The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-06
Eoening Story
An Inch of Time.
BY MARTHA WILLIAMS

V1clOuSly the stocking she was darn1ng.
The darning was a refuge from the
French horn batting in the top-floor
studio, the girls singing "Dearie" off
key across the court, and the scratchy
phonograph a flight below grinding
out "Over There" for the third time
since dinner.
Had as well have gone to that
silly concert" Marcia went on plain
lively: Still, it's something to have
nobody making clumsy love to you.
Joe, poor lamb, is a dub at it, but I
have to isten-it would be as cruel to
hurt him as to strike baby that snil-
ed at you.'
From which it appears Miss Marcia
Lane had a conscience, an awkward
possession for born flirt. Marcia
loved the game if it were even reason
ably well played. Joe Gregory would
so appallingly honest, SO absolutely
literal. Marcia loved to think of him
las som ething betwixt a habit and a
benefactor-any other way he weighed
on her mind. He was as steadfast as
thoughtful in rendering friendly serv-
|ices-Marcia writhed under some of
them, but could not bring herself to
hurt him by refusing them.
The evening was so sultry she had
left the outer door on the chain. After
a mild rap some one said thru the
crack of it: MAY 1 come in for five
''Why-I don't know" Marcia fall
tered, approaching the door. She saw
ia human segment, tall, well clothed,
clean, part of a chin and cheek, ex-
Icellent modelled, and three-quarters of
an eye, full-set underneath a dark line
of eyebrow. He stood bat in hand,
the hand slightly before him. She did
not know him-but he was, somehow,
not quite strange. ''Please-may I
come in?" he repeated hushedly, yet
with something of strain.
When Marcia had unbolted the door
he came thru it and melted into the
duskiest of the corners, saying still
hushedly: Keep time on me-and
please remember it-well."
Marcia nodded. Suddenly she broke
out, in his own guarded voice. (which
one of us is maddest? You for asking
to come in, for permitting it 2"
"On the face-honors are easy" he
answered, his eyes fast on the watch
open in his hand. but listen-I am
your neighbor-you have heard me
speak-in behalf of a poor dog"
"I remember" Marcia broke in Gag
erly. ST know your name"
Forget it-please" he admonished.
Forget also my asking asylum with
you-unless you would like to remem-
Der that by ganting it, you perhaps
have saved my ife."
Twill 1 ever know how?" Marcia
asked, in almost whisper. He
glanced at her. 1T depends" he an
swered. She stared into the court
where still alleged music whined and
blatted. She was glad of it now-its
discords masked their low talk per-
fectly. Two minutes more had passed.
A sense of noiseless motion made her
half turn-to see her caller, creeping
toward her, so bent he was invisible to
other view. You are not afraid. l
should not be here if you were cow
ardly.' he said calmly crouching low
at her feet. 81 hope it is long life
you are saving with this inch of time
you give me. However that may be,
it is henceforth at your service"
He did not touch even her garments
hem, but she knew he was quivering
all thru. Presently he whispered:
tSYou have a right to know my peril
is-of my own making-one that man
hood forbids me to protect myself
from"
"a woman scorned?" Marcia asked
under breath. He nodded. ''She waits
to kill me inside my door-she has a
key. 1 baked her plan to run away
with me. Outside her husband'-a
gulp over the words-"w waits for-both
of us-or either"
Let me help you to escape" Marcia
said dragging from a closet Joe's khaki
dustcoat and deep visored driving cap.
Put them on-and go-I will snap out
the hall light she said breathlessly.
AS he obeyed she put up her face to
his in the darkness, saying clearly:
"Good-by, Joe. I'll surely be ready
tomorrow when you come
She had caught a light step, the
merest rustic of garments, as she
passed into the hall. The lights there.
again full, showed her yelled and
hooded figure rushing impetuously
downward. 1t pushed rudely past the
stranger without a glance at him. and
was quickly swallowed in lower half
lit depths. Then came a smothered
scream, drowned in the loud burning
of a powerful car. Marcia rejoiced
that hers were not street windows;
it; shuddering she sank upon win
dow seat and hid her face in her
hands. Body and soul, she was shaken
to the depths.
Now for a year she had built up an
ideal about the man she had saved.
Gordon Ammerly, lawyer. litterateur.
society ornament, modestly rich, but
ambitious as Lucifer. The type she
could love-Fate permitting. Now
she flung up her head, rose and shook
hers elf free of something intangible.
So he played with women's hearts and
mems honor. In a shuddering revul-
sion she flung doors and windows
wide. bathed her burning face. turned
cut the lights and sat bordering life
and things till a low moon told her it
was long past midnight.
When next Joe came-to be exact
it was next afternoon-she saw him
TRANSPORTED. He was clean as he was
kind-there were no folded-down
pages for his wife to discover. More
over, he loved her SO entirely. trusted
her with such perfect trust '1-gave
away your coat and cap" she said to
him abruptly, to which he only smiled.
saying: at must have been the right
thing-or you wouldn't have done it,"
oil ~. he ca1 lafl oh 7crf,
in her. the change that bespoke ordeal,
ne said nothing of it. but took her to
dinner 5nd afterward for a long lazy
wandering thru the park 1t was the
first Of many. Marcia found them in
finitely -estful. She found, too, that
ice had ceased to bore her-that she
missed him acutely, longed for his
coming. and felt happy in his presence.
tho neither spoke a word.
Thus times whirligig brought to
pass the inevitable end--a quiet we'd
ding. brief honeymoon. theR the
making of a new and delightful home