Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-04-27
Sylvia Sleeps in
St. Martins
By ELAINE CAMPBELL
N~sS-s\teS-e.,
(Copyrlght.l

EVEN as leggy, fair-haired, blue
~ eyed youngster, Sylvia had been
thoughtful and of serious turn of
mind
And as she grew into n slim sunny
headed girl she knew that some day
she would see more of the world than
the small bit of America that she had
so far known. One of the places Of
extreme interest she would enter was
that famous church In the heart of
London, st. Martins In the Field.
And 1t was small wonder. with
Sylvla's mind so bent on the study
of the human element, that she
should quite naturally find place In
journalism and that she should be so
brilliantly able In her chosen profess
sion as to be sent abroad In quest Of
intimate stories from bits of the Old
world.
Sylvia sent back many stories to
her home paper before she had her
long-looked-for experience of spend
ing a night in old st. Martins in
the Field. She prepared herself for
the vigil among the poor derelicts OF
great city by putting on shabby
garments In order to draw nearer
the heart of understanding. It was
with the hope of gaining intimate
knowledge of those forlorn beings
that she went up the steps Of the old
church in the center Of ceaseless
traffic.
She choked back terrible feeling
of emotion as she went into the
softly lit church and saw here and
there the huddled forms which, in
their hopelessness and tragedy. would
sleep within its shelter and realize
for that brief space Of time a free
dom from the kicks and hunger Of the
world outside.
Sylvia walked softly about, stop
ping now and again to chat and to
scatter such grains of comfort as
were possible.
1t was well past midnight when
Sylvia, somewhat exhausted by emo
tional suffering, sank down into one
of the high-backed pews and, leaning
back YEARLY, struggled with the sleep
that threatened her. Then her golden
head fell unconsciously back and she
slept.
A half houB later, a big man walk
ing quietly about slipping notes and
coins into the hands Of sleeping dere-
llcts. caught sight of Sylvia and
stopped short to gaze down at her
Her small, pale face arrested his at
tention and he pondered on the fear-
full tragedy that must have brought
so lovely creature to this state Of
need.
For David Gardiner was one Of the
worlds thinkers and, also, one of the
worlds helpers.
Suddenly he pulled off his great
top coat, felt In the pocket to make
certain his wallet was there, and
very, very tenderly lifted Sylvla's
head and put his coat underneath for
Il pillow. SO complete was her ex-
haustion that she only fluttered n
rose-lke cheek against the hand that
mlnlstered to her comfort and con
tlnued her deep sleep.
David Gardiner drew sharp
breath. The touch of SylvIa's cheek
against his hand had been like the
warm breath from a southern sky
the soft caress Of an Grant moon
beam.
When Sylvia awoke In the dim light
of n new day she felt curiously rest
ed. When fully awake she realized
that a kind hand had made n sue.
cessful effort to administer to her
comfort by putting a pillow beneath
her head and she soon discovered the
nature Of Il.
"a mans coat and with his wallet
and things left deliberately in the
pockctw 1t was small wonder thnt
Sylvia rubbed her eyes to make sure
she was fully awake.
And with her habltual mental dive
straight into the heart OF things
Sylvia sensed that this unknown man
was making n test.
Hes wondering" she soliloquIzed,
whether a golden-halred person like
myself Will keep the wallet or return
IL. You see, he's left his address on
an envelope to show me the straight
path II choose to take It--back TO
him"
after a cup of strong coffee at her
hotel In the Strand and an extra
fifteen minutes spent In making her
self even more charming than she al
ready was Sylvia hoped into a taxi
and thence TO the home Of David
Gardiner.
Davlds manservant brought him
the card which read, Sylvia Darwin.
New York Daily"
His faithful servant intimated that
II the master refused to see the caller
he would be missing one OF the treats
OF lifetime
"And the cat came back" laughed
Sylvia as she entered and dropped
DavIds great coat on the first chair.
David had jumped to his feet It
was his tur to rub his eyes as II
awakening from sleep. Here was the
golden-halred vagrant Of st. Mar
tins. He was suddenly tremendously
aware that her soft cheek had brushed
his hand
"But why did you leave your wallet
and tobacco pouch In your pocketsT
asked Sylvia as If continuing trend
of conjecture 81 suppose you thought
would prove to be thief
David waited just sufficiently long
before answering to be quite sure that
Sylvia would get his meanlng-so
long, in fact, that her eyelds dropped
And have proved It," he said softly
and his hand rested against his side
where his heart had been.