The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-14
Eoening Story
Electrically Elevated.
BY RUBY DOUGLAS.

Doris Greene had lived in New York
for short time only. She had been
brought up in a small town, in which
she had seen almost none of the mod
ern city conveniences for handling
crowds, eliminating labor and making
work In general less expensive and
less laborious.
The first time she rode on NOV
ing stairway, which she afterward
learned was called an escalator she
was so thrilled that she repeated the
journey four times.
II think I've seen almost every
thing now" she told her mother one
night when she returned from her daily
trip to the office where she earned u
living filing letters for big corpora
ton. II feel quite like a. New Yorker"
WELL daughter" her mother re-
marked with "a touch of wistfulness
in her tone, Il hope you will never be
you are today. Not" she fastened
to add. for Mrs. Greene did not wish
TO SPEAK ill of any one-''not that they
are not entirely all right, dear, but
well, L like my sweet small-town girl
as she is"
laughed. I'm from the country still
in my heart. But the green has
been washed off the outside, think"
Perhaps Doris spoke too soon. Per-
haps it was just her destiny to have
it proved to her the very next Sunday
that she still had something to learn.
An invitation to visit a friend who
had charming new apartment in
Fifth avenue had come to Doris. She
was invited to tea in the afternoon,
and the thought of a party in an
apartment on Fifth avenue had made
Doris expectantly joyful.
She put on her prettiest little after
noon frock. her lowered hat in which
her face looked as if it were trying to
rival the artificial blossoms. Thus she
walked forth to seek the number of
the famous avenue.
At last she found 1t and entered a
doorway which was quiet and unosten-
tatious. She saw what she supposed
was an elevator and she pushed the
button, to hear, inside the shaft, some
thing moving which she Knew must
be the lift.
She waited until after the hoist
stopped and eventually, since the door
peared, she peeked thru the spacious
hole which was where a handle would
naturally be placed. There she saw
a perfectly lighted small elevator.
''Oh, it's one of those electric eleva-
tors that Helen's brother makes You
just push the button and it works
itself" thought Doris, remembering
having heard her uew-found. chum
speak of the manufacturing business
of her big brother.
After some moments of investiga-
ton, Doris found that by inserting her
fingers in the hole she could push
back a lever which released the outer
door. This done, the opening of the
lattice work iron door was simple.
Then she stepped inside, a, bit ner-
vous but still anxious to master the
situation. She saw a list of numbers
and a button for each number. Also
there was one marked stop"
Doris closed the door of the lift and
said a short prayer as she found her
self alone in the tiny boxlike room.
I'm sure Mrs. Moore said third
floor" she recalled. 81 suppose
should press the button marked
three" And so thinking she did push
the third button. Presently she be-
some noise and did not rise very fast
and Doris became so frightened before
she reached the floor where it would
have stopped automatically that she
pushed frantieally at the button
marked stop"
The lift stopped. And Doris began
to trembls apd weep quietly. Here
she wasS in mid-air in an electric ele-
vator in a strange building on Fifth
avenue. New York. Could anything
be more terrifying to giTl from a
small town? She remained for some
ming to move and stop. Then the ele-
vator door was flung open and a
bright looking young man, about to
step in, removed his hat and said: oh,
beg your PARDON did not know
there was any one using the lift"
Tin not" said Doris, trying to
regain her self-composure.
"Oh-I thought you were, II beg
pardon again." stammered the young
man.
Il was trying to get to the third
floor and got frightened and stopped
the car-and everything" Doris said,
lamely.
well. these elevators are confusing
to one who isn't accustomed to using
them" the young man explained
am going to the third floor to see my
aunt, Mrs. Moore"
I'm going there, too. To tea"
Are you Miss Doris Greene. from
Keokuk, Ia.?"
Doris nodded.
up and we'll get ourselves properly
introduced. I've head a lot about
you"
On the way up the young man ex-
planned the working of the elevator
to Doris, and all during tea he seemed
to be greatly interested in her. When
she was ready to go home h found it
advisable to take her safely down in
the elevator and to see she got home
without further predicament.
From that memora bic Sunday he
called, from time to time at the little
apartment where Doris and her
mother lived so quietly, and on an oc-
casional Sunday the two went to see
Mrs. Moore in her apartment on 5th
avenue.
One afternoon when Herbert Davis
thought he had waited quite long
enough to tell Doris that he had loved
her from the very moment that he saw
her. he took her to call on his aunt.
When the elevator was half way up
he stopped it. Doris. dear, 1 love
you. I've loved you-always."
''Why-Herbert. what a place to tell
me-" was all the girl could say. but il
was enough to give the young man
courage, and he took her in his arms