The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-15
Euening Story
The Girl of the Wood
BY CLARISSA MACKIE.

beneath, ana VINO nummeQ mOnoto-
nously all, the evening knocked on his
ceiling with a hairbrush which sent
Robins feet up on the bed in furry
| of all the impossible situations"
! she groaned ITO think that my
| fathers daughter, brought up in lux
ury, should be spending her days in
horrible stuffy office and her nights
in this pen-and worst of all. cannot
make my salary meet my expenses
and Mrs. Leeds threatens to put me
out tomorrow! OF course some of
| dads old friends would help me, but
I'm too proud-Ive got to reduce liv-
| in expenses. How" She puzzled over
| this a while and then the memory OF
| the old home, now closed and later to
/ be torn down, haunted her. Il could
go there, no one would know it, and
could come in on the trolley. Later
will get better position
| The novelty and the daring Of the
| adventure appealed to Robin and the
next day when she received her salary
she paid Mrs. Leeds and, packing a
| supply of clothes in a couple of travel
ing bags, she sent her trunk into stor-
/ age where there was some furniture
saved from the wreck Of her fallen
| fortunes.
| Deprived of home, fortune, loved
Robin Page, and she did not know
| how she had longed for the old place
| until the next Gay when she crept into
| the house and revisited beloved spots
At last she reached the upper floor,
with tear blinded eyes and sobbing
| lips, and decided that she would soc-
| cupy her parents room with the adj
| Joining bathroom. 1t was sunny here
| even with the shutters closed, for the
sunshine would sift thru every crack.
| There was fireplace with a crate.
| The house stood back from the road
| a there be
| little danger of discovery. She de-
cided that for the present she would
| use a kerosene stove and lamp, and
| when it rained she might have fire
at night in the chimney.
| She worked like a beaver all that
Sunday. From all over the house she
brought stray articles salvaged from
F., the rooms, things which had been le1t
for the ashman, but which were very
precious to this bold pioneer. A sag
gine sofa from the attic was cautious
| ly bumped down the stairs, creaking,
comfortable armchair followed.
| There was a feeble table and chest
of drawers, and some rugs and dra-
peries, deemed too worthless to sell,
and odd utensils from the kitchen be-
low. She added a few small things
from the city stores, Juggling her suit
| case back and forth to town each day.
until at last her house in the woods,
as she dubbed it, was complete.
4
covered Robins hiding place. The girl
grew rosy and her eyes recovered their
old hope and luster. She found an
other and better position and was saw
ing a little money against the day
when the house should be demolished
andeshe would be homeless again. she
was determined never to be without "a
home of some sort in the future. some
thing of her own, and not the stark,
forlorn boarding house substitute. OF
course she knew there was danger OF
momentary discovery of her retreat
and hasty eviction, but she had
schooled herself to meet that, and she
was glad that the old Arthurs place
next door, whose chimney tops she
could not even gee thru the trees,
was also closed. as the owner, Tommy
| ArthurS, her old playmate, was traV-
| cling in India
| "A mighty hunter like Tommy Ar
thurs would smell my smoke right
away" she thought. Her excursions
home on the trolley each night were
milton from old friends. but she had
been very fortunate, and in these days
of motors people did not look for
John Pages daughter in the slim,
| yelled figure that came in on the out
line trolley car with bags and bundles
who alighted at Pole No. IA, beside
lonely road, and who finally disap-
peared thru a broken gate which
finally brought her to her hidden
refuge.
1T is good to be home again" de-
clared Tommy Arthurs, the first OF
his arrival from abroad He had
brought his intimate friend, Waldo
Kent, out to spend the weekend with
him and to decide what repairs the
fine mansion needed. I've got the
| Page property on my hands" remark
ed Kent as he lighted a cigaret after
dinner. "I thought of tearing it down
and putting some bungalows there,
but you're next door and it might not
suit you to have cottagers."
TT wouldn't" said Tommy gruffly-
"Tn buy the old place from you.
Wally I used to know the Pages, and
we had fine times growing UP together
They're all gone now, save pretty
Robin, and I don't know where she is
IL must hunt her up"
I'VE might go over and look at the
outside of it now. Tho I have the
| keys. we wouldn't be able to see in
side" suggested Waldo.
| Done" agreed Tommy. for the
house seemed sitting after his years
in the open.
| They entered the grounds and ex-
plored a little bit in the faint moon
light. Suddenly Waldo clutched his
| friends arm. There's light up
there on the second floor, Tommy. 1t
isn't fire, either"
1
house and this ones hidden-thick
| curtains over window. Tramps?"
| May be. Want to come along and
investigated"
'I'lI go back to the house and get
a couple of guns and sticks. Never
know what we're up against out here
on the outskirts"
/ They oiled the lock of the front door
and let themselves noiselessly inside
the vast entrance hall of the deserted
| house Rubber soled shoes helped
them UP the stairs and presently they
were before. the door of the room,
where a crack of light ran along the
sill A girls voice was talking cheerily
to some one.
Now, old gray cat, you have had
your supper and I've had mine and
we are both going to sit down in this
comfy chair and readH" Tommy 8
heart quickened for he believed he
knew who belonged to that delightful
| vntoa