Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-10-31
OPENING CLIENTS EYES
A Short Story for Long Nights

told him to brace up, then hurried
downstairs to the jewellers.
Glenn went to bed that night in
delhi IT,, of excitement. lie had met
the girl he should have waited for
"a duplicate of Nancy, .ly bit
more dashing and lively. 1t was the
call, he told himself, of youth for
youth, the blending of summer and
pring. December! Bah!
In the morning he made for the
bathroom, eager to be downstairs.
The tub had an uninviting yellow
line around it. Unconciously he re-
membered Agnes's immaculate bath
room. There wasn't any hot ter,
he discovered to his dismay, and he
wondered with growing ill-humor
how he would shave.
The tub filled with cold water,
he shr.nkingly stepped in. The soap,
slipping from his shivering fingers,
landed under the tub, and when he
reclaimed it a feathery fluff of dust
covered it. Disguised, he finished
his oath without lathering and, chat
tering from cold, grabbed wildly
around for bath towel. But there
was none in sight. He thought of
the neat array of fresh towels Ag-
mes never failed to place on the rod,
and with a smothered opinion of
Nancy's housekeeping made a poor
att lpt to dry himself with a 10
by 20 guest towel. The shaving with
cold water resulted in two bad cuts
and an increased bad humor. Then
he carefully scrubbed his tLeth and
reached for a glass. But the glass
holder was empty. His mouth, fill
ed with tooth paste, he dashed back
to his room. No glass there, either
Wildly he tossed out the contents of
his suitcase, hoping for some make
shift, and there appeared a neat lit
tie collapsible drinking cup. Agnes
must have thoughtfully put that in
Downstairs not soul was about
All the disgusting remnants of the
party were visible. Glasses, bottles
cigar ashes, cigarette butts, Jews
| papers, confetti, dried-out sand
| wiches. sailed nuts dumped on the
floor, a sofa pillow ripped open. The
air was stale, everything was dusty
and he thought of Agnes's spick anG
| span house in the morning and 6
| longing came over him akin tt
| homesickneSs. There was not {
sign of breakfast in the dining room
| and a peep into the deserted kitchen
made him hastily withdraw. There
| was a distinct odQr of garbage anC
| the sprinkling Of water reaches
| turned his stomach.
In the middle of the confusion II
the library sat Harrison, going over
| his check stubs. Morning. he
greeted rather gloonlily. "Bit upse
| here. Guess the maid isn't here
yet. Nancy and her friends never
| rise till noon. Youth must have its
sleep. Gee, I'm all in. Glen. AnC
tonight is another party. The place
will look worse than this tomorrow
morning" he sighed in a hopeless.
way. 'Well, guess I better clear
up before the others get down. Oh
say, you haven't had any break
fast. I'll make some coffee and
guess we can find some Leftover
sandwiches. Come on out in TIT
kitchen.
Before Glen rose Agnes mahog
any breakfast table in all it's dain
tiness. He could smell the gooC
coffee and the toast.
| "Oh, I didn't know any one wa!
here" A frowsy head and a trail
ing soiled negligee appeared for al
instant in the doorway and disap
! peared as quickly. Glenn had recog
nized Nancy and he thought OF
Agnes, trim and shirt-waisted pour
ing coffee.
cold top" he was saying to Har
rison, I'm beastly sorry, but just
had telephone message. Muriel':
worse. Got to leave this minute
| Thanks, I never breakfast"
An hour later he smothered Agne.
in his embrace and whispered
"Thank God my eyes were opened
and I thank God for my Agnes"
Copyright, 1922, by w. Werner.)