The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-23
EVENING STORY
Beecher Street.
BY R. RAY BAKER
Nn-Gn1

| Copyright, 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate
If Ethel Drayton had done some real
reasoning instead of 1eaping at con-
illusions and acting on impulse. it is
| likely that her barque of romance.
will. Cliff Eldridge in command.
| VIC uld have sailed serenely down the
river of agreeableness into the sea of
matrimony without encountering
storm. On the other hand, that kind
of journey would not have been real
romance-it would have lacked zest-
man Hartell came over to Ethers desk
that dreary, rainy afternoon in April
and unfolded the secret.
IT have something to say that is
| very disa greeable to me-" began Har-
tell as he brushed a hand caressingly
over his miniature mustache and
looked Gown at Ethers curly brown
hair coiled on the back of her head
in business-like knob that served as
pencil holder. Nevertheless he
went on, II feel in duty bound to
say it,
Ethel jerked a sheet of paper from
her typewriter and turned her black
eyes up at the head shipping clerk
Hartells upper lip forced a smile to
| her face, but this was dispelled when
Hartel explained:
TITS about Clifford. You see, last
might"
| While this conversation was taking
place, the subject of the remarks sat
| on nigh stool at the other side of
the Lewis Wholesale Paper company's
shipping office and poured over a file
of orders. Out of a corner of his eve
he saw the head shipping clerk an
preach the stenographer's desk, ana
he frowned.
Hartell leaned over Ethers chair as
ne revealed the secret. and Cliff ruff
a bot
| other. ''-e
Half an hour later Cliff sIipped
from his stool and into his light over
coat carrying his hat, he approached
| EtneI, VINO was still busy at the type-
| writer He passed and smiled pleas
antiy, but she continued rafting the
keys. INC
You needn't trouble yourself to
wait for me-" she informed him in lev
tones. without pausing in her work III or
looking up. I'll be little late, and
Mr.. Hartel has promised to see me
| home
Cliffs smile vanished Before he
ring from finger of her left hand
and extended it toward him. She
| looked into his eyes with a stare en-
| crusted with ice.
Il can't wear this any longer" she
| said, after the way you have acted
lately. have heard that all men must
sow wild oats, but I assure you that
my man won't If you must gamble
and carouse, you can't expect to be-
| come my husband. l have learned all
about your going to a saloon or gamb-
| ling den on Beecher street almost
every night, and that's enough for me.
Good night"
i Cliff stumbled down the steps to the
street and walked three blocks, heed
less of the pouring rain, before he
came to himself and found the ring
clasped in his hand. Then he stopped
| dead still in the middle of a street
crossing, undecided whether to leap
| in the river or go back and throw
Herman Hartell from the roof of the
| six-story Lewis building. He decided
to do neither; instead, he headed for
Beecher street
Ethel completed her work and was
escorted to her rooming place by
| Hartell. At the door she took his
hand and said earnestly:
| You don't know how 1 appreciate
the revelation you have made to me
I know it must have been hard for
you to come and tell me about seeing
Clifford go into that terrible place so
many times; and I am grateful
Don't mention it," protested
Hartell striving unsuccessfully to
reach his mustache with his tongue.
Il couldn't bear to see you throw
yourself away on a worthless fellow.
save a good many blocks by cutting
thru Beecher street on the way home,
and that's how l happened to notice
him there"
The next day Ethel failed to appear
at the office. telephoning that she was
suffering from a headache. The sue
ceeding day was Sunday me RAIN
had ceased but the weather had turned
chilly and the sun hid behind clouds.
Ethel listened IN vain for the door bell
or the telephone, hoping Cliff would
appear as he had done each Sunday
for more than a year. True, she had
told him it was all over; nevertheless,
she had expected him to come and
make some kind of protest and at
tempt an explanation. The morning
passed very gloomily for her.
Early in the afternoon the landlady
summoned her to the telephone, and
Ethel tr1pped over a chair in her haste
to answer the call.
This IS Mr.. Harteil," said the voice
on the wire. Gould I call on you
this afternoon
tim sorry she replied, but I'm too
ill to entertain" And she went back
to her room to gaze thoughtfully at a
picture of a flaxen-haired, smiling
youth.
About o'clock delegation of three
girls from her Sunday school class
called IN her.
I'VE were anxious to learn if you
were ILL.," said one. "and if not we
wanted you to go with US to visit
poor family that the class has decided
to help
Ethel took decided interest in the
excursion when it was explained that
the family lived on Beecher street
They walked past the gloomy, rick
ETY. wooden dwellings, thru throngs of
dirty urchins who hooted and made
faces at them, and finally came to
dingy opening that proved to be the
entrance to a flight of stairs.
Up these stairs the girls stumbled,
their way lighted by only few rays
that sifted thru the cracks in the
fl1msy outside wall. one of the party
knocked at the door that confronted
them at The top of the stairs
Footsteps sounded on the floor. evil