The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-09
EDening Story
( Romance of Soaring Rents.

because three years
in their pleasant apartment she and
| her brother Jim, were obliged to move
/ because OF soaring rents. They had
4 POUNDS a modest '-walk-up" facing a
/ small park, in an questionable part
of town. OF course, they would get
1 used to it, but Marjorie was one VINO
clug tenaciously to old surroundings,
anu readjCStmenL was painful. They
| had had good times in the little apart
ment-she ana Jim, fresh from the
! small western town.
The moving from the apartment
marked a new era, but even more did
the fact that on Toms horizon doomed
| a. woman. If he was as serious as he
! appeared to be, Marjorie would have
| to Hook~for a separate place To bestow
| her household goods.
! Her melancholy reverie was inter-
rupIed by a sharp peal at the door
beII-the moving men. Wasting no
time, they seized upon the large pieces
OF furniture and were soon carrying
them deXterously downstairs.
Marjorie had only noticed them as
a group. calculating anXiously the size
| of the Zip required Tor the quartet. She
| was, therefore, somewhat startled to
see one of them gazing intently at a
picture standing lace upward against
the wall.
Excuse me. miss" he. said, but,
you know, that's rather Sout of the
ordinary, that view OF the Acropolis
one usually sees
Marjorie eyebrows went up un-
| consciously You are wondering
he said,I answering her Questioning
| look, what knew about pictures,
Here he was interrupted by voice
from behind. ';kfere, you, Johnny
look alive. We are here Tor work.
With no further comment, the one
called Johnny picked up d large arm
fchair and proceeded down stairs.
From then on he did not hesitate
| or stop, and Marjorie, absorbed in
directing the removal of her house
hold goods, forgot the incident OF the
picture.
a few weeks later one Sunday after
noon Marjorie sat in the park outside
liner new home. After all, the new
rooms were attractive, overlooking the
human interest. Then Jim seemed
less interested in his love affair. Alto
lgether, life was looking quite gay.
Raising her~eyes from her book, she
was conscious of d young man, shah
billy dressed, loking at her from the
opposite bench
Pardon me- ne said, moving over
Ito her side of the walk. .Of course,
you don't know me, but 1 am one OF
1.-THE men who moved you down from
Fifty street. Somehow, don I
think you look too proud to speak to
me-"
Il am glad you spoke" she said
What you said about my brother
picture of the Acropo1is interested me.
We were interrupted and I never
learned"
You never learned why a moving
man was interested in pictures, he
interrupted. You see, the thing is
imy brotheEt took that picture. And,
you know, one usually sees just the
front view of the building; this is so
| In no
there are only two copies in existence,
1 just wondered how you had come
by it,
BILLY Joudrey left it to my brother.
He was killed at the front. Perhaps
lyour brother told you Marjorie an
tswered.
I'll admit" he said, being NOV
ing man isn't exactly what you would
texpect of the brother of chap who
does such highbrow things as heading
excavation parties to Greece. MOVING
pays mighty well, and especially the
tips, If Marjorie had caught his eye
tthen She would have seen an amused
expression fit over his face
This was the first of many Sunday
meetings between Marjorie and ner
park beau" as Jim called him. Inc
four of them, Jim and the girl OF MS
heart Marjorie and john frequently
had supper together in the little apart
ment John remained mystery, az
there seemed no connecting link Dut
Billy Joudrey. Jim could not remem-
Der who Billy had said had given him
1.-THE picture of the Acropolis. so Johh
came and went giving no hint as to his
identity.
In the fall Marjorie went back to
her studies. She vas working hard
land while she and Jim commented on
the absence of John, who suddenly
disappeared from view, absorption In
their work made Marjorie almost for
get what now seemed almost like
summer dream. Jim, who was an
electrical engineer, found nimseiI
Imore and more taken up with his
work His love affair was at stand
tstill. as Eleanor Johnson had gone
south with an invalid mother.
I'VE are getting pretty dull, he
said one morning, as they hastily ate
their breakfast I'll try Tor tickets
"Oh. yes do. We will dress up for
a change said Marjorie.
| A little later hurrying up the sub
way steps her arms full of books, she
saw a familiar pair of shoulders in
front. What on earth is John dong
UP here % she wondered.
Hello, John,' she said as she
caught up with him. "Are-xou off the
moving job ?"
'Tn come around and explain. it's
too long a story now, when We are
both late as it is" he replied.
I'VE are going to Faust tonight
You couldn't by any chance get a
seat" asked Marjorie.
"Oh, yes, season ticket" answered
the surprising man III call you up
at dinner time, and find out where
your seats arc. no, I can't come TO
! dinner, thank you-Goodby until to-
night and he was off.
4 Marjorie in her black evening dress,
her glorious auburn hair coiled be-
comingly about her head, and her
! beautiful white neck with its single
string of family pearls, made a strik-
ing picture.
! Clothes do change ones whole
point of view she remarked to Jim.
s'Why don't We do this sort Of thing
oftener2"
! Jim, going off to smoke between
the acts, met John on his way to Mar
5oria Hello old chan" he ex-