The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-30

a key attached to a. wooden tag
marked Room SO. Blair Street
Home" Mr.. Gage asked the police
man at the next corner where the
Blair Street Home might be. and was
directed to a boarding home for girls
a few blocks away.
1t was a dingy place inside and out,
and the high unshaded gas lights in
the hall did little to dispel the outside
gloom. He asked the attendant at
the desk whether she would take the
purse, to which the attendant me-
chemically reached out to the cumber-
some electric press button and rang
nine times and then nine times more
attendant YEARLY. I'D rather have
You give it to her yourself.
Mr.. Gage sat waiting on narrow.
uncomfortable black walnut bench in
the hall and presently to his surprise
appeared in the gloom Faith Clarke
the girl about whom he had been
thinking for the past half hour.
Are you ninety-nine?'' he asked,
rising, and then, 'I didn't expect to
find you here, Miss Clarke, still am
very glad that 1 did,
Explanations concerning the loss
and finding of the purse We're soon
over Mr.. Gage fingered, sitting there
beside Miss Clarke in the dingy hall.
He told her that he felt this a good
opportunity to try to persuade her to
accept MS OIIeI. am quite sure
you can do the work satisfa ctorily and
1 should think that the increase from
eighteen to thirty-five dollars a week
would make up for the additional re-
sponsibility. That must be an induce
ment."
Faith Clarke looked about her and
then back to Mr.. Gage.
You see,' she said, this is home
to me. It's the only home I've known
since I left my uncie's in the country
and that wasn't at all happy. It's n
working girls home-the rule is that
no girl earning more than twenty dol
lars a week can live here. I left one
place because they raised my wages
that was when I went to Cages: and
now-don't you see what it means to
me? If 1 accept your proposition L
would have to leave this home. 1t
would break my heart"
Thomas Gage, Jr., felt something
very much like a lump in his throat,
at the thought that this dingy place,
with its doors of sanctity and poor
rene. His own home life had been so
happy-perhaps he had never quite
appreciated it.
Still, I'd like to do your work, :"
Faith admitted. ut would be so
much more interesting. Would you
let<me do the work with the same SAL
ary?"
Thomas Gage looked perplexed, and
then suddenly he laughed a little and
held out his hand. Its a go, Miss
Clarke. Wen make it twenty a week
and they'll still let you stay here
1t was there in that dingy hall that
Thomas Gage made up his mind that
he would probably woo Faith Clarke
as his wife. "A girl who loves home
as much as that" he assured himself,
fought to make a wonderful wife"
Two months later he asked her to
marry him, and, of course, Faith ac-
cepted.> 1t was then that she found
that, there was little bank account to
here credit, showing a weekly saving
OF fifteen dollars a week. Its yours
to do what you want with it." Mr.
Gage. told her.
I'm going to give it to the home
maybe they could buy a pleasanter
light fertile front hall and get a COM
Portable settee instead of that old
black walnut bench"
Copyright 1922, by The Mcclure Newe-
paper Syndicate.)