The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-18
TIE EVENING STOR r
- ATisslonary-


1.-THE; her crinkly hair was 5umbled
poem. Her big brown eyes were
alight with shifting fires-merriment
and mischief predomfnating- Joe
Temple thought, once or twice, that
he had surprised a tenderer light In
their depths, but Mary's pert little
tongue and ringing laugh promptly
drove such ideas helter-skelter-
Joe was a light-haired Viking Of
fellow, with muscles like a wrestler,
shoulders almost the width of the
door, and the best temper in the
world. He was teamster at the cereal
food factory where Mary worked. The
little brown maid attracted him Her
duty was to pack the paper cartons
IN cases for shipment and nail on the
every load somehow lacked one box,
and that the one Mary was nailings SO
it was natural Joe should wait for it
by NIary's bench, and talk while he
waited.
The other girls were not slow to no
tice, and there were many sly little
darts aimed at Joe in his absence
Mary soon learned that his besetting
sin was drink. The conviviality of the
cup that cheers had no destinations
for him. He abstained totally for
months, only to fall grievously when
the innate and agonizing thirst for
liquor overcame him. Then he drank
hard and long, suffering untold re-
MI eAAtCA HIS eARPCNAtI 4AoA DNN-+ f7H+7
tiated.
When bashful Joe. MS acquaint-
ance with Mary a week old, asked il
he might call on the girl In her home,
the clear brown eyes met his gaze
frankly.
you may. Mr.. Temple" she re-
piled, but there is one condition. II
I smell liquor on your breath, it's all
Off" Poor Joe biushed- And don't
use cloves to cover it up" she added
a . Oh
in man; besides, I'd know just as
quick"
Every Wednesday and Sunday even
Ing thereafter found Joe at Mary's
home, for he was soon very much in
love. The family liked the big fellow,
and made more of him than the
friendly but outwardly Indifferent
Mary He talked politics with her
father, helped her mother wind end
less skeins of yarn, and eased her
the three RS
FortnightIy Joe and his sweetheart
attended the dances of the Pastime
Pleasure club, at Hibernia hall, the
teamster scrupulously sober and fair
~ exuding pride and happiness, while
Mary's occurrences was belied by the
sparkle of her eyes.
Twice the old insidious longing for
liquor fought with Joe's love, but was
worsted For days during these per
suppressed longing when he passed a
saloon. In the past he had fallen an
easy victim; it was different now.
For a dazzling plan was taking form
in Joe's honest brain. He had the
home where he lived with his aged
parents reprinted and papered; dur
ing the long summer evenings he
shingled the kitchen and built a back
porch, for he was handy with tools;
and several articles OF furniture had
been added to the living room out
of his wages or savings.
Winter had come before he finally
mustered up courage to ask the ques-
ton which such preparations fore
was not what he had hoped.
"Oh, I daren't, Joe, I daren 'tiF little
Mary had said, the merry eyes sober
for once. ''I like you but" her voice
to drinking again. 1 couldn't stand
that, joe"
"Oh. but Mary I haven't touched q
drop in six months." he responded
earnestly, land please God, If you'll
marry me III never take another
drink"
But she stin shook her head. 'That
isn't long enough, Joe; wait six months
more"
And to all his pleading this was her
answer, until Joe, in a burst of disap-
pointment and wounded pride, de-
clared the time too long to wait for
any one; there were others; now
Mary was q girl of spirit; she tossed
her brown head, and commended the
suiky Joseph to those stothers." He
could go to them; she didn't want him
she was sure.
It was a sore-hearted and very angry
Joe who found himself alone soon after
beneath the frosty winter stars, the
snow screekiag in discords beneath his
feet.
ITS no USE he said to himself bit
- - M
the water wagon or not. That girIs
just been batting me on; she doesn
care for ne'-and he knew the thought
was untrue while he formulated It.
I know what I'll do; I'll go down to
Joe Byers' and get sloughed. No use
tryin' to do the right thing; nothin' in
it. Nm, but drink will taste goodi'
It occurred to him that drink would
neved taste as it did before he met
Joe's ugly reflections kept his eyes off
his path and a jolt to his shoulder
brought him up standing. He had walk
ed under an iron stairway which as
eended to the second story Of a quainf
little brick store, an obstruction which
the stream of Progress had not washed
away.
An arc light near by shone brightly
on the scanned and grizzled wall. ABB |
rubbing his shoulder |
he was stepping back from beneath the |
stairway when his eyes sensed some |
thing unusual on the wall and he
stopped to examine 1t.
There, sheltered by the steps above |
from the snow and the worst of the /
frost, little clump of grass, bare
four spears, chung undauntedly. The /
cold had withered the tips, but tbs /
heart of the plant was vigorous No |
earth was visible; it f1ourished. appar- /
emily, on bare brick and mortar. Tenn |
pie peered at the grass which stood out I
in minutest detail beneath the strong I
electric light, until a suspicious police |
man gruff7y ordered him to move on.
When Joe had walked half dozen |
blocks, bordering the phenomenon, he /
began to ind a lesson in it for himself /
why" his thoughts ran, that little /
bunch of grass has got more grit than |
[ have! It's shy a thinker to help It /