The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-04-26
THE MAN IN THE STORM
BY OLIVER GRAY.

now"
mo, Sally thanks just the same. I'll
take the subway and be home in no
time. live 80 near 80 the car, you
| know"
at isn't near--it's several blocks and
you shan't go alone. Henry will GER
tainly go with you"
'Henry certainly yill not. You two
are so tired doing New York now you
| walk as if you We're on pegs, and
Henry's eyes look like holes burned in
paper for want of sleep. We girls get
accustomed to going around alone, and
| you needn't think I'm martyr"
"Well, little sister, all right" acqui-
| esced Sally. "You are too Independent
for comfort, though, sometimes. This
musical career in the first place is
all"
Janet laid her hand over her sisters
mouth. "Hush! Here we are at the
station. Now goodnight"
She had been just long enough in the
metropolis to get over the wonder of
| it, then over the disgust of it, for there
| is always reaction, and to take the
| philosophical view that is best. Her
music and little else really interested
| her. She had her wagon hitched to
the star Of a musical career and she
| was willing to work and sacrifice ev-
| erything for its sake.
Hartley Howard had insisted that
| his love for her counted for more than
| music, and it had been long, hard
| fight to convince herself that he was
wrong. She had asked her sister about
him that night so indifferently that
even Sally's sharp eyes were deceived.
Hes doing pretty well, Janet" she
| had answered "They say he's going
with Mary Porter, but don't know for
sure. Think how funny it will be some
| day, sister, when you're away up in
| grand opera and just home from the
courts of Europe to have Hartley pre-
sent you to Mary, fat and forty, and
| with a family of six to cook and sew
| for~ She had meant it kindly, for
she thought Janet was looking a bit
| white and peaked but her words had
brought no answering smile.
at seems a good piece ahead" sighed
| Janet.
She thought it all over now in the
| car and she was very close to the line
| which separates win from weakness.
Was she getting homesick? Then she
| thought of the European courts and of
| darning stockings and cooking. The
brave color came back to her cheeks
| and she sat very erect. She had chos-
en- career and she was going to make
| good.
The train stopped at her station and
she got off. Others got off other cars
and went up the steps of the subway
| exit to scatter at the top in different
| directions. A fine sleet had started to
| fall and the wind which was blowing u
gale sent the fine, icy particles into her
| eyes. She turned up her fur collar,
| frightened her veil, and, burrowing her
face into her muff, started up the
| street.
At the same time a man started af-
ter her. AT first Janet paid little at
| tention to him, but as she left the lights
behind and plunged into the darkness
ahead she felt uneasy. She walked
| faster but the man soon overlook her,
walking beside her and suting his step
| to hers. Janet kept straight ahead,
never so much as glancing aside. But
she knew that he, too, had his head
down against the wind and the collar
of his great overcoat was almost touch
ing his hat.
"If you're afraid I shall be glad to
take you home" he said finally, his
voice coming in fltful jerks as the wind
caught it.
mo, thank you'll I'm not afraid"
said Janet as firmly as She could with
her teeth chattering,
"But Pm going to the ferry and I'll
just walk with you, if you don't mind"
No answer, but he was not discour-
aged. He kept right beside her.
I'm not accustomed to being out
so late!" She decided it was best to
let him know that she was a proper,
law-abiding person. 81 was with some
friends from the West and wouldn't
let them bring me home" She thought
he would go then, but he didn't.
"Im from the West, too" he said.
"This isn't very far West" she
amended. "It's only in western Penn
sylvaniap
"Why, that's where I'm frOmw
"Is that so?" Janet was interested.
"What is the placer"
mot far from Pittsburg. A town
called Lockton."
"Why, that--whom do you know In
Locktonp
"Oh, everybody. Do you know any
one therei'
yes"
do you know the Moores?' he
asked eagerly. "Do you know Janet
Moore?"
Janet caught his sleeve and turned
him sharply. HART" she cried. "Don't
you know me?'
"Janetl"
And suddenly European courts and
darning were forgotten. He hadn't
asked her If she knew Mary Porter. lie
still loved her and she had no will to
resist.
I'm going home, Hart !" she said In
the shelter of the entrance where they
could talk.
| "Whv Janpt2r