The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-11
Evening Story
Furnished Apartment to Let.
BY FREDERICK HART.


Carlisle Henderson read the ad-
vertisement again. II seemed worth |
while investigating. even tho he had /
followed up many promising trails |
only to find that they ended in disap- |
pointment. Still. this was what he
wanted-if only it was like what it |
said 1t was:
4sth St. a west-Completely fur
nishsd apartment; rooms, bath,
veniences; 500. subjest till October.
He clipped the scrap of paper from
put it carefully in his wallet. and
started out on the trail once more |
For two weeks he had sought place
to live, and had found the various al
Turing advertisements snares and de-
lusions. Either they were not what
he wanted. or else they charged enor-
nous prices for ridiculously inade-
quate rooms. He had not much hope:
but en- inner urge prompted him to
follow UP this lead 1t plight be the
low enough! Most OF them wanted
nearly double that sum for an I'M
furnished barn of a place.
The bus carried him up the avenue to
the cross street he sought; he rang
the bell and as the unwieldly vehicle
slowed ne swung expertiy from the
step. A short walk westward brought
him to the number.
From the outside the place looked
| bright and clean. Big windows. he
the lower floors. which were occupied,
| showed glimpses of tastefully fur
| nished roons-not the green-plush-
and-golden-oak horrors among Which
he had lived for so many weeks. He
mounted the steps and rang the bell.
l A a a ri IL
produced the clipping.
1.-TWO flights up she said. gust
knock-apartment "a"
He climbed the stairs. They were
wide. deep-carpetedPquiet. The whole
house breathed an air of refinement.
And there was a three-room apart
nent here for rent at 500 a month!
His mind instinctively took up suspi-
cions. There must be something
| wrong with the place, at that price.
Perhaps there were conditions at
tached-certainly it couldn't be very
nice Still, he had come a long
way, and there was no use backing out
now-he might as>well see it An
other flight of stairs, and he was
standing before apartment "a.
i There was no card in the little
holder, but cleaning brass knockeI
invited use. He raped tentatively
Footsteps sounded on the other side OF
the door, and in moment the handle
turned and he was babe Cheerful
come int"
The light of the room after tn.
, dimness of the hallway dazzled hi
eyes for a moment, and he could no
. make out the features of the girl whs
confronted him. He noted that shs
, was small and slim. and dressed in {
, businessiike suit of dark material
them his eyes roved about the beautf
full little apartment with its wicke
/ furniture. its comfortable looking
, couch. the shaded electric lights.
was what he wanted. all right
, his eyes returned to the girl, and h
saw that she was standing with he
, back against the wall. one hant
! cienched at her side, the other at he
: throat. He saw that her face wa.
, white-and then he saw that he knew
, her.
"AIice!" It was a mere whisper
) The shock of surprise nearly stunned
, him. "Aiice-you-how did you ge
: here ?"
carlisle, =" The words cam,
, with difficulty. st came last year.
1--we been painting-not very well
7 I'm afraid" with a little nervou!
laugh; "At least. no one wants to BY,
my pictures. I had little money
but it's nearly all gone, so I had tt
I sublet this place. Did you see my
advertisement in the paper?"
' Eyes. I eaw >it-but-Alice-I-
| you remember when last saw you 2
She looked away.
. Eyes, IL remember" she said a
last.
swell, want to say-why didn''
you answer my. letters?"
TT don't know. I was hurt. Car
/ Isle, hurt and proud. Oh, wal
wicked not to writei ! know II now
> And then you stopped writing, and
couldn't stand itNany LONGER. And
ii came here to work-aDd to forget
: And row you come here."
II "Alice-Alice, dear. I want to ash