The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-12
EVENING STORY
Via Terry.
(By Isabel Frost.)

]
ability to live months at time in a
New York apartment house without
becoming acquainted with any OF her
neighbors.
In spite of the fact that she had to
earn her own living now, she never
forgot for one moment that she was
| Miss Darlington, of Darlington Hail.
| Georgia She might make dozens OF
| silken lamp shades and hammered
brass and copper novelties; she HllSnl
| live in two rooms and kitchenette,
! so-called, and get her meals over a
| two-burner gas stove, but she would
not associate with her neighbors or
crafty even her landlady's curiosity
| on intimate details of her past, present
or future
| She occupied the back suite on the
second floor In the front there was
young sculptor whom she did not
| even know by sight. The rooms above
her own were occupied by wells
Lewis, an incipient dramaust; the
and his wife. On the very topmost
floor were little skylight rooms where
several birds of passage lived, stu
dents for the most part
The only personal mail she re-
| ceived was from Terry. He usually
wrote once a week, brief, 1erky, ooy-
| ish epistle full of complaints, tootnali
eats and ratings at Latin, English
| and everything else under the sun eX-
| cept mathematics and herself he
| never had a word against hef- thoueh
| he would say it was pretty tough on
a fellow everlastingly trying to live
up to his sisters measure of a man
| She felt herself responsible FOR Terry
| and his proper upbring1ng as a Car
rington. If she could work and sup
would suffice to send Terry thru
school and turn him out civil en-
gineer, as her father had wished.
She had not realized until these
days of early summer how tagged out
she was getting. She found herself
fumbling over little things and drop
ping them, nervously alert at uneX-
pected noises and thoroly indignant
at every street piano and little brass
| band that dared to play out IN the
| street.
Miss Darlington, you'll break down
| if you don't stop working so hard. ="
Peggy said at the office. as Virginia
waited to see the buyer for the art
goods department. Don't you ever
| get tired?''
| ing rather puzzled. Was that what
was the matter with her? She studied
her face in the mirror carefully, and
| then thoughtfully opened letter she
had picked up from the table in the
! lower hall. 1t was an invitation from
their houseboat over the weekend.
| She left that Friday night for the
shore with a feeling of citation, as tho
she had escaped from mild sort of
prison. On the front steps she passed
Wells Lewis He was personally con-
Quoting several paper bags of surrep-
titious groceries that Virginia knew
! represented light housekeeping. She
| bowed to him abSently as she always
did to her neighbors, and went on
across the square drawing on her long
gloves. -
Terry arrived on the 7:45. Convoy
ing a suitcase and several mysterious
| parcels along sportsman lines; he ar
rived at Mrs. Finnegan's at nearly 8
| o'clock, Lewis heard the alteration
in the lower hall while Terry tried to
| explain his relationship to Miss Car
rington and his rights and privileges
in her absence. But Mrs. F'innegan
was obdurate. 1t might be so and
then again it mightn't. She would
take no chances. If he liked, he could
have cot down in the furnace ROOM
but she would not give any keys out
without orders
Il saw Miss Carrigan go away about
$780," called Lewis over the banister
rail. Anything I can do? Won't you
come up with me until she gets
back?" =
Terry accepted with alacrity. He
not only came up. but he pitched into
the remains of Lewiss supper and
cleared it up to the last crumb. For
two days and a half he lived here,
and at the end of that time he had
managed to impart every incident and
accident that had happened to the
Carrigan family within his memory
Lewis listened sympathetically to
everything, even when Terry told how
he had been bounced" from the
| prep" school. There had been a lit
tie affair of guinea pigs, many guinea
pigs hidden all around the assembly
hall on a certain evening when the
younger boys were excluded from a
senior dance. Their purchase had
| been traced to Terry, and when they
were even found in the lockers of
the senior dormitory, the matter was
taken before the faculty.
Some fellows can't take a joke
/ Terry concluded, scathingly. I'm glad
to be out of it. I'm 16 and 1 ought
to be at work instead of letting a girl
sister support me. Wish you could
get me a job before she gets back"
Lewis considered the matter. He
liked the boy. 1t was the age of spe-
cializatio1. He himself regretted every
year of his teens spent in an eXpen-
sive prep" school. The end of it was
him to put the boy to work at
draughtsma nship.
I'm help you on your math' at
night. I don't think your sister has
room for you downstairs, I'd like it
if you'd bunk up here with me, old
man, and keep me company"
Terry loved him for that phrase,
''old man" He went TO works the next
morning, and walked in on Virginia
that night full-fledged business man
with a steady job and a salary. She
listened to his explanations in silent
Amusement.
why Terry. I have only a bowling
acquaintance with this person"
We'll, we'll fix that" replied Terry,
comfortably. I'm going to share his
room, and pay my bit, so you'd bet
ter get acquainted, GIMME. If it hadn't
been for him, think where your little
brother might have ended up-Iost in
a great CITY while sister was hn1Ise-