Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-05-24
R0MEsICK DORA
BY SCHUYLER TERRILL
....::,.:.:.:S:.:.:s::.::.-:.::s;:.::.S


I'm homesick for the West-and for
him"
For moment Dora Trisdale buried
her curly head among the faded cush-
ions Of the narrow couch. Mary Myers,
sitting opposite, gazed upon her Won
deringly.
Il didn't know you felt that way
about it." she said finally. q thought
you liked it here"
Dora sat up. her black eyes gleam-
ing resentfully.
Like it?' she burst forth. Il hate
every minute Of every day here in New
York"
Mary smiled grimly. "Why did you
come then?' she asked.
Il never told you why came here,
did Il" she asked finally.
mo, except that you wanted to go
on the STAGE
You know about Jim, don't you?"
"a little"
"Well. was engaged to marry him
once" Dora continued. HE is only a
farmer-a big rube, we'd call him
here-but he was about the only fellow
I'd ever known, and we grew up to-
gether.''
Did he have any money!
HE wasn't any millionaire, but he
owned a big farm and could have given
me a good home. When my mother
died he wanted me to marry him and
settle down, but ma had some life in
surance, and I thought I'd take that
and see New York.
"How much?'
give hundred dollars. Jim said that
I ought to put it away so I'd be indie
pendent, and 1 had almost agreed with
him when a show came to Glendale
and / went to see it. The company
held a reception afterward, and one of
the actresses told me that could make
good on the stage. believed her, and
in spite of all that Jim could do, I
decided to come to New York and get
a job"
You didn't need job with all that
money in your PURSE
Dora smiled wryly.
IT didn't have it long, she explained.
"Where'd it go?'
'Pickpockets, 1 guess. After that
I went around to the theaters until /
got taken on in this chorus. I've been
here for six weeks now, and I'm sick
and tired of the whole thing
"And you're still in love with the
rube?" she asked.
Yes
"Why don't you write and ask him
to come and get your
He wouldn't do 1t. He's stubborn,
and he told me that If 1 once came
here he was through"
"Oh, 1 seer Mary Myers, wise in
the ways of the world, smiled grimly.
She was really fond of her strange
little roommate.
''Well, you go to bed, honey" she
said soothingly, land maybe things will
come out all right
After Dora's deep breathing had sig
nif1ed forgetfulness of the hall bed
room and everything connected with it,
the other girl took a rather scratchy
pen from the center table and adj
dressed a letter to Mr.. Jim Black, Glen
dale, Colorado.
A week passed, and the strange light
In Dora's eyes grew brighter. Mary
developed the habit of going home di-
rectly after the evenings performance.
She encouraged Dora to talk Of Glen
dale, and of Jim.
IF Jim would only come to me-"
Dora said one evening, I'D tell him
how homesick am"
1t was after midnight, and the two
girls had just come home from the
'shcw." The open window brought to
the room myriad sounds of the city.
Suddenly the doorbell rang shrilly.
Dora leaped to her feet.
someone's forgotten his key again"
she exclaimed irritably. "Oh, how
hate this place."
From the lower hall they could hear
the sound Of voices. Then footsteps
assembled the stairs and knock sound
ed on their door.
Come in" Mary called.
The door opened and the landlady
stood before them.
There's a man downstairs wants to
see Mary" she announced. ITS a fine
time to have visitors, must say, walk
ing the house up at this ungainly
hour"
That's all right, Mrs. Murphy, I'll
go right down." Mary shot a look at
Dora. zone of the Johnnies wanting
me to go to a party, guess" she ex-
| planned.
But at the foot of the stairs she met
man she had never seen. He lowered
over her, and in his eyes was an anx-
ious light.
'.Are you Miss Myers?' he asked alb
ruptly.
YES"
''You wrote to me?"
Into Mary's face came the light of a