The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-24
The EUening Story
An Informal Tea.
CBy Louise Oliver.)

&
tiny cakes Dasie had left for her in the
whole thing into her ten-by-ten sit
ting room-she didn't dare call it a liv-
ing room, for who could do aught but
sit in ten feet by ten?
She sat down in window chair by
little willow table close to a diminu-
tive heater. and while waiting for the
water to boil opened a fresh box of
caramels and tore the wrapper from
her latest favorite magazine. II go
ing to be so comfy" she purred con-
tentedly. looking around the artistic
little room with a glow of pride.
She had reason to be proud of the
| lilliputian flat, for small as it was it
was the home of an artist, from the
front room flower pots to the stove
pipe in the kitchen. Cornelia was SUI
pervisor of art in a girls school near
the city. Every day at /, after noisy,
dirty trip on the cars, she had her tea
to wash the crayon, water colcrs and
carbon out of her system.
She filled her cup with the aromatic
brew and took a sip. "Um! how de-
| licious," She nipped at a dainty cake
with her pearly front teeth. 1t melted
and was gone. Cornelia purred con-
tented little noises and pulled her
chair nearer to the table, prepared to
enjoy her feast to the full. She prop
ped up the magazine, opened the box
of candy and the show was on.
Bangi The door of the living room
opened like a gunshOt, hitting a black
and-White striped china jardiniere
with a Jerusalem cherry tree in it and
knocking the whole business over, and
as inStantaneOu5ly and eXplosiVe1y
closed again. So quickly did it happen
that Cornelia would nave thought she
had been dreaming except that in the
place of the striped jardiniere stood
striped young man, or rather the bath
robe effect in which he was sheltered
was awning striped, and the person
concealed beneath was evidently
shivering under the shade of the avn
ing, from the way the stripes were
wiggle-Waggling in dizzy waves. More
over, the feet which appeared below
the stripes were bare and still damp
looking, and the head which stuck out
above the stripes was covered by
mop of red hair recently Numbered.
In plain words, a redheaded young
man, evidently just emerged from the
bath, was standing in Cornelia's little
sitting room trying his best not to have
a chill and doing all he could to get
enough control of his chattering jaws
to explain the situation.
"I-I-I-I-" The Jaws seemed
to nave st. Vitus' ancc. Not another
word could they utter. Cornelia sprang
managed to get out: Come over
here by the fire and take my chair.
You're freezing"
And when the shaking youth and
his stripes had subsidized into the will
low chair and Cornelia had covered
up the bare spots with rugs and pill
lows and things, the jaws consented
to yield to reason and became tract
able.
Il guess I surprised your" grinned
the newcomer, trying to smooth some
kind of order out of the startling an
giles of wet hair.
Rather" answered Cornell. with
| a smile, for she had ha1 time to see
that her visitor had fine eyes. good
nose, excellent teeth and the most at
months. She went on: only 1 hope
Dasie, my combination cook and
sentry, doesn't return while you're
here. 1 can't answer for the conse-
quences if she finds you"
''You see, it was this way he eX-
planned hastily. Il live in there"
Jerking his head toward the wall,
thereby indicating the companion flat
to the one Cornelia occupied. My
bath is across the hall, and when 1
was through the spring lock on my
door had slipped and 1 couldn't get
in. I knocked at every door on my
side of the building and not a soul
was at home. Then I slipped down to
the entry and rang the janitor's bell,
but 1 guess he is out somewhere, for
he didn't come. either I barely es-
capped arrest by passing policeman
who looked in. so l made a dash up
your side of the stairs, and then 1
! happened to think we had a common
veranda out of our front windows. I
can get out here, smash a pane in my
window and-presto. change-Im
home"
But you didn't knock.'
Neither would you if you thought
a cop was after you below and pair
of ladies descending from above. I
just hadn't time, that's ALL
"Well-here's a cup of tea. Now
| drink it while 1 nunt up some shoes
and stockings of Dasie's. I'm sure
you could wear them across the bal
| cony to your window-its only five or
six feet. And I'll lend you my top
coat and a hammer. I'll have to leave
the rest of your rescue to the gods"
mo need when a goddess is so
kind"
"You sound Hibernian. Only an
Irishman could pay compliments I'M
der such circumstances"
| 81 am as Irish as Paddy's pig, and
proud of it, promptly answered he.
| ''and my name, to prove it, is Dennis
| Harrigan. But if the rest of Dasie is
in proportion to her shoe, I think I'll
he going, if you don't mind. Ker-chooi
! Beg pardon, I meant goodbye. Yes,
| III take quinlne right away. Thanks
for everything and good bye again. >"
An opened and closed window. a sound
of splintered glass, and the stripes
were zone.
A week later Ccrnelia was watching
a teacher chaperoning a bevy of
young girls to a pond to skate. you
are i'll, Miss Conway" exclaimed Cor
neIia. You look shocking. Do let
me take your place: I'd love it and
can easily wait until the next train
| to go home"
Miss Conway gladly accepted Cor
nelia's offer and the latter was soon
swinging her skates happily on her
way for a frolic. For a while. they
skated in pairs. but when the girls de-
/ cided to crack the whip, Corneiia de-
clined and went upon little excur-
sion Of her own up a tiny stream that
appeared to be frozen solid. But sud
denly the ice cracked, and in an in
/ slant she was in the frigid water.
n