The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-27
EVENING STORY
In 4-D.
BY MAUNA COwLES..

4oudHt III our L.,
bridge Court" whispered vociferously
Nathan, the young man who worked
the switchboard at Curtis & Carriers
real estate offices. The yong man
listened to the voice on the telephone,
then turning to the young Mr.. Carter,
he said: She wants to tax to one of
the firm. Kind O. mad, / should say.
Want to talk to her, Mr.. Carter?"
What's she like?" queried the
youngest member of the firm.
Sounds like a cranky old school
a'am. She's awful mad
.Oh. well. 1 might as well talk to
her. I'll kid her little. and maybe
that will keep her quiet and still
turning over the papers on his desk
with his right hand, Mr.. Carter
reached out with his left hand to take
the receiver off its hook on his desk
phone while the operator connected
him with the tenant of apartment
-Four D.
so you're pretty cold. Well. now
didn't catch the name-Miss Crosby
I certainly am sorry. But you'll
Now, you don't think we're keeping
that apartment cold just to make you
mad. No, honest, there isn't any way
we can get more coal What-the
theaters get coal enough. Well. that's
a good one All you can do. then. is
Now. really didn't mean to make you
angry. But you see every one is kick
ing, and it really isn't our fault. We
can't get any more coal and all we
can do is to try and keep cheerful
about it. What? You bet that it
isn't so cold here in office as it is
in your apartment? Well, now, Miss
Crosby, I'll have to admit that it is
pretty comfortable here. We've got
| southern exposure and we're on the
1oo I'd o1,4xr III r,ff
building people do manage to get the
| coal. Yes, it is unfair. What? Why,
certainly. I'd be glad to see you.
Come right along. Yes, Just ask for
Mr.. Carter, Jr., Frank Carter. Coed
by, Miss Crosby. I'll see yon soon"
He hung the receiver back on the hook
and then clapped his hand over the
ca with which he had been listening
as if to relieve it from the effect of
the volley fire that had been charged
on it thru the phone.
Wow" he said, addressing the
telephone operator on the opposite
side of the room, beyond the little
/ wooden fence. Wow, but she GER
tainly is some sour old maid. 1
thought I'd kid her into good humor,
but it was the wrong tack. l wonder
/ if she'll call my bluff and come down
and see how warm we are But say,
| Nathan, try to get the coal commits
sioner on the wire again. It's shame
! they can't let me speak to him per-
sonally. 1t seems az if something
t-ght to be DONE"
! A half hour later young Carter
heard a very low but unmistakable
whistle. It was Nathan's way of in
/ dicating that something worth observ-
ing was occurring in the office. There
wEs a note of admiration in the
wilistle-distinctly it was his way of
! signalling to the other boys in the
=: Il \
t young enough to be interested in
such signal even tho he was mem
Der OF the firm-the proximity of a
/ pretty girl.
/ Carter looked up from his paper,
caught the direction of Nathans gaze
and then whistled an answering whis-
| tie. very low, but still audible to
Nathan. 1t was a pretty girl and she
was approaching the vicinity of Ma
| than Enveloped in a voluminouS
fur-trlmmed rough wooden coat of a
9ark viole. hue, with her hands en-
cased in a black muff to match the
| fur on her coat, with a picturesque
] black velvet hat, cut on the poke bon
net order, that cast much shadow on
| her face, there was still enough op-
porturity to see that the girl beneath
SO much warmth giving clothes was
young. animated and pretty.
The bewildered Nathan looked up
as she approached and to her query
that Carter did not hear he nodded
| to the desk of the youngest member
of the firm. Then the violet coat and
the delicate aroma of violet sachet
that went with it moved toward the
little wooden fence that hedged in
Mr.. Tarters desk.
| Kere I am" said the girl. I'm
the Tenant in Four D.. Marbridge
Court Where do you want me to sit
inside the fence or outside %
Carter jumped from his seat and
was SO confused that all he could say
was: Inside the fence-please take
this chair, any chair, any chair Yes
indeed. You-are actually Miss Cros-
by? How very good of you'
mo, 1 won't take your chair. I'll
take this little one" she said, slipping
out of her coat and revealing a very
neatly fitted plain blue serge dress be-
Meath She placed the chair precisely
| half way between the radiator and the
window where the light would come
over her left shoulder. There she
said, Il like it just like that 1 shall
knit and not disturb you at all. Please
| sit down, Mr.. Carter. You can't ina g
inc what a pleasure it is to be warm"
Carter noted a tone of asperity in
the girls voice but he did not feel in
the least irritated by it. He tried to
swing himself around in his swivel
chair so that he could go on with the
work before him, but the chair seemed
! to swing of its own accord around
again so that he sat looking at his
/ guest.
$3.50 you took my invitation Sc
| riousIy, did you? I'm glad" He laugh
! ed with embarrassment and the girl
/ opened two blue eyes wide and round
with studied naivete, behind which
Carter knew lay much sarcasm. why,
didn't you mean that you wanted me
| to come" she asked. You first sug-
tgested the theater. but you see, I've
been at the theater till I've seen every
show in town and every movie in the
neighborhood. And 1 simply must get
| these army sweaters DONE" Carter
noticed that she had taken a half fin
| ished khaki sweater from her bag.
Even to his inexperienced eyes the
knitting seemed wonderfully firm.
| warm and compact and he noted the