The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-30
EVENING STORY
Doing New York.
(By Louise Oliver.)


Tom Crawford jingled the change in
his pocket and looked out at the snow,
the first of the season. He had mucn
the same thought now that he had had
when the first yellow buds on the
NAPLES in front of the house were
swelling in the spring. Why was II
that the seasons changed so fast and
he was still not engaged to Martha!
Any other chap would have been mar
ried to her long ago, but here he was
as uncertain in his mind as ever about
taking the step that would make her
his forever.
The whole thing amounted to this:
Tommy was never sure that he wanted
Martha forever until some other fel-
low came along and threatened to car
ry out the program himself. Then he
would rise like a gladiator, take a 1all
out of the enemy and manopolize Mar
tha again for a while, always, how
ever, steering clear of the actual sub
ject of marriage, but maintaining
proprietorship that he had no right to.
Il think" he said, with a shrug,
that l need a change. A week or two
of New York will put new life into
me- The girls there have dash and
style that's diverting after diet of
quiet village maidens. Even Martha,
pretty as she is, has about much
pep as milk toast. and altho she's
sweet and restful at times this isn't
exactly the time of year ] feel as tho
L wanted a sedative. I'll just fix things
up today for a much-needed vacation
and take the train east tonight
So he packed up. fixed things at the
office so he could leave, and called
Martha on the phone to say good
by"
when she heard the news. Il was just
going to call you and tell you the same
thing. II going to New York, too.
Cousin Walters wife sent for me to
make them a visit, and L m starting to-
morrow. Wouldn't it be funny if I'd
see you there?"
Now this was Tommy's cue to say:
"Cf course you will, if you give me
YOUR address" But instead he an
swered hastily: Yes, wouldn't it;
but I'm afraid I won't be so lucky.
Every minute will be full to the limit;
business must be attended to, you
know But l hope you have a fine
time, little girl, and won't quite for
get me while you're doing society"
His tone was tender, but mentally
he was registering a sentiment some
thing like this: Poor Martha! Her
New York won't be mine. Most like
ly she'll be left minding the baby up
in a Harlem flat while Cousin Walters S
wife goes shopping. But, anyway,
what else could Martha do in a sporty
place like New York? She's a misfit
prettiest girl in this little town.
And with his mind firmly fixed upon
the good time he intended to have
with Brinton from Albany, whom he
had wired to meet him, he boarded
the $3.50 express and forgot all about
Martha.
But when he reached the hotel
next morning he found a telegram
from Brinton saying that he couldn't
be present at the festivities on account
iNf jn11 Eoo fn hn
his own and that he and his wife were
going south their honeymoon.
This was a damper because he had
always counted on Brinton to steer
him around. Brinton knew who ev-
erybody was, the latest stage favorites,
the movie stars, which cabaret was
the most popular at the minute, and
the latest gasp in dances
However, Tommy had a quality of
character that had helped to build
his fortune, which was never to say
die. So as he had planned to have
time in New York, time he would
have. He registered with a flourish,
engaged a $40 room and started in.
He tried to think of what he and
Brinton had done in the mornings on
their last visit to Manhattan; surely
they had done something to choke in
the time. He stood at window in
the lobby watching the crowds hurry
past. What the deuce did every one
| find to do? Where was every one
going in such a rush? What had he
Then he remembered. Why, sleep,
of course. They never got to bed un-
/ til 3 or 4, and they rose at noon.
| There were no mornings. Oh, those
were good old times,
Well, he hadn't come to New York
to sleep, so he sauntered out and ran
into a policeman.
whats worth seeing?" he asked,
the usual question of the uninitiated
We'll, there's the Metropolitan mu-
scum and the Bronx Zoo, the Botanical
Gardens and the Aquarium. You
might go to the top of the Woolworth
building or take a boat around the
island, or go down to Coney. tho there
amt much doing down there this time
o year. If you like to skate. the rinks
are open.''
But Tommy had turned on his heel.
True, he had never seen any of these
things, but he hadn't come 500 miles
to see them this time, either.
The day passed in some way. He
went to the Hippodrome in the after
noon and the opera in the evening.
But La Boheme" bored him and he
lef before it was over. He picked a
cabaret at random, but he did not en-
/ joy it. The people were all in twoS or
fours. He was the only one alone and
| he didn't know a soul. 1t seemed to
him that every one was working
most nightly to have a good time
/ What was there about all this fool
nonsense they liked? And the girlsi
I Last time he had thought them stun
ming. but somehow they. too, had
/ changed. So much paint, so little
| skirt, such queer coiffurcs and lack
I of restraint. The cigarette smoking
| which Lad been bit of daredevilish-
ness to him before had become so
prevalent now that it lacked snap.
| Then he went to bed, the first minute
he had enjoyed all day.
| But Tommy was game. He had
| come to New York for a time, SO a