The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-18
Eoening Story
What Happened to Mary.
BY DORA NOLAN.

BY DORA NOLAN.
The girl occupying the stool nearest
the window, fourth from the corner ON
the sixth floor of a huge skyscraper,
wore on a certain day in January
bright pink blouse. 1t caught the eye
of man standing in the window on
the corresponding floor of hotel
directly opposite.
Fascinated, he watched her deft
fingers as, with the precision of a
machine, she packed celluloid toilet
articles into satin lined cases which
she took from a pile beside her. She
did not make a lost motion.
When the girl came to the end of
the pile of boxes she turned on her
stool and looked out of the window.
Her glance met that of the man in
the window opposite. She smiled. He
acknowledged it by waving his hand.
She returned the salutation, then as
boy deposited a fresh pile of boxes
beside her, returned to her work.
With start Strong Lewis remen-
bered the warning words of his wife
spoken as he left their country home
for business trip to the city. With a
guilty feeling he hustled into hat and
overcoat and out of the hotel. The
episode, however, had not escaped the
attention of the other girl who sat at
the same table. I'm tell Johnny on
Guess if 1 always keep them at that
distance, Sadie, Johnny'lI not have any
Kick coming" the other replied. BIT
Johnny did have q kick coming that
very night, and this is why.
When Strong Lewis returned to his
Motel room it was verging on o'clock.
With the instructive movement of a
man who is not used to being coopei
up indoors, he walked directly tn the
window. The girl in the bright pink
blouse sat in the same place. Her
fingers flew back and forth at the
sam task
Been at it all day-and every day,
-. suppose the man soliloquized.
How on earth can she stand it ?"
linen his wife's warning, which hadn't
been far from his thoughts all day.
came into the foreground again. Mutt
terlng something about taking a
cnanee, and "a man named Brodie,' -
strong Lewis watched the opposite
WINDOW intently. The girls were MAX
ing preparations to depart
He hurried down into the street.
Girls, singly and in groups, were
| stringing out of the doorway lust
across from the hotel. But they wore
coats! How could he tell, then, which
one he wanted? All! There she was;
| blouse.
Mary Cummings and her cousin,
Sadie, accompanied by the girl who
i lived next door, had started to walk
home together. as was their custom,
when Lewis approached them. He
addressed Mary. Gould 1 speak to
you-on a matter which may interest
you?"
| All the warnings which reach city
| girls from every side concerning the
| danger in accepting the advances OF
unknown men rushed thru the minds
1 tv1r
head, and that decided Mary. "She
wasn't going to be bossed by Sadie
| just because she was two years older
and many degrees plaineri"
So Mary answered the stranger with
a polite Sure" Whereupon the other
girls walked ahead, turning around
occasionally to be sure that Mary and
the strange man were following. Then
they FASTENED their pace to bear the
shameful tidings to Sadie's mother
who was also Mary's aunt.
! Strong Lewis did most of the talk.
of the flat building where the cousins
lived. There Mary seemed to have
something to say, the while they were
watched by two curious pairs Of eyes
from an open window above. But
when Mary entered the flat the win.
dow was closed and her aunt con-
fronted her.
You're Of age. Mary, and It AIM
for me to say, but I won't have any
such COINS on by anybody wha
boards with me. Think of you
mother what is dead-and think o.
Johnny"
my boards paid till Saturday, and
you can't te1l--perhaps I'll leave be
fore then" With a toss of her heat
Mary went to the room which sht
shared with Sadie and closed the door
Soon Sadie appeared, with the excuse
x sr,o~ H. tie
turning, reported to her mother tina
Mary was ~dolling up in best duds,'
Sadie and her mother listened unit
they heard Mary leave her room ant
start down the stairs. Hurriedly the!
opened the front window and look et
the curb and a man jumped out t.
} help Mary in. Sadie was sure it wa
, the man who had waved.
The girl from next door came owe
to discuss the scandal and many sup
positions were brought forward befor,
Johnny Deland came for his regula,
Monday evening call upon Mary. Blu
the Joy which they expected to deriv,
from the telling of the news wa
spoiled by Johnny, who merel.
shrugged his shoulders and remarked
. Jealous, because yer didn't get hin
yerself, eh?" to Sadie, whom he dis
, liked.
II Nevertheless. 1t was a detected
Johnny who, hands thrust deep in hi
pockets. slouched away and made 70
the corner saloon. For he hat
} brought the good news of a raise ant
, had planned to breach the suggestion
that maybe by June they might b.
Citing married"
: Disguised by the slurring innuendo
, of the women. for Johnny had Away
rated Mary just a little below tn
angels. he decided over a desperat
{ lemon soda that at least he'd give tn
; girl a chance to explain. But john,
, couldn't imagine standing the suspens
of not knowing for another day, s
he hung around the saloon till clos
ing time. Then he hid in the darl
doorway of the flat building wher
Mary lived.
: At half an hour after midnight
E taxi stopped in front of the house an