Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-06-09


sation OF a young newspaper man
lin their boarding place for some
times she walked on the drive with
| him in the evening when she should
| have been sitting behind her spec
tacles. with her elbows in an open
text book. The fact that he was an
| Episcopalian, a Rhodes scholar and
bearer OF several important de-
grees made them polite to him.
They had an old fashioned respect
for labels But the editor back
| home had told them tales of wild
| life on metropolitan newspapers and
they were afraid he might have a
bad influence on Myra.
she is certainly a different girl
sister" remarked Aunt Myrul
when she came In last night
she lookedUather feverlsh, admitted
her mother. "And I am ashland 70
say she carried her hat in her hand,
/, Most undignifled. I'm afraid---.
| 1--WE must not let her see that we
think sho is keeping anything from
u.s." suggested Aunt iyrtil. But
she certainly does seem very offisil
| and reserved lately. Shuts me OIL
every time / hint that she ought to
tell her old aunt If. there is anything
| uouD DllnS ncT.
The two old ladies' spent the next
| few days embroidering feNerishly
| Usually their work was placid, even
dreamy. Each had privately sug-
| gested to Myra that she take a few
| days rest. a few doses Of bromide
| or that she was spending too much
tilne in the company Of the friyol-
GUS. She was looking tagged.
In
| Myra's mother brought her n steam
ing lemonade, through one door,
| just as Aunt MyrIil entered another
| door with similar glass on u big
tray. They could not understand
| why Myrs grew hysterical and
| locked herself IN her own room, nor
why she was very curt all the next
day.
"Shc wont let me do thing for
her" waited her aunt
They came to the conclusion that
Myra's actions were suspicious No
| Gipl who was normal would look SO
| flushed, so fatigued and excited.
I've heard of students breaking
| down IN the summer terms" worried
her mother. "and even taking drugs
to help them keep up through the
nerve STRAIN. Myra certainly isn't
herself. And she hasn't seen that
retorter in weeks. do you thinR
| that"
| "Drugsl There never has been a
drug fiend or drunkard in our
family" snorted Aunt Myrtil Then
she stopped. Her sister in-law was
sitting with mouth aud eyes all
rounded and open. The same ex-
preston began TO freeze her own
face.
They 10th remem bered that when
the repo ter hsd taken them to 'see
Eohcmia." Myra had swallowed q
whole glass of the red wine that
comts with an Italian table d hote
d er six-cOurses- for fifty cen Is
The man had assured them II wat
, harn less fut Suppose that Myra--
oNerwrought, oVerworked, sufferinf
with neat and nerve strain--had ac
quired tsste for stimulants They
, were both trained TO believe that tn,
, pernicio Isness of alcohol took manl
and potent forms
4 When Myra came home that eve
ming with red cheeks and glowinj
!, eyes her every movement took on
y new Significance. Her pettish "Oh
= for goodness sake leave me alone,
I made thom glance at each other sig
nificartly When she rctired-carry
ing with hor an ertra glass-thec
rose as one woman ard made fo
| the balcony which ran under all tn,
windows o: The outside rooms In tn,
little flat.
II Myra had a secret vice It wa
their duty to save her from II. The
first move was to spy upon her, per.
mans TO confront her with the evil
dences of her degradation in her
hands.
A long glow Of light came through
the bedroom window. There were
no buildings opposite and the girl
had not pulled down the blinds The
two old ladies went ~ close to the
fluttering curtains ashley dared and
peered into the room where the OBJ
tect OF their suspicious had made
herself ready for rest. She stood, in
hmono and slippers, close to tho
door OF the room III an attitude of
listening. Then she turned the key
In the lock and moved to her dress
ing table.
Tnere was something thrilling and
furtive in the way Myrn unlock ed
the drawer and rummaged through
some laces. The two watchers
clntchcd each other. their worst
|
With one hand the future princi-
Pal OF Elmvil high school reached
for water glass, with tho other she
lifted q bottle. Her mothers head
sank against the shoulder OF her
fathers unmarried sister. Both old
ladies were half straugling with hor-
ror and the mother could not bear
to look.
suddenly she knew that Aunt
| Myrtil was shaking her and whisper
ing excitedly about something. When
she could make her eyes look again
she gave a gasp and began to cry.
Myra still stood holding the flask,
but her mother knew; with a blessed
sense OF relief. that her daughter
had no traffic with the Demon RUN
Both Myra's hands were puraping
up and down violently. And even
their unworldliness knew that
NI