The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-25
EVENING STORY
Miss Mystery and Mr.. Stranger.
BY FRANCES B. LINSkY.
Copyright, 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
Svndicafel

! Copyright, 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
SyndicateD
| You are cordially invited to at
m9 eul 40 ueAIs 90 OF souep puel
| ployes of this hotel on Wednesday
evening. Dancing in the garage from
$3.50 to 10 o'clock. Please come with
escort
| Anne frowned when she read the
little card. When school had smut
down very Unexpectedly for an en-
forced vacation, she had felt that she
must earn some extra money. The re-
| suit was that she had accepted So
called wartime" position in one OF
the suburban hotels, but that such
| position has it's difficulties, and is
mighty different from teaching school,
| Anne was just beginning to find out
| L really can't CO." she told herself.
| IF hardly know any of the people VINO
| will be there. And besides nav
any young man to ask for my escort.
| ..Oh, there's Mr.. Stevens, as the
manager OF the hotel came into the
| lobby "lll ask him to advise me
what to do and she hurried over
| to meet him.
| He greeted her with a pleasant
smile. for he had taken great inter-
est in the girl who had come to him
when school had closed and frankly
told him of her desire to earn more
| money in order to fit herself for big
| ger things" He listened carefully to
the story of her ditf1c Atty.
| Why, I'd just look in for half an
hour, if 1 were you" he said, when
she had finished; you needn't dance
| if you don't want to, and your lack
of an escort will give you sufficient
t excuse, but L think you'd better go
| if only for few minutes, so that the
| others won't think you are trying to
| be different
| Anne than xed him, and hurried off,
wondering why she hadn't thought of
that herself, and resolved that she
would look her prettiest, even if she
didn't particularly care about going
After dinner, she went to her little
room under the caves to don her
party gown.
Goodness. How gay we shall be-"
she exclaimed to herself, as she shook
out her dress. Il wonder if 1 even
| remember how to dance. L haven't
| been to a party since the farewell
! evening that the teachers gave to the
| old superintendent. Wonder what the
new rnan'n be like and her mind
wandered off to the subject that lay
nearest her heart-school
They say he's youngg and quite
| fascinating" she thought, and 1 sup
pose that means that all the teachers
in the district will set their caps for
him. But here's one that won't" And
she jabbed a hair pin in with extra
force, for Anne had ideas" on the
! subject of men"
The last lock of hair securely fas-
! tened, and the last friIl on the dress
alternately coaxed and patted into
| place, Anne sailed forth alone to the
garage which had been transformed
| into a dance hall for the evening
festivities quite surprised to find her
self rather excited at the prospects of
going to a dance, even tho the
/ guests were to be maids and chauf-
feurS.
Il believe I'm going to enjoy it after
all" she told herself, with no little
amusement. Il shouldn't be at all
surprised if 1 find myself accepting an
invitation to dance with some tall
youth who drives a gentleman's car,
and who probably"
Good gracious" and Anne gave a
little scream as a big machine shot by
her, and came to sudden stop a few
feet beyond.
My, but that was a narrow es-
cape" and the girl leaned weakly
against the door of the garage, totally
unnerved by the shock.
Il do hope [ haven't hurt YOU
called out masculine voice from the
darkness beyond; voice in which an
noyance and concern struggled for the
mastery. Il do hope you are not
hurt" and instinctively his cap came
off, as, coming into the light stream
ing out thru the door of the dancehaH
he saw the slender, dainty, girlish fig
ure leaning up against the side of the
| building.
They told me down the road thai
there was dance in the garage up
| here, so l was just running past look
ing tor place to put up my car for
a while. I'm most awfully sorry if
I've frightened you
Anne'S presence of mind by this
time had returned, and she took in her
companion with one ail-appraising
glance.
Mighty good looking for a chauf-
feur, was her inward comment, and
aloud she said: IT am all right now
thank you. L really was more scared
than hurt All the chauf-I mean the
guests at the dance are putting up
the machines in the empty lot behind
the garage. I'll show you the way"
you don't want to miss any dances.
There goes the music now"
why. 1 DON'T began the young
man, and stopped, for Anne had
walked ahead and was pointing cut
the place where number of machines
had already been parked
ITO be quite truthful he said.
: when he had caught up with the girl,
Il hadn't quite made up my mind to
go to this dance for. you see, 1
haven't any partner And he looked
, at the girl with question in his eyes.
Anne laughed. why" she said.
that was exactly my trouble-but
then 1 am only going to stay a little
: WHILE
| We'll. then, may 1 have the pleas
: ure?" asked the young man quickly,
) and as Anne nodded affirmatively, he
added, Til join you here in just a
| minute and went off to look after his
| machine.
AS they gided over the floor to-
gether. Anne gave herself up COM
pletely to the pleasure of dancing with
a partner whose step matched hers
perfectly. and it was not until the end
of their third dance together that she
decided that it was time for her to 60
Just wait for one more dance
pleaded her companion, for 7 shall be
going myself then. I have rather a
: long run to make tonight, and besides
! q fer these dances with Vnli I don't