The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-04-06
The Epeni1g Story
Forty Winks.
DIV Dorothy Blackmore.

of her little apartment at IL O'Clock
midnight. She did not know a family
| whom she could call upon for a
nights hospitality, and she knew that
| the hotels would object to taking in
an unknown young woman who had
| no luggage.
"Well-it's here!' She emitted a
| sigh that trembled it's way out. I've
| that it's staring me in the face I'm
afraid of it. What-what shall l do =
| She descended the stone steps lead
| ing from the house in which she had
a miniature home. Delphine worked
on a morning newspaper, and her
| work kept her away from home until
late. Tonight she had absentmindedly
left her key inside the apartment, and
did not realize that she had done II
until now.
AT daylight she could get lock-
smith to open the door for her, but 1t
was nearly six hours until she could
expect to approach SUCH a conVen-
fence. The spring night air was emily
and Delphine did not entertain with
much joy the prospect OF walking
about the streets all night.
IF 1 had a laprobe L could make
myself comfortable in a park, but L
should freeze myself into pneumonia
without one,' she considered as she
passed one of the neat but now lonely
squares of the neighborhood.
Whenever she saw any one p
walk briskly as with a purpose, and
kept up this gait until the passerby
was well out of earshot.
Thoughts of why she had ever
wanted to leave home to work for
such a meager salary on newspaper
passed through her head. None of the
glowing enthusiasm that so OFTEN pos
sessed her seemed to be with her to-
night as she walked from one respect
able steet to another trying to pass
away the dark hours and save her
reputation. Why had she always been
anxious for career. for the economic
independence that woman'S pages and
speechmaking women prated Of? Why
had she nc been content to pursue
the hometown sociological work that
opened up before her and which per-
mitted of her living at home in com
At O'Clock she felt as if she could
walk no longer. and in spite of the
fear of cold she sat down on a bench
in Franklin square. Not another soul
was in sight. She almost wished it
were one of the big New York parks.
where she would at least have the So
ciety of other Migrants.
''Vagrants?" she breathed-and she
could see her breath on the chill
morning air. 1t looked like a vapor-
Gus cloud, and amused her for mo-
ment. Il never expected to be a va
grant. WHY might even be arrest
ed" she admitted, with trepidation
and looking around in every direction.
Then I'd lose my precious position
and my career would be gone. Faith
err would never let me go away from
home again if he knew of this
In the midst of these soliloquies,
she saw an automobile dash around
the corner of the square and stop be-
fore a house on the opposite side of
the square and in which she had al
ready noticed many lights.
Delphine noticed that young
woman jumped out first and ran up
the steps to the house. The man stop
ped to throw a robe carefully over
the engine of the car, and she judged
from this act that he inteded to be
gone for some time. She also observed,
as he passed under the now illumi-
mated archway of the door that he
carried a bag.
1T must be doctor-and there is
Illness" Delphine decided.
She was nearly stiff with cold by
now and began to walk again. She
crossed the small square and passed
the house in front of which the auto
mobile stood. She stopped for a mo-
ment and looked into the warm, cosy
looking cart was the first time an
ordinary runabout had looked attract
i've to her; but now she felt as if it
would be a veritab1e heaven to snuggle
down in the leather corner inside and
wrap the remaining robe about her.
why not ?" she asked herself sud
denly, stealing a quick glance at the
house. I'm sure he is a doctor and
would De gone by the time he re- |
turned. Passersby would think me |
only some one waiting for the owner
to return. IL can't resist it," she |
almost whispered, she was so cold and |
She felt very much like a thief or |
a burglar she stepped cautiously |
into the car and hid back in the cor |
ner. 1T will take me only a minute |
to get warm, and-oh, i am so cold
so cold and miserable
1t was all she could do to keep from |
crying as she felt the soft comfort |
of the leather cushion and tucked the |
rug about her. Every minute she told |
herself that she would get out and |
proceed on her lonely way. but every
minute brought her further comfort |
and she could see no sign of any one |
from within.
At last Delphine slept; she slept in |
a strange automobile on a city street |
at 4:30 o'clock in the morning She |
had been too utterly weary to resist |
the call of sleep.
When she awoke an hour and a half |
later it was to look into the anxious I
eyes of DIR. Baldwin Gray. He was |
bending over her. She was not sure |
that he had not shaken her; she re- |