The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-08
THE EVENING STORY
Kindness of the Company.
(By Tray AlliSOn.)

A
The telephone bell rang and the To-
cal manager of the Possible Accident
| insurance company put the receiver
to his ear with one hand and stif1ed
yawn with the other.
tYes-yes,'' he answered, then sud
denly. on the alert at the reply, rail-
road accident five miles east of SYRIA
cuse? Has our policy in her pocket?
you say? All right! will look up pol
| icy 1884 Immediately and commune
| cate with friends"
He suddenly remembered that it was
| the luncheon hour and. for the mo-
ment, the force consisted of only him
self and the office boy.
Come here, Tim he called to the
other visible representative, hold
down this desk and the telephone
while hunt a policy"
He ran the cards in the file case,
mo, 9SS4-Louise Bradley, aged "a
orphan-no near eficiary
st. Johns church-Galveston Tex
"Humphi Seems there is. no one to
notify, he muttered perplexedly.
Galveston is decidedly distant, and
the church board might have to hold
session before it could come to her
| aid. Seems queer for a girl of twenty
four to have no relatives at all-got
mixed up with the Galveston food,
suppose"
He gazed at the card abstractedly,
wondering the best course to pursue,
able to cope with anything unexpected
that might arise. If there were no
relatives to notify, it could at least see
that she had proper medical attention.
"I'll' go myseIf-too much Incidence
is boring me to death-first accident
We've recorded today" and an hour
later Richard Hartleigh, representing
the Possible Accident Insurance COM
pany.. boarded a train that would put
him into Syracuse in two hours.
When he reached the improvised
hospital, a farm house whose doors
had been thrown open to the sufferers,
the doctor in charge took him to Lou
Use Bradley.
I'm afraid this will be the worst
case he said, seems like conclusion
of the BRAIN"
Wen see that everything possible
Hartleigh looked pityingly at the
slim slip of a girl, her head bandaged
and her face flushed with fever. "She's
an orphan-no relative-poor little
thing and he touched her hand gent
ly.
The girls fingers clasped his and
she opened her eyes unexpectedly.
breathlessly. you'll not leave me
alone?'
Richard Hartleigh sat down by the
bed and humored her feverish fancy:
"Yes--Louise-yes little girl-Tl
stay he said, soothingly.
1t was not until the doctor and the
trained nurse arrived from town an
hour later that he unclasped his flng-
erS gently and left her.
He walked up and down the meadow
path smoking quietly.
st wonder" he exclaimed finally,
who in the thunder Dick Isl"
A month later he went down in his
automobile to take her for her first
outing since the accident.
1.-The doctor says you are doing fine
ly." He tucked robe around her feet
"Honestly-this accident policy bust
ness is fascinating" he jumped in be-
side her and started the machine.
Il had. no idea anTinsurapce come
laughed, "it has paid doctors bills,
sent flowers and fruit and come down
twice a week to see how the policy
holder was getting on-and lots Of
things"
Hartleigh chuckled rather sheepishly.
1.-The flowers and fruit were little ex-
ira touches thrown in,' he conceded.
When he came the next week, he |
found her strong enough to ramble |
down the meadow path with him, and |
they finally sat on the fallen log by the |
creek to rest
II must leave here next week. she |
said somewhat regretfully. Il teach |
school, and school opens the first of |
September
Couldn't you wait until you are |
quite well-really strong?" he urged.
THE accident insurance will not last |
forever" she reminded. II don't see |
how you were able to make 1t cover so |
many things, anyway
He gazed at the waters of the little |
creek flowing ALPHABETICALLY before him.
who's Dick?" he finally asked abb
ruptly.
She turned her face away.
~ "Dick was my brother she said soft
W. HE was drowned in the Galveston
flood. We were together on the second
floor of our house-the first floor was
foot deep in water He insisted that
he would swim to the nearest neigh
boris for help. I begged him not to
go-but he went-and was drowned"
They sat in silence until Hartleigh
spoke.
sI,ouise-my own people call me
Dick-and the first time I saw you
you chung to my fingers and called
me Dick-and begged me not to leave
you. You were not conscious them
but I've been wishing that-you would
do it again"
at Was-half conscious'-she said
1 have dim recollection
of your promising that you would not
leave!"
dent company positively beamed.
sOur company fulfills all its obliga-
tons" he said, taking her in his arms,
sin addition to the doctor and nurse
and flowers, We'll throw in home and
a husband and even mother.1n-laW /
our Iatrons-but we even furnish rela-
the beneficiary needs
them"
She seemed to find the way ne had
dawn her head against his rough
tweed shoulder most comforting, for
she smiled up into his face contentedly.
And we'll frame policy NO. 1884
and hang it in the house the company !
she said softly.
"You bet we WILL" shouted the man
aeer of the any.-(Copyrighted. 3
1907, by Homer Sprague)
orAuER REFLECTIONS.