Palisadian., 1923-07-27

at the apartment that afternoon, no
harm would be done and she might
have the janitor's key.
OF course, said the janitor. that was
a little unusual letting one have keys
like that, especially as the apartment
was still furnished-but still-Marjorie
took the hint and gave the japitor a
half-dollar.
That afternoon the principal detained
her at school going over changes in pro-
grams, and it was not until five that
Marjorie reached the apartment. She
went direct to the "open fireplace
decidedly impatient. When she
reached the door she felt like thief
letting herself into some ones apart
ment unasked.
The hall door creaked a little as she
opened it and little more as she
closed it behind her. 1t was little
entrance hall with three doors leading
to three rooms. She opened one-ob-
viously coat closet.
Another door opened into room
lined with books-a small room with
desk and winged chair by a~table. 1t
was probably the third room that con-
tanned the open fireplace. Marjorie
was about to close the door to proceed
to the third door, when something
some one moved.
1t was from behind the wings of that
chair. man rose, stretched himself
drowsily and rubbed his eyes, Obvious
ly it was the party" who occupied the
apartment.
Marjorie stammered something about
keys and janitors and open fireplaces
and Cape Cod fire-lighters, though she
was sorry as soon as she had done so
that she had mentioned the lighter.
"It's quite all right" said the man.
"and I'm glad you woke me up. Pm
not usually home in the daytime, but
brought some work home from the
office, thinking I'd have a quieter place
here-and | must have fallen to sleep.
If you want to see the room with the
fireplace, by all means have look"
and the man went on, now wide awake,
and ushered Marjorie into the next
room.
"What any one can do with a fire.
place here In the city, don't see. I've
bought some wood, have it stored In
one of the hall closets-but you can't
start fire with paper aud logs and
there's no place to split wood in an
apartment, What do people do for
kindlings?-have to go out to the cor
ner store and buy it, l suppose"
That's where a Cape Cod fire-lighter
comes in," said Marjorie. And that
was the real beginning of the romance.
The man, Dawson Hill, noticed then,
as Marjorie looked up at him, that she
had just the kind of clear blue eyes
that he had always admired.
He wanted to see her again, and here
was good chance. He asked whether
he might borrow the fire-lighter and
before Marjorie had gone 1t had been
arranged that she and Grace should
bring the fire-lighter the first really
chilly evening and they'd try it. In the
meantime they'd buy the kerosene, and
in the meantime, too, Marjorie suggest
ed that Mr.. Hill come and call. 1t
seemed only courteous thing to sug-
gest after having been so rude as to
enter his apartment so unceremonious-
ly.
Mr.. Hill called the next night, and
the following night it seemed so chilly
that he rang the bell at Marjorie's
apartment and asked her IL she and
Miss Baldwin would not come and try
the fire-lighter.
This all happened about the middle
of October. Two weeks later, on the
last day of the month, Marjorie's aunt
received a package from her niece 1t
contained a Cape Cod fire-lighter, but
not the one she had sent.
letter reached her the same day.
"This is not the same fire-lighter," it
explained, because we want to keep
that one as a memento. But I've lost
my bet. The fire-lighter did it. His
name is Dawson HILL"