The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-02
EVENING STORY
Borrowed Sunshine.
BY DORA H. NOLAN.

b OO1lA II. NOL1LANs
This is a story of two days in the
life of Joan Carruthers-two days
separated by two weeks On the first,
Joan stood, her face pressed against
the window pane, engrossed in her one
and only amusement. For when one
has risen no farther than salesgirl in
a bargain basement in these times of
high prices and must live on the pro-
ceeds of such daily toll, there is but
little left over for extras, and when
one spends five evenings every week
at school and a sixth and part of Sun
day in study. there is little time left
for frivolities, anyway.
Joan was studying stenography as
a means to an end; not that she liked
it so well, but it stood for shorter
hours and more money. Most of the
girls in the store had beauX, of course,
and went to dances and shows with
them-and married them and led
lives Just like Joan's mothers over
again, and Joan remembered that only
too we'll
Now, as it arose like a picture, blot
ting out for the moment the entranc-
ing one actually before her eyes, the
color-note of that old life was a dead
I ly dra b. Not one ray of sunshine had
penetrated into their dark basement
home. Not single bit of material or
spiritual brightness had it contained.
Joan's mother had been little drab
wfSp of a woman, with all the joy of
life knocked out by her drunken, mo-
rose husband. Well, she was at rest
| now; Joan didn't know where the
father was, and didn't want to. As
she shuddered at the thought of him,
the picture changed like a fadeaway
and the one really before her eyes
gained added brilliancy by the con-
! trast.
That scene typified everything
| Joan's life had lacked and for which
| she was struggling. Even the one thin,
/ watery beam of sunlight that found
/ its way into her third floor hall room
| was reflected from the window direct
| ly across the narrow street. The
| apartment back of those lovely
| windows over the way, so near in ac-
tual distance, was miles removed from
| the sphere of Joan's life. To look into
| it was, to her, like peep into fairy
! land.
| There lived a beautiful lady and a
wondrous prince. in a country of gor-
| geous colors-and with one sweep OF
| the blue and orange curtains over
| those windows all that could be shut
from her sight. Joan prayed hard
that they might be forgotten tonight
for a third person was present in that
| room.
= This third person, masculine. was
lby name Strickland-Dr. Stanton
tStrickland-and by nature endowed
with a full share of good looks. o.
the first of these facts Joan was ig-
/ norant; the second she magnified. To
her he looked a Greek god-or {
movie star! Joan didn't know, either
that the prince was just plain Mr.
Bertram Smith and the beautiful lady
his wife and sister to Stanton. Neither
/ did she know the subject under dis
. | SSinn hl1f she nn111d hU a oil
from the orange shaded light-for hel
own one dim gas jet was dark-wheI
they all arose and passed thru a dool
into another room and so out of sight
Also, that before going, the visitor
lighted a cigaret and threw the mattel
on7a stand close by the window.
! EBut even emptied of its glorifieC
occupants the room fascinated her
She would have one like it some day
I if working hard would bring it, How
the orange light frightened everything
was reflected everywhere, even OF
the curtains;- on one in particular, tn
one nearest where The visitor had sat
Joan came to. suddenly, from he
dreams, and looked hard at that par
ticular curtain. Suddenly she turned
away. opened her door and fairly flew
down the two long flights of stairs.
Into the street she sped, and acros
it. Breathlessly she ran up >the ston
steps of the house opposite the hous
! W liAC ACLlCNlO0 SuhSlllilCs anu puollC'
and pushed again and again the but
, ton of the electric doorbell.
1t seemed ages before any on
, came, and Joan had time to wonde
whether she vas doing the right thing
Finally the door was opened by % stu
pid looking maid, who fled screamin
at the only word of Joan's breathles
; speech she seemed to grasp. Agai
Joan ran, this time up two other lon
flights, into a hall and thru it straigh
into that ia jrVl9n6 she had PIiI11nSa
: from afar.
! But the bad demon whose entranc