Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1915-06-17
TO RENT, FURNISHED
by HARMONY WELLER.
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per syndicate.)

Iney uVed IN the same nelBnDornOOo
and patronized the same bookstalls.
ofen he had let his. eyes rest upon
her as she stood looking over the cur.
rent magazines, and on one rare &C.
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 re.
mainder Of the daily trip to Rector
street had seemed q sorry AFFAIR to
Vance.
Vance had long ago made certain
that she was not q business girl in
the strict sense of the word. Other
wise he would have had the Joy Of
riding each morning in the elevated
with her, Vance would have seen to
1t that he caught the well-timed
train.
For an habitually level.headed man
Vance had done q rather senseless
thing in falling in love with a girl
whom he had not the power to be-
come acquainted with. At least that
power had not made itself manifest
nor had kindly fate come along to
help him In his love affair.
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 a. 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.
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, When he returned
from the Office and made hia way to-
ward the address Of the girl he saw
the sign in the window Of a room that
seemed to be three flights up.
He mounted the brown stone steps
leading to the front door and was ad-
mitted by q slatternly woman. Vance
hoped 1t was not the wonder-girl's
parent.
The woman was neither polite nor
gracious. but told him there was one
on the top floor. He could 90 up and
see 1t II he wanted to. With that she
shuffled of 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 rooma.
After a seconds thought he reasoned
OUT the room that had the sign in II
and knocked on the door.
He drew a sharp breath when the
girl herself opened 1t. For a moment
she, too, was nervously silent.
This ROOM" blurted Vance, sudden
~. "is to let-isn't 1T"
The girl found voice and command
the situation first and opened the
door for him to enter. Vance die 90
and Saw a coy room that was aR-
parently the den Of q writer,
my landlady Is most disagreeable,"
the girl told Vance, and there was q
sparkle Of mirth In her eyes. Il have
contracted for this room for q year
and she refuses to let me 60 until
September. II / can sublet it-of
course, she cannot object"
Vance heaved a sigh Of relief. The
Vcnder-girl was In no way connected
with the awful person who had let him
Into the house.
II haven't any furniture" he said.
Il thought the room would be fur
nished"
"Oh-I do want to let It furnished"
she told him quickly. you see," she
added shyly, 81 have been selling lots
OF stories lately and can afford q few
months at the sea. But" she sighed,
II am a prisoner In town 30 long as
this room hangs on my hands" Her
eyes were looking softly into Vances
own. The man wondered Afterward
how he refrained from telling her ut
their very first meeting Just how des-
perately he loved her aud had loved
her for three long months. He did
have the temerity to speak quite frank
ly and, looking with peculiar meaning
at her, said:
''It you will select Q summer hotel
near enough for q city man to run
down to each weekend will take
this room and consider myself most
lucky person"
The wonaer-girl tried not to admit
the meaning in his look, but q soft
color creeping into her cheeks told
Vance that she quite understood the
situation. He smiled and the girl
caught the smile and responded.
MY landlady Is the most awful per-
son you can imagine and win want
my furniture In the autumn when /
return to town and you won't like 30
many stairs to climb and" she would
have said more In her nervous excite
ment had Vance not laughed aloud to
relieve the strain.
81 can stand anything" he told her,
$50 long as you permit me your friend
hi, S,,plua The aoVntnR nummoF"