The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-14
Eoening Story
Lurking in the Laundry.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.

The story does not tell. whether /
Henry, the laundryman, was philos-
opher a matchmaker or merely pos
sessed of wholesome desire to vary
the monotony of collecting a shapeless
bundle of soiled linen on Monday and
delivering it q neat. spotless package
on Friday. He might even have just
taken a strange interest in trying to
help shape the destiny of human
beings.
Henry was a happy married man
himself, with two fine, sturdy chill
dren. His own blissful state might
have been the primary reason for
tampeTing with the life of man and
a girl who dwelt on the same floor
of a converted apartment house.
The old house had been made iEto
one room and kitchenette apartments
, and there were but two on each floor.
1t was with the second-floor tenants
that Henry found time to arrange
maneuver which he fancied might lead
to better things. A splendid young
man and an equally splendid young
woman occupied the front and rear
apartment in that old house in upper
| West End avenue.
Henry realized that destiny is a
strange thing and he figured that what
might never occur in the way of a
meeting in the ordinary course of
| events could easily happen if aided by
| Henry.
| His package of laundry for the first
floor front invariably consisted of the
| most cobwebby feminine dainties of
blue shell pink and lavender which, to
| Henry's mind, denoted girl of ex-
treme breadth of mentality. She could
enjoy all colors instead of being mar
rowed doyn to but one hue
| The package delivered to the second
floor rear contained the regulation
well made shirts, collars, huge silk
handkerchiefs and other bits of manly
apparel.
| whether David Collins and Patricia
Deane had ever glimpsed one another
| in passing was not known to Henry,
but he figured it was an oversight of
| fate had they not done so. Also
| being a thrifty man, Henry realized
| that with rents so criminalIy high two
people might better live in one apart
ment and put the exorbitant sum for
the other in the savings bank rather
| than the landlords pocket.
As matter of fact, David had seen
Patricia's sturdy little figure being
| buffeted by the wind down Broadway
each morning. In his heart he hoped
that her daily toll was slight. David
was the type of man who disliked hav-
ing women folk tossed about by men
! in the business world. David thought
all women should be sitting at some
mans hearthside with dainty slibpered
feet on the fender.
Patricia had once or twice been con-
4 scious Of observing a well set-up man
entering the room behind her own.
She was not especially given to ponder
ing about young men whom she did
not know. There were plenty, she was
well aware, whom she~tiid know. 1t
was not always easy to keep them
from tangling themselves up on her
pathway. Patricia's hair was fair and
inner rich hazel eyes was a tremen-
dous amount of both common sense
and allure.
Henry the laundryman did not call
for and deliver laundry every Monday
and Friday without seeing a great
deal more than the door of studios or
apartments. His keen eyes jumped to
many true conclusions regarding his
patrons.
In the eyes of David Collins there
was strange expression as of seeking
} something not yet on his horizon.
And in the hazel eyes of Patricia
Deane, Henry fancied there was a
great loneliness of the soul. It would
seem that while the girl was happy
} there was still an unrest.
So~Henry spent fifteen minutes ir
the seclusion of his laundry cart un-
doing two packages of clean laundry
: Onto the one containing cobwebby
pinks and blues and lavenders he at
, tached the bill with David Collins's
[ name; on the other with its manly
5 Patricia's name Having so far started
: his career as matchmaker Henry car.
= ried the packages to the second floor
and delivered them. 1t was the fit
tenth of July.
And on the evening of that sam,
Y fifteenth Patricia had an engagement
$ to have dinner with Jack Averill an,
1 wanting to look particularly lovely wa
( intending to put on her freshI,
/ laundered white wolfe.
l.
L ana saw masculine attire galore and
I no white wolfe her feelings were thos,
of outraged femininity. Her lowell
u | snowy dress, the one Jack most like
or all her wardrobe, was no doubt ii
e the hands of the chap whose shirts an,
collars were so utterly useless to her
}. And being sensible as well as beauti
full Patricia Immediately came to tn,
q | conclusion that the mixed laundr-
would have happened TO tenants in tn
same house. She decided that sh'
! look her best that night-to make
I round of all the rooms in the house il
p a search for her own property
Laden with an armful of masculine
attire Patricia started her quest. Ant
. David, more angry than Patricia be
| cause his pet dress shirt was anon,
| the missing and he wanted especial,
/ to wear in to take Madge Cook to tn
roof garden. was gazing at a daint,
Il mass of pink and blue and Iavende
garments that he personally had N
e possible use for.
II A queer little smile followed tn
j.. wrath in his eyes. David decided h
x had better propose that night t
n Madge-there was too much missing
is IN his bachelor life. These daint
e. cobwebs thrust his loneliness deep int
Ie his heart
2 Outside his door Patricia knocke
: gently.
1t was the queer smile in David
n eyes that she caught as he turned t
answer.
d The eyes of second floor front~a
/, those of second floor rear met and
st ia ms me- nm eieo IosetheI
he AS 1ehTy nad supposed, rate merel
sr required slight helping hand fror
IS time to time. Madge was Instant
10 forgotten. as was Jack. David an
e Patricia stood gazing at one another
= even as HenrX honed they would III