The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-23
EVENING STORY
Mysterious Neighbor.
(By Louise Oliver. }

(By Louise Oliver)
Mrs. Green, what does Mr.. Davis
do for a Eving?"
why, 1 don't know, Miss Wilson.
He's just SO nice his niceness seems
to cover everything, and If I ever was
curious about it got over it long ago.
Some folks have enough money with
out working
Yes, I know but it seems so queer
the way he lives. mean. Out all
night, or at least until and o'clock,
and sleeping any old time at all. My
room is next to his and can hear him
come in"
After you've been in New York a
while you'll get used to that. Why,
the cabarets don't get a good start
until midnight. Don't worry about the
second floor front, Miss Wilson.
never had better paying boarder.
and always a month in advance and
kind word and a smile at that. Some
times I don't see him for a week at a
time. He comes and he goes, but he
don't bother any one"
Winifred dropped the argument
without giving her real reason for in
curing. She, too, liked her merry.
happy-go-lucky neighbor, and she was
afraid of doing him an injustice.
Here's my money for next week. Mrs
Green. Those were nice melons we
had for breakfast" And, putting on
her sailor hat, she started for the Of
flee.
1t had happened this way: The
night before. while getting some copy
ready to send in, the keys of her type
writer had locked. She tried to fix 1t,
| but things went wrong and before she
knew it the whole affair was out of
commission.
| "Oh, pshaw!" she cried, pushing and
| Juggling this way and that. What
| shall I do? Carpenter won't be both
cred with long hand and this has to
be at the officer in an hour"
| Just then she heard a step in the
hall. There's Mr.. Davis. 1 wonder
| if he can do anything?"
| She flew to her door and opened it.
''Mr. Davis!" she called. But he had
entered his own rOom and was just
shutting the door.
| "Yes," he answered, instantly open
ing it again. What can do for you,
| Miss Wilson,"
And while Winifred was trying to
| explain her predicament, she was also
trying hard not to betray the fact that
she saw an automatic gun and some
queer-looking instruments that he was
in the act of transferring from his
pocket to a table near the door.
| Certainly I'll some. I'm a regular
Mr.. F'ixit. 1 was just thinking of
|
Repaired While You Wait -
Winifred laughed-but she saw him
| throw a newspaper carelessly over the
| things on the table and kick a black
bag from view with his foot.
He was as good as his word tho,
| and the typewriter was soon put into
| working trim again. When the door
had closed, Winifred looked at the
blank panels with her heart beating
| high and her cheeks strangely flushed.
| Was this stranger a wizard? Had he
| bewitched her. His voice! His laugh!
/ His eyes! She went back to her work
i but her fingers seemed stiff and awk-
lrward and the words wouldn't come
fright.
/ Had she known it. Ed Davis, too.
| was looking back at the panels as tho
! trying to conjure up another picture
of her gray blue eyes, sweet, serious
smile and color that came and went
provokingly. Then his own eyes became
| serious as the thought of what she
/ might have seen when she called him.
He went into his own room and closed
| the door.
! Miss wilson, called Carpenter next
] day, there's a card to the Pride-Pam-
istOn wedding. Suppose you go up
there today and write things up. It's
to be out of doors at 4, SO go early and
do the ground first. Later get a list of
the presents-better still, see them,
who they're from and so on. Give it a
column
So Winifred, in a dark blue silk suit
and hat, took a train for Hampton
1 Hill that beautiful afternoon in early
| fall. The trees were turning russell,
red and gold. but the sky was as blue
as June and the air warm and spring
like.
Arrived at Valmonda, the home of
the Prides. Winifred was given the
4 permission of her hostess to wander
where she would. Lists of the guests
were provided her. names of deco
rators, and so on. Pavilions had been
built the lawn, tables put up around
fountains and a wonderful arbor OF
flowers and vines erected for the cere-
mony. Such a fairyiand!
Winifred was lost in the wonder of
everything when she came face to face
with Mr. Davis.
you here!" she cried in surprise,
rot able to keep the amazement and
pleasure out of her voice.
J He looked nonplused for an instant
then smiled quickly. why not ?
Every ones here! You, too''
But I'm here on business
. so am I, but keep it quiet!'' he
whispered.
She looked at his fau1tless cutaway,
every detail of his attire. She could
, not understand this man. There was
. something to be explained. But she
talked animatedly with him for sew
eral minutes not divulging her per-
p1exity in the least.
That was the day the pearl collar
was stolen, gift from the Vincents
: to the bride.
Winifred, opening the paper to see
; her own account of the wedding next
morning, read the great headlines with
: dismay She had left with her pre-
cfcus information and lists before the
| thing happened. She remembered
seeing the collar in its case with the
other things while two detectives
dressed as footmen stood guard.
She let the paper fall to the floor
and tried to collect her confused
thoughts. Davis had come IN anou'
, | oh Ia heard him