The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-23
THE EVENING STORY
In the bondage Of AfeadviIIe.


where the girl sat, stood looking down
at her intently. She shifted uncom-
fortably under his gaze, and finally
slipped from her chair and fed igno-
miniously to the window, where, she
felt sure, he was too proud to follow
her.
"Oh. know you are shocked" she
cried. IT'S plainly a girls mission in
life to marry the first man who thinks
he wants her, and settle down to dish
washing and wiping the children
noses She shivered in disgust, ig
nor1ng the look Of pain that crossed
MS face hat is what all the girls in
because I am palled by the very whole
sale monotony of it you think me an
anomaly, an unwomanly girl, a repro
bate. Bah!''
The defiant little rebel against the
conventions of Meadville struck terror
to the heart of Elton Maxwell. lately
chosen president of the Meadville Saw
ings bank and owner of the fastest
trotter on the Meadville County Fair
race track. He looked ana her help
lessly and cleared his throat.
But we could keep a hired girl, Ell
len," he said, and Frightening, you
could drive Fanny G.. wherever you
liked. You wouldn't be tied down Wed
run up to Chicago often to the theater-
You would have much easier time
than any of the girls" he finished,
proudly.
Ellen looked at him moment pity
ingly- How apparent were the limita-
tions of his mind. Then she fired a
death dealing bomb into the enemy's
camp.
I'm going to study art" she said,
triumphantly.
''Ellen-noi" The horror in his voice
was genuine.
Years ago another rebellious maiden
of Meadville had expressed the same
resolve, and it was like Jane. Jane,
she never was the same" There were
dark hints of unseemly behavior, and
the girl never became an artist and
never. returned home. To young Max
wells mind his sweetheart was as good
as lost already, though he preached the
posi- ility of marrying him and then
seeking the higher plane which the
dullness of Meadville seemed to render
imperative. But she quickly snatched
the heart out of him.
NO. she said; Il shall be welded
to my art instead. It isn't that I want
to do it, exactly" she added, in quick
pity. Maybe, some time I'll find that
you are the best Elton, but not now.
must try. I'm so deathly sick of mat
rimony by the job lott"
The amateurish daubs on the four
sides of the little parlOr appeared
frightfully fat and unpromising as she
turned from watching Elton walk down
step, his face paler than she had ever
seen it. But she must tryl A year ago
she would have given her two eyes for
the love she had SO lightly refused to-
day. but that was before she had climb
ed the hill of knowledge and realized
that her only habitation thenceforth
must be in the realm of art, not stale
old Meadvi1le. She was packed, ready
to go the moment the director of the
big art school should say the word
Her father stepped gingerly into the
best room.
"a letter, Ellen. Must be from that
art school, Have you got your things
all packed ready to go? reckon you II
come back bout the biggest picter
painter In the country. Won't scarce-
" know US then. will your"
The unwonted tenderness in her
fathers voice. and the real misgiving
in the last sentence. ill-disgufsed by
the short laugh, made her heart sud-
denly contract How good every one
was to her! Even her father and moth
er were ready to sacrifice painfully,
even to the point of placing her on
plane where she would be ashamed to
recognize them as her humble Mead
Vile parents, If thereby she would be
rendered happy.
She chung to her father in an I'M
accustomed, wholly demonstrative
fashion that embarrassed him.
There, there!" he said, patting her
hair awkwardly, read your letter
Mebbe they don't want you to come
so soon. I must go wash for supper"
1t was true-they didn't want her to
come so soon. In fact. they didn't
want her to come at all. The director
unkindly said satirical things about her
cows-a study from nature-and sug-
gested homework as surer means
of gaining renown.
1t was horrible shock. She did not
cry. she was too stunned and humili-
ated for that. she had only enough
could tell her parents that their sweet
had been misplaced-that
their child always was and always
would be a nobody.
The stuffy little parIor, the hateful
daubs, had grown intolerable- Pulling
a shawl from its hook in the narrow
hall, she fed from the house and UP
the narrow street redolent of beef
steak, coffee and hot cakes-Mead-
viIle's favorite supper. Every one left
the blinds up in Meadville, and there
was a panorama of warm interiors,
romping children contented husbands
and active. happy wives. Ellen hurry
ing along in the chill gloom felt like a
pariah and passed quickly out of the
din of dishwashing onto the country
road.
She was brought at last to realiza-
ton of her whereabouts by a startled
cry, and Jumped back barely In time
to escape a horses hoofs, that just
grazed her sleeve as the horse was
pulled back on its launches. The star
light was sufficient to indicate her close
call. She uttered a belated but fright
~By George!" exclaimed the man
somewhere back of the horse. what
are you doing out here? Are you
drunk ~
s'Say, are you hurt p he continued
in alarm. as there was no reply He
rprang to the ground, CROPPED his way
forward. and olucked at her sleeve.
"Elleni"
she began to sob. She couldn't help
1t. There had been too many shocks
in Meadville that day.
It did not take Elton long to get
her into the runabout and start up the
er-stvvf1fle spurned Fannie G. Ellen con-
tinued to be so distressed that Elton,
Ignoring the fact that she had just re