The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-09
EVENING STORY
A Young Mans Fancy.
(By Earl Reed Silvers.)

upon the tendency of a young mans |
fancy in the springtime. Pat was the
cashier in cave-hke restaurant IN the
basement of one CT New YorkS most
ambitious buildings, and tfruout the
long days he lived in an atmosphere
which might be called supremacy nom
sentimental. The small, marble tables, |
devoid Of cloths or other ornaments,
stretched in two long lines to the
ffarthest recesseS OF the building. In
the rear, mingled smells issued from
the kitchen, each swing of the creak-
ing door bringing with it mystic
scent of cabbage, fish and other IN
gradients too Numerous to mention.
Pat considered his life more or less
of a success Every Saturday evening
he drew SIS from the treasury OF the
Connecticut Lunch company; ms WORK
was not hard, and one Sundt Y in every
four was his to do with as he wished |
He lived in a lodging house near
Forty street, and was a gen
eral favorite with his fellow boarders-
This was especially true in the case
of Miss Nellie Dobbins, who dispensed
groceries in one of the big department
stores and who confided to her friend,
Tillie Maginnis, that she was lust
crazv about Pat" But, as far as the
cbiect of her affection was concerned,
she might equally we'll have been crazy
about the corner lamp-post. For Pat
/ was utterly Indifferent to the charms
| of the feminine sex
I
means He simply didn't care any
thing about the girls; they had never
| played any part whatever in his rather
checkered career, and he could not
see how they should ever>be intimate
| Iy4 concerned in his future activities
So he left them alone; not because of
any decision on his part, but because
| that was the easiest thing to do. On
the Sundays which did not require his
presence in the restaurant he lounged
| around in his room all the morning,
reading the news of the day and en-
| joying a we'll rest. In the att
| ernoon he took a trolley ride out to
Brooklyn and visited his brother, who
| was married and who proclaimed him
self the happy father of four chill
dren.
| happy in his brothers manner of liv-
ing. He was continually heckled by
a shrill-voiced, hollow checked wom-
an; the children made an unnecessary
lot of noise and tore up the sporting
section of the paper: and the house
was dirty and ill-kept. So Pat made
his visits as short as his loyal Irish
heart would permit, and thanked his
lucky stars that he wasn't tied down
to life of monotony.
For two years Pat basked in the
happiness of bachelordom. And then,
one bright spring afternoon, his eyes
prettiest girl he had ever seen. She
had dropped into the restaurant as a
dew-drenched rose might fall into the
mouth of a barren cave, and had or
dered a ham sandwich and glass of
milk. Even her voice was different.
Pat watched her from half-closed
eyes as she pecked gently at the sand
witch and slipped the beaker of milk.
And sure,'-he muttered to himself,
| there's a girl who would charm the
heart of any man. ---- .s-
A scent of spring came through the
door leading to the street Pat stirred
uneasily; a vague restlessness stole
over him. He wanted to go out in
the fields and wander around aim
lessly; he wanted to talk to some one
like the girl sitting at the table not
ten yards away He looked at the
stranger questioningly, wondering if
there was any way in which he might
speak to her without being rebuffed.
Something about the tilt of her hat
caused him to come to a sudden de-
cision. The lunch room was almost
vacant, he was free for the moment,
and so he crossed the room noiselessly
and seated himself opposite the girl.
She glanced at him casually and con-
tinued eating. Suddenly courageous,
Pat ventured remark
Its lonely you're looking this
bright afternoon he said.
The girl raised her eyes and with
and it's lonely you'll be looking,
too, you poor boob, if you don't beat
it away from here" she answered.
MY friend is due to meet me in about
ten minutes
I Pat rose, romance suddenly gone
from his life.
I'm sorry to have disturbed you
he apologized. Your looks deceived
me-
He made his way slowly back to the
W nrit of L
ing hours were spent The girl, hav-
ing finished her light repast, dropped
her ten cents upon the counter and
passed on out of Pat Flanagan's life. |
But even as she went, head held |
high. Pat noticed the silk of her
cheek and the crimson of her lips
Il wonder" he thought idly, IF any
other girl could have as pretty a face
as that
He was still bordering over the mat |
ter when he reached his boarding |
house at s o'clock that evening 1t |
was a glorious spring night, suffused
with the hint of approa ching summer |
and the subtle charm of it crept slowly |
into the heart of Pat. He found him /
self hoping that Nellie Dobbins would |
be waiting in the parlor for him.
And then, wonder of wonders. he |
met Nellie face to face the steps
of the front porch. She was dressed |
for the street, and Pat noticed that one |
stray curl had escaped from beneath /
the chic straw hat.
And where might you be going OH |
such a perfect night as this?'' he /
asked.
Nellie affected indifference.
Its too grand to stay in the house."
she answered. I'm going to take a /
walk
She turned as if to go, and Pat /
heSitated between desire and a sudden /
overwhelming bashfulness. He noted 4
that Nellie's cheeks were tinted with ]
pink. and that her eyes were as blue !
as the sky had been that very after !
noon.
would you be minding if 1 went
along with you?" he asked.
Nellie caught her breath sharply, /
but her answer expressed indifference. +