The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-28
The EVENING STORY
A Second EsnleraIda.
(By Constance Darcy Macka,

1
at the door of a dairy, her hands
clasped behind her head. Her gown
| OF rose colored print accumulated the
iines her supple figure, her golden
brown hair was gathered In a heavy
coil at the nape of her neck. Reside
ncr stood trimming milk pail. its
them
Fanshaw paused. The roads over
wnich ne had ridden were dusty and
parched under the heat of the July
sun, and suddenly this dairy, set in its
cool expanse of fields, seemed a most
desirable place. Nearby was the farm
20 winch 1T Belonged rambling, old
1 Iasnioned homestead. Fanshaw's eyes
swept it in. one comprehensive glance
ana returned to the girl at the dairy
door. He decided that nothing short
OF a glass of milk could Quench MS
thirst. Dismounting. he tethered his
horse to the fence.
Gould you tell me the road to
Berkeley" he inquired, for the truth
was he had lost his way twice that
morning, not so much from neglect OF
dreamy inattention to their pointing
fingers, for the spell of the great out
doors was on him and he reveled IN the
air-laden with the mingled fragrance
of wood and field. the lure of the long
white road. Yet now that he had ques-
toned his dairy divinity he was once
more alert, his dreaminess had fallen
from him with astonishing quickness.
ness. But before the girl could reply
an older woman looked from the door
way, and it was her voice that an
Swered him.
She was plump and kindly, with
face like a December apple, rudy, and
a bit withered. 1t was evident that
was urgently hospitable in her desire
that Fanshaw should not only refresh
himself with her new buttermilk, but
that he should drink 1t in comfort
indicating bench inside the dairy
where the air seemed like a mountain
spring com ared to the drowsy blaze
of noon without. FanShaw's horse
was contentedly cropping beneath the
shade of a giant oak, and Fanshaw
himself was equally contented and in
clined to lfnger. He learned that this
pleasant bit of rolling country was the
Farley farm, and in return he vouch-
safed the Information that he had
come from the Hillbrook house. the
eight miles away. AS he talked he
glanced from time to time at the girl.
"a princess of curds and cream he
thought to himself. 81 wonder how
such a jewel came to have a rustic
setting!"
at suppose you live here with your
aunt, Mrs. Farley?" he hazarded. The
girl smiled. Mrs. Farley is not my
aunt" she answered. in soft, drawl-
ing voice. I'm an orphan. I work
here"
Mrs Farley opened her mouth as If
to add something to this speech, then,
thinking better of it, closed it again,
and rising. went to a shelf near by, and
continued her skimming.
The girl regarded Fanshaw with
wide, childlike blue eyes.
st calculate to go to the city some
day myself she said. Tell me about
~, Id 80
such listener. plunged in at once with
descriptions of Broadway and Wall
street. the rush, the clamor; the. glitter
of it all. The girl listened, entranced.
Even Mrs. Farley hung on every word.
at often tell Josiah it's shame"
she burst out that we live right here
from year to. year and never get away.
Why, the biggest place we've ever
been to Is Clifford Junction. And !
guess that, though the stores there
seem big enough for me, they wouldn't
be anything in New York.
ooh, 1 don't know" said Fanshaw.
quickly, fearing that his enthusiasm
might have .sown the first seeds of dis
content PLENTY of New Workers
would be glad to own such a beautiful
place as this
Mrs. Farley glowed with pleasure.
"I'll tell that to Josiah" she ex-
claimed HE thinks there's nothing
like the farm. And 1 hope" she add
q.
you'll stop in and see us some time
again"
Fanshaw promised that he would.
All at once the chattering groups on
the hotel veranda seemed vapid and
uninteresting. He discovered that golf
and tennis bored him unutterably.
Even the plans for the flower cotillion
to be held three weeks hence failed
to inspire him, though only the day
before he had been one of the prime
TO- ",
of popularity had become suddenly
tasteless, for the very reason, per-
haps, that Fanrhaw had had more
than his share.
Every one liked the broad-shoul-
iered, frank-eyed young fellow. from
the senior partners of the law firm
where he was making conspicuous
progress to the freckled urchins that
followed him about the golf course.
He had won his own way up. His
friends were the friends of a man who
had a seemingly inexhaustib1e supply
of native energy and pluck. He worked
hard and when time for recreation
came he played hard. throwing him
self into the enjoyment of his present
vacation with all the zest and ardor of
boy.
His plans now had but one focus
point--the Farley farm. Sometimes 1t
was in the morning he rode over.
sometimes late afternoon, but whether
late or early, Fate favored him. Es-
meraIda was always there, now mold
ing butter with swift touches of her
deft fingers, now pulling UP tiny ma
rauding weeds from the thrifty flower
beds. And as always, her talk. begin
ming where 1t might, ended with the
perpetually fascinating topic Of the
city Again and again he was forced
to describe it for her. while Esmer-
aida listened with unhagging atten-
tiveness. but when, to amuse her. he
talked lightly and cleyerly of the sum-
r1ler colony at Berkeley. she paid little
heed. till he mentioned the flower CO.
tillion, and then she was like child
in her eagerness.
ssXVou1d Won Hike to 90 p, asked Fan