The Topeka state journal., 1919-03-22
EVENING STORY
The Storm Lady.
BY MARY MORRISON.

arrant rot,'' he groaned-and then,
| Hello! Here comes a storm for sure"
A peal of thunder cracked the air in
two and he hurried to the cabin win
/ dow.
A gigantic cloud, like black cur
| tain, hung across the valley, cut every
| second or SO by a fork of lightning.
| The trees covering the mountain side
were being lashed into a fury by the
| gale sweeping them. Locking down
/ from his lonely cabin, perched high
up on Arrow mountain, it seemed as
| if all nature was going thru some
dreadful revolution-the storm rush.
| ing upon the peaceful forest. taking 1t
| unaWares and meeting with stiff re-
sistance from every tree, shrub and
bird for miles around. Then came the
rain, and he pulled the window to
just in time.
Heaven help anybody out in that
chaos he said, as he lighted the
| lamp and settled costly back in his
chair, Cad, what wind"
Thru the noises of the storm he
heard a sound on the little porch out
side, and a rush of wind followed the
| opening of the door-and bang! it
/ slammed to.
! Hair awry. breath coming short and
fast, there leaned against the inside of
his door a girl. 81 suppose 1 ought to
say something apologize for bursting
in on you this way?" she painted: but,
oh. that lightning, If your door had
MT been right here don't know what
| l would have done. 1t seemed as if
every flash that came was just rushing
around the world trying to find me,
and as if each clap of thunder was
| aphlauding it. OH" rs a terrific
clap shook the cabin, "Oh, do you
mind if I just sit down."
Our host by this time had recovered
himself enough to rise and he pushed
/ td N int IN xE-h oh oi ri
sank gratefully.
where on earth did YOU come
from ?" he ejaculated. 'I had rather
thought that was the only occupant
come on the wings of the storm. BY
jove. perhans that lightning is look
ing for me!''
The girl looked at him for the first
time, and smile crossed her face.
Yes. she was decidedly pretty.
with the help of this little house
and. yes this lamp, we may win out"
she hazarded.
i "I hope So" responded the man.
"At any rate. what there is of it is at
your disposal. That's not much of an
offer. but it's a port in a storm. any
way"
From their cosy fastness in the cab
in they could hear the rain pelting
down. 1t was dark as pitch outside
but the soft lamplight and the nice
look in the mans face was having a
reassuring influence on the girl. She
lifted her hands to her hair-a wo-
mans first conscious act after a
fright.
what hoyden I must seem. The
, first big blow carried away my new
hat. and I suppose next summer those
{ crows out there will be calling it
'Rest-a-While' or Welcome Inn or
something like that"
Hard luck" he laughed. would
a cI1n Of mt own homo brew recon-
pense you at all for the loss? 1t won't
t be as beautiful as the future crowery,
: but it will be Johnny -the-spot if
l you say the word"
Tea? Oh. how perfectly lovely
: Please,' said the girl.
mo sooner said than done. fair
2 lady of the storm. My entire library
is at your disposal while I retire to ms
large and spacious kitchen to prepare
l the feast. No. really" she was
was about to offer assistance. "just sit
$ there while 1 do it. I wouldn't have
t you see my housekeeping for the
;. world
AS he hustled around the tin,
= kitchen he would steal a look at the
!. girl as she sat by the table reading
. There was no doubt about it. she die
I become the cabin. shes readins
T. that awful trash. too" he muttered
i book you've picked OUT
e Isn't it," she agreed. i've reat
e it before and I know it's silly But
! used to know the man who wrote it
years ago, when I was a child.
adored him, and 1 read all his book
n lust on principle. I have the feeling
y that some day he will write something
4 really good-just because he was sucl
: an awfully Iice man himself"
l. Hes a lucky devil to have you sa,
t that about hiTn'.-in he came, tea il
$ hand, and for lonely bachelor on ;
g mountain top it was very enticing
= looking tray that he set before tn
5 lady. The thunder came from dis
: tance now and the rain was content
e ing itself with a. gentle patter, patter
q The darkness of few moments ag
t was giving way to a misty grayness
h | He opened the window a little and
!. | smell of fresh green earth came thru
4 I'm. isn't that delicious" smile'
4 the girl. as she took a. long breath
y Then she poured the tea How man
+ Jumps? Three? Why. nsdn alive
: what did you do in Hoover's day?''
. Tell me about that author ma
: who writes such awful drivel." con
: tinued her host
We'll. you see. I haven't laid eye
: on him for years and years. she wen
: on. II wouldn't know him now if
y should meet him on the street. Bu
], when I was child we lived on tn
Al same street ard he was always so mic
5 to me when my brothers would pul
II my p-g-tails and call me baby An
e once they locked me up in an oil
IS building and that nice man came an
: got me out. He heard my howls.
n baby. as my brothers said. and h
t. was always helping me out 1 ofte
is think of it. and now when things z
t wrong. 1 say 20 myself-Oh. If I onl
e knew where Chester Lane was II
" sure he. would tell me what to do,