The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-15
EVENING STORY
A Knock in the Night.
BY GERALD ST. ETlENNE

BY GERALD ST. ETlENNE.
"GoI Not another word. 1 will not
listen to you. Stop! Flora stood on
the top step and, as she comn@anded
in sharp, decisive tones. she pointed
finger toward the pathway.
Mathew Burgess edged first on one
foot and then on the other. He had
never. had such a scathing lecture in
his life as the one Flora had just de-
livered him. He lOnged to take her
in his arms and kiss away the frown
on her lips, but he did not dare. for
there was something behind those eyes
Of hers that warned him such move
ment would only make matters worse.
With q shrug of his shoulders that was
int nded for a disnified one he started
in the direction her finger was point
ing Just as he reached the gate he
looked back. Flora was still standing
there, a dramatic figure reflected in
the moonlight.
Aitho he was in a shadow and was
not visible to her sight, yet she seemed
to realize his eyes were upon her. her
chin went up in the air as she turned
and went into the open door, stopping
Oh the threshold long enough to call
out: lyon need not call again, Mr..
Burgess. Hereafter ] will not be at
home to you"
Poor Mathew was squelched. If it
had been anyone else but Flora he
would have had an impertinent answer
ready, but his tongue seemed cleaved
to the roof of his mouth. He did muir
muir something about these women"
as he unfastened his horse from the
gate-post and climbed into the buggy
If Flora was going to let little thing
like his being too late to take her to
the dance come between them, then 1t
was time they broke off their engage
ment. As he took one last look to-
ward her home, he noticed how dark
| the night had become all at once.
The moon that had been doing its
| best all night had disappeared behind
| a dark cloud. A slight breeze famed
| his cheeks and he heard the leaves of
the trees rustic uneasily.
| From away in the distance muf-
fled sound Of thunder reached his
| ears. There was going to be a storm.
| "Giddap!" One light touch on the
reins and Mats horse started out on a
galiop. He was going to reach home
before the storm came on if it could
| possibly be done.
! Flora wakened with a start. She
had hardly been asleep five minutes, it
| seemed. "Oh." A flash of snake
! in the bed clothes, and she attempted
to stuff whole sheet in her ears to
deaden the sound of the thunder that
she knew would follow.
| > "Oh! OH" came in quick succession
from her lips, The tumult that was
| tdhllS PldCS dlIuOSt OcdlcItu lteT, u6-
| spite the sheet. 1t sounded as if the
whole country had been struck. Flash
| after flash of lightning was followed
| by crash after crash of thunder, made
more terrible by a torrent of rain and
wind. 1t seemed hours before a calm
came, but in reality 1t was only very
1 few minutes. The stiffness was almost
as terrifying as. the storm.
Flora longedto cry out for help, but
there was no one within hearing dis
lance. Her father was the only other
person in the house, and his room was
| at~the rear. He was deaf and could
sleep thru any kind of storm. Sud
| denly a sound broke the stiffness.
Flora's trembling stopped immediate
". I She nStened. The sound HasSre-
pealed. Some one was knocking the
big brass knocker on the front door.
| Who was 1t at that hour? Flora asked
herself.
A telegram from her mother was
the answer that presented itself Flora
jumped from the bed and slipped into
Shippers and kimono.
Her heart beat rapidly as she stood
with her hand on the lock of the big
oak door. She was terrified. not of
personal danger but at the thought of
what news might be waiting on the
outside Of that door for her. Tele-
grams in the night are always horri-
BILE things. -
No soner had she opened the door
than she jumped back with scream
that rang thru the house. A big,
burly body had flung itself at her and
her hands had come in contact with
wet, sticky fur. Her head reeled and
she was almost fainting when some
thing told her what it was,
BONNET" she gasped., Bonnie
where did you come from?"
, An answering whine caused her to
sink down with a cry of thankfulness
When she flashed on the lights there
stood Bonnie, Mats merle collie. II
was quite some time before Flora
could becoUe composed enc ugh to PAT
!. the dog. He was shaking all over
Mat was with him. was her thought
as she threw open the door. But nc
, Mat was there, It was almost dawn
and the storm had cleared. The dog
sank back at the sight of the wet land
| scape. Who could have knocked
One look at Bonnie answered the ques-
ton. He had reached up with his nose
and lifted the knocker.
He seemed to be pleading for some
thing. Mat had been hurt and the
dog had come for help. She had read
or such things in stories. With thi:
, thought came conviction.
, Where is he, old fellow, and how
was he hurt?" Flora asked. frantic,
, ally.
The dog wagged it's tail as if it un.
, derstood, and that convinced Flora
!, the more. A tree had fallen on MAJ
on his way home, or he had beer
7 struck by lightning. Mat in thai
storm! The thought was terrible
I ~0h, what could she do? MadIy she
: raced upstairs and dressed hurriedly
It was daylight by the time she wa.
! down again.,
/ Poor Mat had been pinned down by
r that tree all night! oh, what if hi
2 was dead? Bonnie would lead her t.
. him-but Bonnie wouldn't. Nothing
! would coax that dog to leave thu
. house. This was odd-for every dos
! she had read of that had gone il
: search OF help had always led tn,
rescuer to the scene of the accident
q Pcrhaps--but the sound of the tele
phone bell broke her thoughts and sh,
! hurried to answer it. Some one hac
= found Mat, was her first thought a.
she lifted the receiver.
? "Hello!" che managed. timidly.