The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-13
THE EVENING STORY
Treseott's Graduation.
(By James Charnb ers. }

I .
but this appealing advertisement de-
cided him. -.st. -s. -
1t was just a few lines of smali
type, but every sentence painted allur-
tingly the delights of a. summer on a
i farm and announced that Elm Farm
wasi to. be rented for the month of
| August at an extremely reasonable
rate.
\ AGENT and the answer decided him.
He could have a far better time than
/ would be his if. cooped up in some
stuffy. room at an expensive hotel, and
lsthe thought of whole house to him
self for an entire month was attrac-
tive after having occupied the tiny
bedroom and parlor of a bachelor
apartment for eleven months. So
Marsden engaged to have the farm
house put in proper order by the first
I Saturday in August. - =
7 - 1t was with pleasurab BILE anticipation
1 that he climbed into the blackboard
that. met him at the station. The farm
was comfortable looking place, some
fifteen acres in extent, and bordering
a small lake. The house, a two-story
frame, was painted and beds of flow
ers made the front yard gorgeous
Inside it was the pink of cleanli-
ness, but the place struck chill to his
| soul. The arrangement of the fur
nfture reminded him of the cheap
boarding house in which he had spent
| his first five years in the city and try
gaunt arrangement of the place. He
i had sent some money to the agent
with the request that some simple gro
| ceries be put in, and he had no trou-
| Bile in getting his supper. but the mo-
ment the meal was over and the dishes
washed, he went out of doors to smoke
his pipe. He did not-enter the place
| again until 1t was time to seek the chill
| bedroom. ~ - -
| 1t was raining the next morning.
and he spent most miserable day
roaming about the dreary rooms and
wishing for the Sunday papers. He
had a couple of books in his satche1,
but he could not make himself com
Portable enough to read. and. after
vainly seeking to change the furniture
about into some emblance of comfort,
he gave it UP and dragged an old
rocker. out to the barn. Here, at least,
he felt less oppressed by the dreari-
ness of 1t all.
He spent a fairly comfortable after
noon and was just about to rouse him
self to go in and prepare supper when
the sound of wheels caught his5 ear,
followed in a moment by the1tangle of
the >doorbell. ..a
through the house to present himself
at the door A young girl stood on the |
porch, while an elderly woman sat in |
the covered buggy.
Good afternoon" was her brisk
greeting. rs Mrs. Prescott at home %
+ There ism. any Mrs. Trescott." he
said with a laugh, unless you mean !
my mother. : She is in England just 1
now --s 1919.
at am Miss Marsden,'' she explained |
'I drove out to get acquainted and see
how you liked the place. I supposed
" There isn't any family an hei said.
land. I don't like the place. OF all |
the. dismal places I was ever in this is
the worst. 1 was going in to tell your
brother so in the morning. Comfort |
hi md 6nT "a no cd frn
the advertisement And he promised |
to have it all fixed up" |
There was a woman here all day
Friday" the girl said. Didn't she |
clean up property" - 81. '1
"She cleaned up" he conceded, ."but |
I can't make the place look homehlSe. |
shiver every time Hook at it. I'm go
ing to change the name and call it |
Lemon farm instead" 1
81 guess it's not as bad as that" she |
said with a ripping little laugh. IT
thought there would be. a woman In
the family to make things look
May we come in ?"
He stood. aside in silent invitation. |
He followed them into the house and |
his admiration for the personality Of |
the Brisk young woman increased as |
she rapidly moved from room to room, !
giving the touch here and there that !
was needed to transform the apart |
ments.
II, ),
with final pat to the sofa pillows,
she transformed f the parl !.s, and !. moved
like a place to be lived in |
IT'S the purely feminine touch that
no bachelor can acquire" she said
with little laugh. eff had known /
that you, were alone, I should have
been. out yesterday morning before you
arrived ~ Il. 's
"I'm glad you waited he said sim
oily. won't you and your mother stay
to supper. I can cook If I can't keep I
house. will put the horse up and you
can telephone your brother"
ttI am e. Marsden.'' - She explained.
''I have no brother. When father died
decided to keep up the business. Eva
Marsden did not look very we'll. and,
ness with a woman. so.s between the
simple initial and a typewriter. I man
age to get along.
you should come to town" he ad-
vised, land call yourself 'homemak-
err 1t ought to be worth lot OF
s'That might be profitable In win
ter she agreed. Perhaps I will try
"But In the meantime. supper" he
insisted. It'll look after the horse.
There are a couple of magazines you
might care look at While Lam gone
I. shall not be long"
He dashed out to get the horse un-
derseover He returned the back way
and surprised the girl bustling about
the kitchen.
''You can help" she conceded with
a smile. i'but just. know that you
can't make biscuit s-4i 4
But I cam" he insisted. 9TH show
you some day. Meantime III make
the coffee and put the things on the
table, -s. +
"You must think me "a very slow
-. -. s5 ..s5e-
at take me longer than that" he.
admitted enough I suppose that
pra ctiee- makes perfect. and before
long I shall be able to do as well as