The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-08-04
herAdventurous
Night
II Had an important
Result
By AGNES G. BROGAN
By AGNES G. BROGAN

- >'<s
Miss Pauline Chester, art student
! and would be illustrator stood at the
| curb of the busy street awaiting a
home bound car. Home! She smiled
derisively in the semi-darkness at the
meaning of the word. SGrcly the big,
bare room, half studio, half hQpsekeep-
ing apartment. was 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 1t all
was of her present life. Even in the
brightly lighted apartment, as she
passed down the corridor that led to
her ROOM not one of those whom she
met each day might speak welcome
because she had not been 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 one. 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.
onI, {,tr hn
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 was 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
: cheerless furnishings Of her studio the
companionship Of 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 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
y 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 gentl!
- and place him outside his door.
o Both times Miss Chester apologized
" both times the young man bowed 81
: lently and pleasantly and withdrew
Polly found herself making LITTLE
sketches of the grave faced man ant
the yellow cat during times OF inter
mission at the art school.
"You poor thing" she Knocked hersel
~ one day as she hastily destroyed he
{. drawings, filling up your head with
~ man and yellow cat just becaus
~ they've been little human"
~ 1t seemed impossible to make pre-
I, sentable sketch at home, the boys il
- the fraternity room overhead were s.
90 very noisy, while player piano bange
-. away below. She wondered as she sa
=, through endless evenings just what
~ would be like to mingle with the ga
throng outside to be with one VIII
~ could sympathiZe and understand.
"He" was lonely too. She was sur
=, of that. Among them all he seemed
live apart At those times when sh
IN had rescued Patsy from before HI
80 door she had caught glimpse with
of an open book, half smoked cfga
So he, too, sat each night alone. Ill
eyes, she fancied, were strangely wis
-. full Or was 1t fancy? Polly sighe
~ impatiently.
" Always" she rebuked herself. you
thoughts go back to that man"
1t was all very ridiculous, SO she fe
-. to drawing In earnest. No better SUI
~ ject at hand, she drew painstaking
led tue yelio" ca' 'y'ns
4, the fire.
This accomplished, Polly studied r
,,d fectively an opposite vacant chai
then with a sudden dimpling smile 81
bent again over the drawing boar
She was so absorbed she failed to n
ID tice the cessatio of the player piai
3, and a gradual growing silence settlir
ont over the building.
uld RAISING at iast husheu .ace, 'no
A garded with much satisfaction h
,de work. The figure pictured in the cha
the opposite her own was remarkably tn
acc to life. The mans open book
i'm upon the table beside him, his ha
ing smoked cigar in his hand, Patsy col
AIT fortably stretched at his feet.
I'm, Twelve" chimed the little clock
we sharp, even strokes. Mercy" exclail
hen ed the GIRL and jumped to her re-
ors There was something the matter wi
the lock as she attempted to fasten
rem door for the night, so she thrust it wi
low open, intending thus to close it secul
of ". A mysterious rustling sound, as
in some person or persons stealthily mt
ida ing farther back among the SHADOW
ced caused Pol;y's heart to flutter unco
and fortably.
lone, 700 thara had happ RI