The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-18

A Midnight Introduction.
BY A. w. PEACH.


With the sunset and the coming of
twilight, cold wind rose, prophetic
of rain, and Bailey knew that unless
he reached shelter soon, he was. IN Tor
dismal night. To add to his dis
comfort he had missed directions and
had tramued for hours on the wrong
road. In all his long experience or
summer tramping. he had never run
into Just such a mean combination OF
hard luck and bad weather.
The country road wound aiong thru
silence and solitude; the twilight came
piling thick and fast from the hills;
not a friendly light cleaned thru the
darkness. He plodded Stubbornly on
!: thru a stretch of woods, wondering
with every step if he would have TO
! crawl under a friendly spruce and
spend the night. If he had kept the
! right road. he would have reached a
| farmhouse. Now it was a matter of
luck-and some other things.
| AS he left she woods his hopes rose
with g bound. The lights of farms
| house cleaned a welcome ahead. His
rapid pace carried him to it. 1t was
small, but it looked comfortable. AS
he went by the window, on his way to
{ the back door, he looked in. He
could see a girl reading. Her small
| head, piled with dark hair, was half
with him. He had seen her in the
| little settlement, miles back. The rose
| of her cheeks and the darkness of her
/ eyes had appealed to him then tho his
| glance had been brief, for she was evil
| IDENTIFY shopping and had entered a
store with a mere passing glance al
| him. AS she sat in the room, she
/ seemed to him well worth meeting
| again.
He knocked on the door. There
were the sounds of movement within
and quick conversation. The door
opened crack, and a voice asked him
what he wanted. He told his story
that he was tramping thru that sec
ton and would like lodging for the
night. He could see that he was talk
| ing to an old lady.
Her answer was to the point mo
you can't stay here. You're the third
/ tramp who has been here in week
/ Go on!" The door slammed.
Bailey whist1ed softly, picked up hi.
pack and started out again, a little
stunned by the sudden dumping of his
dream of a good bed. He went Out
to the road and looked back. The
barn doomed Oakland a plan flashed
into his mind. Up in the dry has
under the caves he could sleep SNUG
as a bug in rug; and he could de-
part before the farm people stirred
The cold wind slapped his face with
a wet palm. His decision was made
This is a colo world for an honest
man. Here's where I take chance,
ne SAID TO nlfnSelL ana 1OItnWIIn re-
paired to the barn. Safe within, he
flashed his pocketlight once to get the
lay of the land. Two COWS were con.
tentedly chewing. At his left the hay
stack rose inviting. He went up tht
ladder into the loft, picked out a coy
hidden spot, unrolled his pack, made
himself comfortable. The rain begar
to pound on the roof He sighed witt
relief and, listening, drifted off tt
sleep.
His last thought was that it NIGH
be worse. His flashlight had shown
him that the farmer was well to do
for the barn was wired for electricity
Evidently he had some plant for fur
nishing light in the house and barn
then to let a humble summer hikel
out into the cold! It was hardly G
hospitable thing for such man to do
/ Bailey started at the sound of q
sharp cry. He had been asleep, but hi
did not know how long. The cry wa:
repeated from the direction Of the
house. Grabbing his flashlight hi
hurried down the ladder, out of thu
barn and toward the farmhouse. H,
on in the kitchen. The door wal
open; the robber had probably picket
the lock. Bailey saw a dark figur.
struggling with something white tina
went suddenly Limp. He saw it wal
the old man in his nightgown.
|
dark figure that rose from the ole
mans body and found himself locked
4 in combat with a. why man who cas-
him aside and Dashed into the mex
room. The whole room suddenly
lighted. The robber whirled ant
made for the front hall. Bailey fol
lowed him. The robber wrenched a
the front door, opened 1t and started
out. but not before Bailey hit him will
hearty good will with the heavy enc
of his flashlight. The thief swung
out into the night
+ Bailey started to follow when tn
world seemed to rock with sudder
!. conclusion. Even as unconsciousnes
came he sensed as he fell the picture
of a light girl, her face Swallowed
with her dark hair undone, white and
slim in her nightdress, leaning ovel
the balustrade with something dark il
her hand; with that she had hit him
When he struggled dizzily back tt
consciousness he found himself look
ing into the black, angry eyes. fra med