The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-14
EVENING STORY
Moving Day.
(By Isabel Frost.

taken the time to apprise him of her
intentions. She had meant to drop in
and tell his slave at the desk that they
might renew her lease; but it was
pouring pitchforks and she had to
make a train: therefore she trusted to
luck and the landlords intuition.
When she returned on May she
encountered large packing cases iii
! her hall. also a young man in shirt
sleeves wrestling with the same.
| I'll have these out of the way in
| just minute, so you can get by,' he
| told her, pleasantly.
But 1 don't want to get by" said
| Alice frigidly. Thank you. L tnerely
| wish to get into my apartment"
He looked at her in surprise.
| There seems to be some m stake
| here 1 rented this apartment under
the impression that it was vacant,
| he explained. From May i for one
year. I'm just moving in
Alice's face turned shade paler.
| Manners were instructive second ma
ture to her, and she forced herself
to speak very quietly.
| Would you mind letting ME glance
around to see if any of my things have
| been left here?''
He was delighted to admit her AL
ready the place was taking on a mas
| culine air, a peculiar, conspicuous lax
| ity in the arrangement of its furniture.
! She had only left a few of her pic
lures and cushions around, and the lit
| tie tea service on the willow table in
| the corner.
| 81 believe Paxton said something
| about there being a few things left
| that belonged to the former tenant"
| the stranger said, awkwardly. noting
| her rowing glance. I've been awful
ly careful not to disturb anything Is
there anything 1 can do to help?'
May 1 phone the Officer Alice
asked, a bit helplessly.
| Paxton'S voice was suave but firm.
He reminded her that they had writ
ten several times, inquiring her inten-
lions on the renewal of her lease, and
she had calmly ignored them.
Have you anything else left in the
building?" she asked.
| mo, l am very sorry, but there is
nothing at all left. We waited until
the very last moment for your deci-
sion, but Mr.. Reeves wished the apart
1 ment on the first, and we accommo-
| dated him If there is anything that
/ No, there was nothing they could do.
She thanked him and hung up the re-
ceiver. Drawing off her gray suede
gloves, she looked around her bit
| tiredly. 1t had been quite a trip up
from Spring Lake, and she had count
ed all the way on the comfort and re-
| taxation of her own snug little nest.
I'll pack up my things right away
she said.
You won't do anything of the sort
| He put on his coat and looking up
at him, she suddenly discovered that
her untimely tenant was a youth
mighty good to look upon.
Il shall not retain the apartment"
he told her. resolutely. 'It was beast
ly of them to rent it without your
knowledge. I'm going over to throw
the whole thing up"
But you can't, you know. Not if
you've signed lease" She laughed
rather YEARLY, IF you don't mind, I
think I'll make a cup of tea for my
SELF before pack my clothes. Won't
you join me?"
i Before the impromptu tea was half
over. she had made several enlighten-
ing discoveries. First, Mr.. Reeves was
la Yale man, the same class as her
brother Tom. This in itself would
| have warranted her in accepting al
most any favor at his hands. The time
slipped away while he told of Tom s
initiation, and then she found herself
reading to him Toms last letter from
France, where he had Joined the avia-
ton corps.
4 "Of course, you understand" he
/ told her, when they had finished tea
that 1 can't possibly let you go out
of here. If they won't let me step
Il down and out 1 shall suble+ to you
May 1 be your landlord? Please say
yes. A fellow can pick up quarters
anywhere, and somehow this whole
4 place seems to fit you. 1 guess that
was why it took me so in the first
| place. 1t seemed so sort of homelike
| and inviting.
After he had gone Alice settled her
self with sigh of relief. He had been
| so fine and fair about it all. Then
she looked up over the mantelpiece
} In his haste to get away he had for
gotten to take down a tall photograph
of himself in guardsman uniform. For
II several days she found herself stop
II ping thoughtful1y, whatver she hap
u pened to be doing, to look up at the
fine, manly, boyish face.
She wrote to Tom, telling him OF
the accidental meeting, and asking
him if he remembered Dick Reeves
, class '13, Yale. The answer did not
come back for nearly two months. and
in that time Dick had securely estab-
lishd himself as a landlord who be-
slowed remarkable attention upon his
tenant. He called frequently. Usual
; ly at tea time, and the days when he
did not come Alice found herself miss
: ing him.
Then came the letter from Tom. She
never forgot the moment when she
} opened it, just after Dick had gone
=. He's one of the finest old chaps
ever met, but he got into Ii mix-up al
5 college with a girl who blew into town
} with a road show. I guess she was g
square little kid, all right, for she
never tried to hold Dick, and told him
he was making a fool of himself fol-
nothing. His old man vert mad ovel
the affair and cut Dick off without a
| cent He stuck it out, tho, working
! his way thru his last year. and took
| his degree I don't know what became
b of the girl. Frankly, 1 think she die
him a good turn. as the old man had
millions to burn. When Dick landed
on his uppers it made a man of him
believe he's working now in his cou-
! sins automobile factory, learning the
business from the ground up. Tn
mighty glad you've met him."
1t was two weeks later. With wo
mans intuition, Alice had known the
moment was ahead of them wher
she would either have to give up hel
isub-lease or else admit another ten