The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-21
EVENING STORY
Adrift.
(By Elizabeth Shields.)

Her hair was golden and her large,
inquiring eyes were brown. They
flashed with great hope and the
wonderful dreams of youth. She ar
rived in New York with the conviction
that an amazing adventure was wait
ing for her each time she turned
corner. She lived alone for one week
in the goal city of the United States.
and, of course, it happened. On the
first day of her second weeks stay in
the old-fashioned clearinghouse, she
descended the dark, musty-smelling
halls, with the dim gas jets burning
to the dining-room for luncheon. The
long, gloomy stairs and halls and
the linoleum-covered dining-room
were the most depressing things Claire
had ever met with 1t took all her
courage to get down from the fourth
floor to the basement.
Claire was not only dewy, fresh and
rosy, she had cultivated an air OF
dash and she was wistful, but OF this
latter quality she was utterly uncon-
sciouS. When she entered the dining
room she found stranger at her ta-
BILE New York is over filled with
pretty girls, the subways are crowded
to the doors with them. Fifth avenue
reekS beauty; but Gilbert Brown sat
up when he looked at Claire. By the
time Claire had finished her soup he
was looking at her with a kind of
tenderness and little awe.
Claire looked him over completely
without, apparently, taking ner eyes
from the cream pitcher in front of
her He was too big, she decided She
shrank from men so broad and with
such square chins. She liked gentle,
slender men with receding chins
There was something so delicate
| about her. she seemed a little beyond
Gilbert Brown, but he started to talk
anyway. To Claire's dismay, he per-
sisted in talking. However, the ex-
at her Illuminated the drabness of the
gloomy dining room, so Claire dim
| pied and flashed her white teeth in
| his direction, instead of giving the
sparkling replies had hoped Tor.
But the reverence she awoke in the
breast of Gilbert made up in part for
her fragile mentality.
Lunch finished, they went up the
stairs to a still gloomier room, known
as the library After another half
hours acquaintance he felt free to in
quire, Haven't you any one to look
after you? %
She answered with lifting laugh,
| mo ones ever taken care of me. 1
only have Aunt Annie, who was glad
1 came to New York.
well, you don't want to stay here"
he told her. You're too young to
stay here alone, you're-too pretty"
Claire elevated her eyebrows. But
1 love iti''
Taking him into her confidence she
leaned tensely toward him. IT shall
go on the stage, or be a model" she
said, but if 1 fail in that she looked
earnestly into his eyes. "Tll be a pri-
vate secretary to a Wall street finan-
cier. You see, 1 must do some kind
of work, ard soon, because I'm very,
very poor"
GO back home, child" he warned
her; you won't stand being banged
She gave the man a long, specula-
tive glance. ct haven't any home to
go to-" she laughed lightly, dismiss
ing the subject forever. A thought
flashed into her golden head that here
was a chance for adventure. She
wanted to dance and dine in the res
taurants and her week in New York
proved that she probably never would,
unless she went alone. She astonished
the man by telling him this All her
girlish desires for experience beamed
trustfully from her brown eyes as she
talked. Breathlessly she waited for
, what he would say, and his advice as
to how to gain admission to the de-
, lights of the city.
fered eagerly. Claire's pink cheeks
, grew warmer pink. She hesitated
then sent him a dimpled smile She
really had not meant just that.
?
cabaret, then show after" he urged
Still Claire hesitated. This big
! broad-shouldered man did not at al
fit into Claire's scheme of things. Be
sides it seemed like dizzily plunging
, into all the pleasures in one leap The
T opportunity SO suddenly presented
, took her breath away. His eyes were
burning into hers in an uncomfortable
way. The temptation to seek adven-
: ture was too strong to deny. He be-
gan to look like knight of old thru
her httle-gir1 eyes. come to her res
cue, and she promised him she would
5 go.
Upstairs in the tiniest hall bedroom
ever built into a boarding house, be
1 fore a long, gilt edged mirror. relic
: of the day when the house was in it.
glory, Claire dressed for the evening
{ aglow with the wonder of the adven.
Il ture on which she was starting
When she met Brown her eager
! brown eyes looked directly into his
Her tight grasp on his arm gave hin
the feeling of being protector in {
U deeper sense than ever before. Shs
| carried her head high. animated will
the joy of living. She intoxicated
Brown.
The cheap dazzle of Broadwa!
e wearied him, but Claire laughed up a
r him in childish excitement He
es dainty self caught and reflected tn.
:. spirit of raiety that swayed the crowd
o He felt sick to see how quickly sh'
became part of the sordidness of he
e surroundings
Y do you like this sort of thing" h,
8 questioned wonderingly.
''I can't thank you enough for tax
s ing me- she chirped; Its all NOR
!" beautiful than I ever dreamed, mucl
u more wonderfully
e She started for home willingly whel
1t he suggested it.
You must not come again. he eau