Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-11-30

Her Adventurous
Night
1t Had an Important
Result
By AGNES G. BROGAN

By AGNES G. BROGAN

Miss Pauline Chester, art student
and would be illustrator, stood at the
curb of the busy street awaiting q
home bound car. Home! She smiled
de~risively in the semi-darkness at the
meaning of the word. Surely the big.
bare room, half studio, half ~housekeep-
ing apartment, vas a poor substitute
for home. And it was all she now pos
sessed.
She thought as she stood there aside,
yet in the very midst of things-alone,
yet crushing her way through the
throng to the car. how typical it oil
was of her present life. Even in the
brightly lighted apartment, as she
passed down the corridor that led to
her room. not n of those whom she
met each day might speak a welcome
because she had not beer properly In
troduced.
Polly was not sure she would care to
know them if she had. They were all
such silly. chattering women, over
dressed and Indifferent; such rude,
staring men-all but me-. Polly thought
of 'him'' gratefully. Something per-
haps in the grave kindness of his ex-
preston. his deferential yet unobtrus-
i've courtesy, brought back the old days
in Brookfield.
Each morning he raised his hat as
simultaneously they appeared In the
corridor locking their doors for the
days absence. Always Polly smiled
and nodded but the man vouchsafed
no word. She vas glad, and she was
sorry-glad that he was SO very much
the man. she wanted him to be, sorry
that one so alone as she might not have
the comfort of an understanding friend.
In despair Polly had added to the
cherries furnishings of her studio the
companionship of a cat. He had fol
lowed her. this big yellow cat, from
some darkened area the night she had
bought the fish. After his coveted
meal had become a thing of the past
Patsy, as she called him. still deigned
to remain her friend.
He had, she discovered, certain en-
barrassing and stubborn tendencies,
one of which was to pry into the af-
fairs of his neighbors, so that twice
the nice young man across the way
had been obliged to lift Patsy gently
and place him outside his door.
Both times Miss Chester apologized.
both times the young man bowed 81
lent1y and pleasantly and withdrew.
Polly found herself making little
sketches of the grave faced man and
the yellow cat during times of inter
mission at the art school.
"You poor thing" she Knocked herself
! one day as she hastily destroyed her
drawings, filling up your head with a
man and a yellow cat just because
they've been a little human"
1t seemed impossible to make a pre-
sentable sketch at home, the boys In
the fraternity room overhead We're so
very noisy, while a player piano banged
away below. She wondered as she sat
through endless evenings just what it
would be like to mingle with the gay
throng outside, to be with one who
could sympathize and understand.
"He' was lonely too. She was sure
of that. Among them all he seemed to
live apart. At those times when she
had rescued Patsy from before his
door she had caught a glimpse within
of an open book, a half smoked cigar.
So he, too, sat each night alone. His
eyes she faneied, were strangely visit
full. Or was it fancy? Polly sighed
impatiently.
Always" she rebuked herself, "your
thoughts go back to that man.
1t was all very ridiculous, so she fell
to drawing in earnest. No better sub
ject at hand, she drew p~ainstakingly
the yellow cat lying stretched before
the fire.
This accomplished, Polly studied re
f1ectively an opposite vacant chair,
then with a sudden dimpling smile she
bent again over the drawing board.
She was SO absorbed she failed to M
tice the cessation of the player piano
and a gradual growing silence settling
over the building.
sItdlSllS db ldSI Il uuSucu ldNcy BLU y
garded with much satisfaction her
work. The figure pictured in the chain
opposite her own was remarkably true
to life. The mans open book lay
upon the table beside him, his half
smoked cigar i'll his hand, Patsy com
fortably stretched at his feet.
twelve chimed the little clock in
sharp, even strokes. mercy !" exclaim-
ed the girl, and jumped to her feet.
There was something the matter with
the lock as she attempted to fasten her
door for the night, SO she thrust it wide
open, intending thus to close 1t secure
ly. A mysterious rustling sound, as Of
some person or persons ~stealthily NOV
ing farther back among the shadows,
caused Polly's heart to flutter uncom-
fortably.
Not long ago there had been a rob-
CT 4