The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-30
THE EVENING STORY
just a Postal.
by Lester Rose.l

| JlInny prOpped the card against the
sugar bowl and, while he hurriedly ate
his breakfast, his eyes seldom wandered
| from the picture. Della, the dining
room girl regarded him scornfully.
What was the use of incoming over a
picture postal with never a word to
| tell who 1t was from.
! IL was rather pretty picture, a
quiet little town nesting on the bank
OF broad stream, but it might have
| been love letter, from the way Jim
my started at it. Twice Della had to
/ remind him that he must leave the
mouse by three minutes past 8, in order
TO catch the last car that would land
| him at the office on time.
Della knew to a fraction of a second
| when each Of Mrs. Beeman's two score
Doarders must leave. briggs testingly
called her the Human Alarm Clock"
Recalled to earth by the second sug-
gestion, Jimmy thrust the card into his
| breast pocket and sprinted down the
street to the corner. Once on the car,
ne took out the card again-and had to
walk back three blocks because he was
| carried past the office building, still
studying the picture.
| After all it was a picture well worth
the study, for Arlington was one of the
prettiest towns in his native state Pos
tai cards with local views were some
thing new for the little town. Jimmy
could remember the stir which the first
Illustrated postal received by an Ar
lingtonian had made. Sarah Coyne, to
postmistress keep 1t for a whole week
that all might see the curiosity. 1t had
attracted more attention than the first
Philippine stamp.
Now it was evident that some anna
teur photographer had taken a picture
of Arlington from the hill. Jimmy could
almost locate the exact spot where he
had often stood. 1t was over in the
Pruyn lot, where the boys used to coast
in winter-it was too steep for the girls.
One could easily run clear to the river
on good pointer.
But there was no hint Of snow in this
picture. The trees that fringed the riv-
er bank were in full leaf. the lone will
low that grew on the tiny island was
draped in green, and Jimmy could fair
ly smell the mint and the sweet flag
in the marsh where the creek through
the Newmans' lot formed a confluence
with the river.
Somehow it brought Arlington back
with startling distinctness. He had
supposed that he had forgotten the
town in his two hurried years Of city
life, but with the picture before him
it was as though he had just climbed
the hill from the little red house that
brick Methodist church. They were
just finishing the steeple when he had
come away. Now 1t proudly reared its
head above all the other buildings.
Jimmy turned the card over and re-
garded its face. The blurred postmark
seemed like an old friend. He could
look through the glass partition where
the boxes were empty, down in the
corner nearest the drug store, and see
Emma Sherman industriously stamp
ing the mail.
He could hear the double thud as
she struck first a letter and then the
ments of the men waiting for the mail
to be sorted. He could even see the
recruiting poster with its gaudy pic
lures of uniformed soldiers. a glory OF
IL Ill l-N
of the more somber bills announcing
auction sales and the prim handwrit-
ing of the notice of the social Of the
Ladies' Aid society y--
But, most of all, the neat writing OF
the address held his thoughts. 1t
needed no signature to tell him the |
name of the sender. He recalled the
long, happy years when they two had |
planned to seek the city together. He |
was assured of a position through his |
uncle's influence, and Bessie would |
keep house for him and, perhaps, in
time, be able to write for the maza-
zines. The Arlington Times had used |
some of her stories and had called
editorial attention to them.
1t had all been a glorious dream.
but Bessie's mother had died. and
when they graduated from high school
and he spoke of going to the city, she
had gently said that her duty was to
care for her bereaved father
He had used the argument that her
great duty was toward herself, but she
thrust the idea from her, and in the
end he had flung away from her, de-
claring that she did not love him, els4
she would see that he had greater
rights than her father. for whom she
had worked all the best years of her
life.
He had not written after that. not
even to tell of his success. This was
the first time he had seen her hand
since he had left Arlington.
and his eyes grew soft as he studied
tered the ONCE and Jimmy had to
bend to his work.
But thoughts of Arlington were
strangely mixed with the details of
came he sought an interview with the {
head of his room. The latter was
for an opening for a cousin ]
and was glad enough to let Jimmy go '
without the usual two weeks wait.
Three days later Jimmy was in A ,
.lington. ,
His first call was on the Brewsters. ,
out the tiny maid told him that Miss
ping tour and would not be back until
evening. When the evening train
oiled up to the little platform ana
Ter arms loaded with bundles. it was !
Jimmy who stepped forward to relieve
Ter of her burden and who guided her ,
through the little knot of station
Oungers.
you are back for a VISIT ?" asked l.
Bessie when they had cleared the
rowd. Jimmy shook his head. il
ct came because of your postal" he
Explained "It made me homesick, and +
just had to come"
I'm sorry@" she began, but
Jimmy stopped her.
I'm not" he declared I'm glad.
never was SO glad about anything b
efore. It was like a message that I c
ad to answer"
but now it may make you only v
dissatisfied to 60 back" cried the girl. n
That's just the beauty of it ALL
Explained Jimmy. I'm not going II
ack L guess Arlington's a big !,