The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-04
Eoening Story
A Boarding House Romance.
BY FRANCES MAY.

|
BY FRANCES MAY.
! A strong odor OF vegetable soup and
boiled fish assailed Eleanor Dean
nostrils as she stepped into the narrow
| hallway of the boarding house. She
| knew by the distant sound of chairs
grating upon the thinly carpeted floor
! of the basement dining room that the
boarders were already assembling
about the long table to begin that SOL
emn and most important meal of the
| day-dinner.
| Fastening upstairs to her little
! fourth-story room. the girl hurriedly
rearranged her thick. dark hair and
: slipped into cool lawn dress, ap-
! Fearing in the dining room just as
the last soup plate was being removed.
| With one exception, everybody was
| breathlessly watching Mrs. Frazer, the
| landlady, serve the fish. and little
heed was paid to the girls entrance
| The exception, a handsome young
| Frenehman, who sat in the relative
| position on Mrs. FraZer's right that
| Eleanor occupied on her left. looked
up smilingly and said Good evening"
cordially and with a decided accent.
1T is warm" suggested the young
| man.
| Very warm" assented Eleanor.
mo warmer than it was at this time
| last year." asserted a large, flerid
gentleman aggressively-
THAT don't make it cool now,
| Franklin snapped his wife. II won
der whether you will find it cool i'll
| France when you go back, Mr.. LIE
| ViscoNte?" she questioned, turning to
1.-The Ffenchman.
Eleanor raised her eyes quickly and
glanced across at her vis-a-vis.
Are you going to France. Mr.. LIE
Visconte?" she asked.
why, hasn't he told you?" ex-
Claimed Mrs. Franklin. significantly.
II should think he would have told
about it just before you came down
stairs. 1t seems odd that you haven't
heard"
Miss Deans great, dark eyes opened
very wide for an instant and stared
colby into Mrs. Frapklins little blue
sumed her dinner and the FTenchman
said suavely:
"why, what need had I to inform
Miss Dean when Mrs. Franklin is here
to speak for me? 1 go, Miss Dean. to
France, yes; but today only I know
it; l have told Mrs. Frazer this after
noon and she has told all zese good
people this evening. 1t is quick, is it
not?"
VERY quick" responded the girl,
land very unexpected, isn't it?"
Most on-eXpected!"
Mrs. Franklin's tiny eyes searched
the girls face curiously.
81 should think you would miss Mr..
LIE Visconte," She said.
81 shall, indeed"
The young man glanced gratefully
at her. you are the only one who
has so expressed herself" said he
smiling.
"And you will miss him all the more
because he's going for good" continued
the lady, with emphasis.
For good" exclaimed Eleanor. "Ah
l-yes-well, perhaps he will come
back and visit America some day."
IT will surely come" said lie Vis-
conte. Then there was a silence and
the girl felt herself the object of covert
scrutiny.
xviii you go for a walk with Mr..
Franklin and me, Miss Dean?' askeq
Mrs. Franklin, as the dreary meal
terminated.
THANK you, I have had a hard day
at the office and am too tired. was
the response. Good night" and
Eleanor went upstairs to her room,
and sat down at the window that
looked out upon the backs of row of
tenement houses, resting her cheeh
YEARLY upon her hand.
''What a dreary place this city is Tor
woman to come to alone.f she sal9
half aloud at will be worse by ana
by." and then with an attempted
L
out of this stuffv room into the air
Putting on her hat, she slipped
down stairs and out of the house
The air was sultry and oppressive and
the pavement seemed to radiate heat
Swarrns of insects fluttered about the
electric lights. Everywhere rose the
:ncessant hum of voices and the rattle
Of wheels and clang of trolley bells;
and over all hung a cloudless sky,
with a half of d silver moon In It's
midst.
Eleanor had turned into a quieter
street where she could walk more
comfortably. when quick footstep
sounded behind her and a voice at
her elbow said:
Miss Dean-pardon!" and turning
her head, she saw lie Visconte. May
walk with you?" he asked.
She did not reply at once; he ha
startled her and the beating of her
heart seemed to choke her. So they
stood for an instant looking into one
word. he drew her hand thru his arm
and they went on, together.
$50 you were taking an evening
walk, alone2" he inquired.
Yves" she replied. smiling; "hut
how do you come to be walking here,
too?"
= al? Oh, I heard you go out and I
SdiiS dlSO- d" III yOu lOi 6-NS Ai6 tIdL
follow you?'
yes"
You We're too much tired to walk
with Mrs. Franklin" interrogatively.
Yes" she replied with little
laugh.
Are you toe tired to go where I
would take you?" bending down, the
better to look into her face
Where is that?" she asked
ITO that great fountain in the pa k:
to see the moonlight shining on the
water. There I will tell you why go
away. Come, let US go to the feun-
tain, he concluded rather abruptly
Half an hour later they crossed the
stone paved square in the midst of
which fountain played refreshingly.
sending up into the air tall jets of
water that fell back with cool splash
into the great basin and rippled away
softly to its outer rim.
"Ah. what relief to escape the
noise of the city streets!" exclaimed