The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-08
A Stenographer's
Romance
BY JANE PHELPS
DELLA BLACK A SUICIDE.
Chapter Al.


All the rest of the afternoon and
evening the girls talked of the suicide
Cora couldn't help feeling that it
might be Della. She wished now she
had asked the name of the man who
had made her love him. the man who
wanted her as plaything. But she
had no slightest clue as to who he
might be- She had felt delicate about
asking, and Della had volunteered no
AS soon as breakfast was over. how
ever, she said:
Girls. / am going to the morgue
couldn't sleep last night thinking IL
might be Della. Her note might mean
that as she couldn't be happy without
him, had determined not to be with
him, and had decided to take her life.
It's terrible-but l can't get it out OF
my mind"
As soon as breakfast was over, with
out waiting to clear away, the three
girls started for the morgue, finding
where it was from nearby telephone
station. The two older girls looked
serious. all We're very quiet. But on
Nellie's face was a look of horror.
a look in her wide-opened eyes that
Showed how terribly touched she was
by the thought that perhaps this
tragedy had come to one they knew.
They told the keeper of the morgue
why they had come.
The suicide was Della.
The girls gasped in horror, yet she
looked so peaceful, that as Cora after
ward said: zone couldn't be sorry
she Is gone.'" She and Gladys wept
freely. but Nellie, shocked, gazed dry
eyedt upon the face of the girl they
had known.
What shah we do now that we
know it is Della?' Gladys whispered
to Cora, to whose hand Nellie chung
pathetically.
II don't know!" Cora answered. "It
will be terrible to have her put in
the Potters Field"
| "She mustn't bel" For the first
! time Nellie spoke, with a convulsive
SILVER at the idea.
j But we can't" the practical
| Gladys commenced.
''I'll find a way! I'll tell Mr.. Fall
! lon Nellie dragged at Cora's hand.
IF he-if no one comes to claim
| her, we will bury her decently," Cora
said to the man in charge, as they
| slowly found their way out.
| Damn him!" 1t was Nellie who
girl who knew about her." she nodded
| toward the morgue. lever want to be
| on one of them slabs would take all
| the bad out of anyone, L guess. Just
| think of Della having nerve enough
to kill herself-because she loved
a man who had no right to make her
! love him and then married someone
elsel wish 1 could find him lying
| on a slab right next to her! The
seoundrel! / hope 1 know who he is
some day. If / ever do ell hear a
few things about himself He's the
kind them travelling men at Miss Car
| ters used to talk about-think they
was cute because they fooled some
poor girl, then left them. Damn him
and all men like him!'
Don't. Nelliei You will make your
self SICK Cora begged. But Nellie
| home. "a
1t was a trying day for all and they
| welcomed William when he came. But
he could not help them. even tho he
felt as they did that it was terrible to
| have the city bury Della. Finally
he took Cora cut for walk, leaving
Nellie and Gladys alone.
Nellie, almost went that way
once-almost gave up everything to
| man I-cared for"
Eyes, dear. L wasn't getting on very
well, was sick and tired of working
| of being alone. That's it, Nellie-be-
| ing alone. He was kind-said he
would help my people, and-all-
everything / don't know yet how IL
me to--but when had almost decided
| to, something wouldn't let me. / ioyed
him too, Nellie-or thought L did 4
think now it was his kindness loved
the having someone think of me-
you don't--love-him now?" Nellie
! asked in a hushed voice.
mo, and know he never loved me
or he wouldn't have asked me to do
wrong. L tell you, Nellie, she added
fiercely, 'it is the lonelipess, the hav-
ing no home, no real friends, that's
to blame for girls like Della going
wrong. If she had had a home, even
like this of ours. someone with her,
she wouldn't have-and If I had had
such a home 1 never would have been
tenped."
Commemorative a working girl
needs)