-
|
It was the fourth day of Sally's
enforced fast when the letter from
Philip Turner arrived with the en-
velope inclosed. She had come home
at 1880 from the theater SO weary
that the stairs leading to her attic
room and haunted her all the way
home as a task quite beyond her
power OF accomplishment
Upon seeing the letter addressed to
herself Sally opened 1t alphabetically.
She was far too tired to enthuse or
to realize that it might be an answer
to her advertisement. The sight of
the money unnerved her for sec
Ond and her slim hand was obliged
to seek support for her body.
Sally knew instantly that the money
was not that which she had lost. The
envelope and the bills were not her
own She did not for the moment
found and sent to her as supposedly
| the one she mad lost.
Across the street a midnight shop
Haunted its blaze Of light into Sally's
was the illuminated sign that goaded
her into using the money as her own.
Had Sally been in her right senses
she would not for q second have coun-
tenanced the action she was perpe-
trating. It was nothing more or less
than theft. but Sally's weary faculties
were too far spent to comprehend that
She had q rehearsal ON the following
day at 10 o'clock, and without food
to eat before retiring she we'll knew
that the theater would npt see her.
Her position would 60 and. with that
what not? Sally did not ask her.
self those appalling questions, but
went to the shop across the way and
she was faint but not no faint but that
I'the turkey sandwich set her ON her
feet and made q sleepy and contented
girl OF her.
In the light Of day and with clearer
reasoning faculties sally felt her posi-
tlon keenly. She had deliberately
used the money of some other person
and she would not be able to repay
then 1t would have to be done in small
fnsta11ments saved from her already
overtAxed salary. Should her own
money be found, then OF course she
and acquaint him with facts.
sfraiehfforward sally that found her
way to the home Of Philip Turner
lLuckt1y he was In His servant led
sally through sumptuous halls until
she Wa9 shown into the library whore
In Philip did his dreaming.
The breadth Of him when he arose
} at sally's entrance quite startled her.
and It was wide open oyes Of deepest
blue that met Philips during his first
6ltmpoe OF sally Van Camp. He
smiled at her timidity. and sally be-
came herself.
she smiled ham wistfully ~ shs
handed baek the envelope