The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-14
TIE EVENING STORY
How Joan Took the Country.
by Belle Maniates.


near the farm where they intended to
spend the summer. they at first saw no
one waiting for them.
Joans quickly moving eyes covered
the whole scene in appreciation. The
colliding and jostling Of incoming and
outgoing passengers, the frantic haste
OF belated travellers contrasting with
the exasperating leisure of the ticket
agent the jogging pace of the man
behind the baggage truck, the vocifer-
ous-vOiced driver of the bus, besieging
passengers to ride to the Pullet House;
the passive-meined driver OF the one
shabby hack-fOrmed a series of most
realistic pictures which made Joan
touch the button many times.
peculiarly fashioned horse attach
ed to a tWO-seated democrat now drove
up. John was somewhat IN doubt at
nal, which seemed to her to have
home-mad aspect. The driver was
gazing into space, with no manifest in
terest in the arrival of the train
Again she touched the button while
Lucille, who had spent the summers OF
two years in this vicinity, went quickly
up to the newcomer.
why, how do you do, Mr.. Bates.
This is my friend Miss Williams
The girls occupied the back seat of
the vehicle. Mr. Bates uttered a mild
.,geed-apl" and the horse made a for
ward movement, tearing away in clun-
sy gaIlop across the long bridge, at the
end of which he settled down into
nippy little gait.
"Old Hundred didn't omit his usual
bridge sprint observed Lucille.
"Old Hundred He doesn't deserve
such a cognomen," observed Joan.
You will think so. He hasn't set
tied down into his smallest pace yet"
"Geed-ap!'' reiterated Mr.. Bates,
reused to effort by this insinuation
and smartly slapping the reins across
the steed'S annie back
He doesn't 'geed-ap' very fast
commented Joan.
DO you earn your own living, too -
asked the old man. turning to her
quickly.
Il hope to- she replied modestly.
Il take pictures I expect to take
your whole country
Il hope it brings more than writing
poetry he said with glance at
Lucille. s'The Hedgeton Gazette only
pays for it in subscriptions and trade
Joan gave an ecstatic laugh.
But Lucille writes for big maya
zines. She is paid by the word
You don't tell mel She must be
awful rich"
"But sometimes 1 sit for hours and
can't think of a word" confessed
Lucille.
''Words are plenty enough!" he de-
clared scornfully- You can get them
Il never thought of that!" she re-
piled naively.
At nearly every farmhouse en- route
1 Mr.. Bates "Whoaed" to deliver pur-
| chases. Now it was the farmers wife
again it was a bashful boy or a gig
Cling girl. In every instance Joan's
camera was active.
The last commission was not deliver
ed at house or in person Mr. Bates
/ stopped in front of barn near the
roadside, and there deposited a suspic-
/ ious looking package Farther on they
met a. farmer who looked at. them IN
quiringly.
IAN rightr Bestowing a knowing
wink upon his purchasing agent, Fred
hastened forward.
How are the Locke girls2'' asked
Lucille. land do you all help them as
much as you did?"
Mr.. Bates then related a pathetic
/ story Of the misfortunes of the Locke
girls" who had lived together for
seventy-odd years in the little tumble
down house. with its sparse garden
patch. The mortgage had been fore
closed. Roxy's sight had failed her and
she was unable to do the "piecing' and
quilting by which they had helped exc
out their living.
The poorhouse was looming up in
| their horoscope, though the neighbors
were preparing to give a harvest ball
ana bestew the proceeds therefrom to
the averting of this calamity.
By the time this narrative was fin
ished they had reached the farm house
/ of the Bates household and Mrs.
Bates came out to greet the "city
folks who were shown to their bed
room off the sitting room
1.-The live stock seem to be making
! grand entrance" said Joan. presently,
parting the curtain. Through the
hole in the screen door some chickens
are entering. On the stairs are null
/ titude of cats, and stray sheep
think it is a sheeD-bIeats on the back
/ steps. Mrs. Bates is sending the dog
for the COWS. VIII he bring them into
1 the house2 %
Her thought was still of a menagerie
/ when she awOke the next morning,
/ conscious of a slight motion of the
house accompanied by a most peculiar
sound. She awoke Lucille. who sat up
/ to listen.
TITS an earthouaket' asserted Joan
Unless the house is portable. I should
not be surprised If We were all en- route
to the barn to do the chores
Mrs. Bates!" called Lucille. what
ails the house?"
Mrs. Bates answered the summons:
1.-The house isn't boarded up, you
know, and the hogs go under it when
/ scratch their backs on the floor and it
rocks the house a little. but it's safe"
"'Lucile!" said Joan gravely. when
their hostess had returned to the
kitchen precincts. 81 had thought of
naming this delightful place Noah's
Ark, but now. think The Hogs
Back will be more appropriate"
At breakfast Mrs. Bates gave more
| particulars of the disasters that had
attacked the Locke household. and
asked to enlist their help in the forth
coming ball. Joan appeared distracted
and offered no suggestions; Lucille
proposed a fair in connection with the
dance. and began to ply her needle in
the fashioning of sofa pillows
The next few days were devoted by
! Joan to long solitary rambles in which
she always carried her camera
| st think have took the whole coun-
/ tryi" she announced one day. It am
going to send the plates to the city for
d.--.1.,.,-.nor,t n g ha,ra1a,t the facilitiae