The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-19
EVENING STORY
Across the Street.

"One of the joys of living in a city
is not knowing or caring who your
next door neighbor is. and equal indlf-
ference on his or her side.''
Jean poured tea with her customary
air of absorbed monchalance. Her
mind was not on what Bah was saying.
Bah was very new to the city, and
therefore full of full-fledged opinions
on it. Jean had been a city dweiler
for three years, long enough to get a
perspective and some disbelief in her
own outlook on life.
Now, where 1 came from every one
knows all about you. It's simply ter
rible. You never feel grown up, I'm
10 and nobody called me Miss Ash
ton, not single person. They just
said Bah, or that Ashton girl. Aad
because l wanted to break away by
myself and do something in the world
they-well, they didn't approve"
Hartley eyed her curiously from his
place on the high window seat. What
a queer, self-sufficient little wanderer
she was 1t was quite as if a very
young, adventurous kitten had started
! eff to see the world by Itself. She had
| bobbed her reddish hair, but it per-
sisted in curling under until she look
ed like an old painting of a Floren-
tine girl 1t was mighty nice of Jean
to get her under her wing, he thought.
Jean was always doing that sort Of
| thing, opening the doors of her Ninth
street studio wide to all heart way
farers who needed cheering up.
Where are you living, Miss Ash
] ton - he asked suddenly.
| Just across the street" She favor
ed him with a long appraising glance.
Il don't mind If you call be Bah up
here. Jean sent me over there.
had an awful room at first. nearly
froZe to death, but over there it's
warm and the sun shines in. Jean
says better the tub of Diogenes if it
faces the sunlight than Alexander's
palace with north light
Hartley smiled. 1t sounded like
Jean. Dear old Jean. He could not
measure up all that her faith and
comradeship had meant to him during
his own uphill fight in New York.
| Perhaps the only thing about Jean he
did not like was that she herself never
seemed to need help from any one.
He would have loved to know she
needed him; that his presence and
companionship were a strength to her,
that she even missed him when he
failed to show up for a few days. IS
it as. she merely gave him the usual
smile and happy greeting, and went
on with her work. He was much q
part of her impersonal daily life as
her big yellow cat or the boy who
sold her the evening paper.
1t was a week later when he got
the tickets to Savelli's musicale. There
was a splendid 'cellist and a good
soloist, a young soprano who sang
folk songs. He thought Jean might
like to go. But instead she told him
over the phone that she was too busy,
and asked if he would mind taking
Bah. The kiddie was lonely and rath-
er at sea, said Jean.
That was the beginning, and he
went on sulleniy at first, the1 indig
nantly, believing it was all Jeans
fault. Bah enjoyed going around with
him to the exhibitions and little studio
teas immensely. She was pretty and
Sometimes when he happened to drop
into Jeans now the restfulness of the
place and her own temperament fell
on him like the sunset breeze after i
long weary summer rays. She was
grateful to him for the care he was
taking of the Riddle" as she said
But that was all. Never a word OF
missing him, never a sign that she
cared. And Hartley went back to
Bah.
One day she came up to Jeans
studio rather white and discouraged
you know I'm not earning any
thing at all, not a cent she said sud
denly. Its funny how little one car
and cereals. Mother was the mos
wonderful cook you ever saw. I DOM
see how people starve in garrets anu
paint or write masterpieces.
Jean did not take her seriously. Il
was so usual to say you were MOI
making money. and only mean you
were n earning the hundreds yoJ
had hoped to.
Jeans regular income was not large
but it sufficed. The wolf had never
uttered any nocturnal solos arount
, her door. She hardly caught the mote
of oncoming desperation in Bab''
voice.
Il had a letter today, too" Bal
added ruefully. 1T made me feel
oh, don't know-as If l needed
back home. o I hate to go across
the street tonight. 1t just made M
| long to be with my own folks
The little homely phrase SOUNDED
strange from her lips. Jean tried t.
, coax her into happiness and wanted t.
call up Hartley to take her out, blu
Bah was petulant-
He only lectures me, tells me t,
brace up and be plucky and all that
I get SO tired being braced up whel
I want to put my head down on
shoulder and cry
After she had gone across tn
, street, Jean called Hartley up, jus
l the same. and ten minutes later h
1 came down. 1t was after 9, but Jeal
1 was wrapped up to her chin and want
ed to walk in the square, she said
e They paced around it briskly, Will
she tried to find out, not directly bu
!. in her own way. whether Hartley wa
in love with Bah.
, You know, you act like a man i
l love- Wade Hartley" she said.
Il am in love-" said Hartley, dog
gedly.
1t sounded like a halfway con
fession. She had to be satisfied wit
!, it. But she was glad the next fey
| days when Bah failed to appear.
| wasn't that she didn't want the kidd
| to find happiness; but she wished
| could have been any one besides Hart
! ley-she would miss him so hersel
| h The morning of the fourth day
J phone call came from Miss Milliga1