The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-10-09
Eoening Story
Black Pons.
RY DOROTHY DouGI

|
| location in the big city called New
York. CHANGING out of his boarding
house window to the sunny street it
seemed to him that every man passing
was Jaunty and happy and had an I'M
mistakable air of being on his way to
get the Only Girl and take her out
for the afternoon.
John had no Only Girl~nor even a
halfway girl to go to see on Sunday
And Sunday without a girl was worse
than an egg without salt. John hated
his own company. He liked having
good friends, but had been forced to
leave them all When the firm he
worked for sent him east to fill a most
flattering position.
| John fell to bordering dark1y on
what he would be doing were he still
out In the homelike small town where
| every one knew every one else. Lily,
Elsy, Mary or Caroline would be 60
ing out on the river with him. Lily,
Elsy, Mary or Caroline would have on
a freshly ironed white dress with spot
| less white shoes and a great Hopping
hat to shield an adorable face from
sunburn.
| No John would be gazing happily
| fnom time to time under that hat.
There would be a neat box of lunch
with iced tea in a thermos and plenty
of homemade chocolate cake. Later
there would be a glorious sunset, still
| later a more glorious moonrise, and
still later under that wonderful moon,
he, John Blackmore and Lily. Elsy,
Mary or Caroline would perchance
steal q moment or two from lovers
hours before taking the weary but
happy trip home.
John had read his Sunday paper
from cover to cover, all but the ad-
Ivertisements, but-so homesiek did he
become that he picked up the sheet
again in sheer desperation and began
a careful review of the Lost and
Found" column. There might pos
| sibly be some drawing string in those
personal notes.
! One did attract John. It was an
! advertisement for the return of a
black Pomeranian answering to the
name of Pet. The girl who had lost
Pet was apparently dying slowly but
surely over the loss. John grieved for
her. Her name was Jane Montgomery
and she lived up in what John had al
ways termed the End of the World.
being 1s1st street.
Now Johns ideas of Pomeranians
| was a bit vague, but he determined to
find something in the way of dog
and take it to Jane. There was al
ways a faint chance that Jane would
be attractive, worth while and all that
sort of thing. John was a very hope
full type of man and he very much
wanted a girl with a freshly starched
white dress to take out on Sundays.
The married couple in the room
behind him had an animal that close
" resembled a dog. 1t had short
black hair. tail that waved in the
afr at most any angle and long. spin
dly legs. Mike was. however, the
most beloved pet OF the couple. Per-
haps Mike had played an important
part in the couples wooing. John
hoped Mike was a, Mascot. He de-
cided to borrow Mike.
He knocked gently at the rear door
and told his scheme. The couple be-
ing newly married and full of romance
agreed willingly. John gritted his teeth
when he saw Mrs. Woodruff. Her
gown was pink and fluffy and her
hat wide and white. She had a pink
parasol and she and Henry were about
to start for Sunday afternoon boat
trip. Henry went SO far as to scratch
the name, pet" on bit of leather
he had used for wrist watch and en-
circle Mikes lean neck with it.
h The Woodruffs 1aughingly wish Sd
John the very best of luck but firmly
insisted on the safe return of their be-
loved Mike.
"she must not be so attractive as tc
wheedle our Mike away from you.
Mrs. Woodruff admonished.
John grinned. IF Jane Montgom-
cry is as attractive as that" he stated
II will buy Mike an ermine cloak fol-
next winter"
And feeling in his bones that he and
subway or elevated John jumped into
a taxi with the animal and gave the
chauffeur an address at the end of the
world. John cared not in what man.
ner he spent some of his excellent
salary so long as it was in quest of the
right girl.
Mike had never had so long a ride
in a taxi, but he seemed to enjoy it
since his great flappy black ears
pricked up from time to time and
xsyhA To HI ~ Ct ~
gly tail wagged happily.
John pulled himself well in hand
when they drew up at the curb and
tried to get into the atmosphere of a
man who had found lost pet Pomer-
anian and was firmly convinced that
the animal he had was that same dog
He and Mike went UP three flights
of stairs to apartment 3 and rang the
bell. 1t was answered by Jane her
self. John pushed Mike well 10 the
front and gazed questioningly al
Jane. Jane was all, and more, thar
hungry lonesome young man could
|. desire.
When she caught sight of Mike
her eyes took on an expression that
was difficult to define. And wher
they met Johns they lit up with a
twinkle that promoted grin from
John.
IT found Xpis Pomeranian and the
name Pet is on his collar" lied John
and hoped she would invite him and
Mike into the tiny. cool apartment.
She did. Jane led the way into a
most divine little sitting room that
seemed a bower of pink geraniuns
and nasturtiums
Are you a dog fancier ?'' asked
Jane, sending a swift glance straight
into Johns eyes. then long one al
, the un-Pomeranian outlines of Mike
WE'LL did not suppose Pet was
a pedigreed Pom, but I did think he
might have a tooth or a hair or two
that was sufficiently Pomerani an for
me to have brought him up here"
Mike meantime was shopping about