The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-02
The EVENING STORY
When Paul Came Home.
(By Lulu Johnson.)


years before he had stood in front of
thdt same piece of furniture while he
nad listened to Guy Masters scatbinp
utGniuncIation OF his effrontery in as
PIrlng to the hand of his EMPLOYERS
daughter. Dismissal had followed the
arrangement and Paul had been told
not to set foot inside the place again.
Now ne was to sit in Masters old
seat ana control the destinies of the
plant. The same narrowness which
nad regarded the suit of his assistant
foreman for his daughters hand as an
insult had kept Masters out of the
print trust until too late He had lost
the plant and it was Paul who had
come to take charge for the new own
ers.
This was the first time he had been
! In the office since his dismissal There
| was less change than he expected to
mo. The carpet was a little rusty
and the desk lacked the high polish
| that once had been the standard, the
| gliding of the picture frames was a
trifie tarnished; the whole place, II,
| 1act, bore mute testimony to those
| two lean years before the obstinate
| old man had given in to the new order
| of things.
There were flowers on the desk to
| make welcome the new manager.
| Paul read some of the names on the
cards and smiled grimly. He could
rernemb Der the time when he had been
taxed dimes and quarters for the flow
ers of policy. Now he was the recip-
lent OF the SnOp Dldcknall.
1t was for him that the collection
had been taken up in the various de-
partments. He touched bell and
boy came in.
'Set those flowers on the side
table, he ordered Keep them fresh
as long as you can. Take these on
this side of the table first that 1 may
get my desk in order"
Paul moved slightly back that the
boy might first clear the writing |
space. The lad lifted over to side !
table the elaborate set pieces, and as
he moved away one particularly large /
piece a smaller bouquet was disclosed
1t was just a little cluster of pan
sizes rich, velvety blooms that remind
ed him of the pansy beds at the Mas
tiers home He caught up the flowers
There was none attached to the
bunch, nor did a search reveal caro-
pinned from the stems.
Then with sudden memory he exam
and his heart gave leap, for on the
shiny green surface of one was traced
a four-leaf clover and the initials IL.
NJ 1t was little trick he had en-
ployed in those days when he had sent
flowers to Lilith Masters. These, then,
were from her, and she remembered
him kindly, even though he came to
take her fathers place.
He had not supposed that she was in
town. He had understood that she had
married and gone to England to live.
He had no direct communication with
her after he had left the little mill town
to seek other employment A dozen
times he had written her in care of
her old nurse, but no answer had come
and at last he had given her up.
He had supposed that she had forgot
ten him entirely, but the pans1es ap-
peared to tell another story, and it was
with warm glow at his heart that he
went about the business of straighten-
ing things up.
IL
almost see Lilith she used to look
when she came down in the trap to
take her father home. 1t was here that
he had seen her one afternoon when
he had come to bring message from
mis- foreman. He had loved her then,
though he was but 16 and she three
years younger. Later on he had come
to know her through her interest in the
benefit society maintained in the fac
tory, and eventually he had won her
love.
Then had come his declaration to her
father, his dismissal and his search for
work elsewhere. He had rapidly risen
in his new employment, and the trust
decided to give him charge of the Mas
tiers MILL when Guy Masters, weary of
the struggle, sought the rest that lies
beyond the grave.
The little floral offering brought this
all back more strongly than ever. Per-
haps he would see her. Perhaps she
would explain why it was that she had
had thought then she had determined
to put him out of her mind, but the
flowers told another story; she had al {
ways loved pansies best of all the flow
erS.
He whistled her favorite air as he
moved about the office, settling things s
to his liking. He was still whistling
when he brought up in front of the
door of the big safe. 1t was filled with
q mass of papers, most of which Paul |
knew could be of little value. {
Mr.. Masters had had an almost super /
stitious dread of destroying any paper '
holes the accumulation of years and
threw them on his desk for examina c
ton. Far back in the safe he came 1
across a package that caused his eyes
to open wide. Neatly banded with tape i
we're the letters which he had sent n
Lilith eight years ago.
He had sent them to Lilith's old nurse t
% be given to her. Only the outer en- t
7elope had been opened and the inner c
covers were still sealed. Masters would n
oribe to gain possession of the letters,
out apparently his sense of honor pre- t
rented his reading them. v
Paul turned them over curfously. Tho q
heap paper was yellowed and stained n
At best they had been poor things; the
pest that he could afford at the time u
He smiled as he drew toward him his 8
'wn personal paper with it's embossed
reading upon the heavily laid surface. p
1any things had changed in those eight | q
ears. He wondered if Lilith had n
hanged with the rest. She had been n
eventeen then, now she must be TWEEN s.
y-five. she had been married, as he z
lad been told, she must begin to look q
by now. Perhaps there were Z,
hildren-it seemed funny to think of =
hildren in connection with Lilith. She ~
vas still child herself in his minds y
ye. g.
If she had never received his letters -
e did not blame her for marrying. | W