The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-20
the EVENING STORY

Ry Frank H. wiInams.)

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Ry Frank H. wiIaams.)
know 1t was wrong for me to read
her postcards. but sort OF got in tho
habit Of doing 1t when was walking
past those vacant lots to her home. SO
before knew 1t was right up to the
hilt In q romance.
You see, It was this way. caught
on to the facts from what she told me
occasionally. Oscar Reidel, her sweet
heart, who was civil engineer. got a
job quite a distance away from her
during the summer. Before he left
Oscar and A1ice-her fun name was
Alice @. Minor-had q quarrel. 1t
wasn't a very bad quarrel. guess. but
anyhow she told him he mustn't write a
word to her during the time he was
away. Well, that made him rather
epunlry ana he said he'd do just as she
said. but that he could send her picture
postcards without writing word to
her and he would send those.
Oscar was surely sender" At first
the postcards came in fast and thick
from him, and I used to wonder why IT
was he sent so many OF them ana no
letters. That was before knew about
their quarrel and what she had said.
The girl was as happy as q lark while
she was getting SO many OF them, De-
cause she knew the man still cared for
her, could see easily enough that she
liked him all right.
Then one day she handed me post
card and sort Of winked at me.
II guess he'll sit up when he gets
that" she said.
I looked at it when got out of sight
of the house. It was addressed to Oscar
all right. and on the back was one OF
those printed postcard kilograms. the
printing said:
"Am very busy. There's a new man
in town.
I tell you what hated to take that
card to the office! I knew how badly
It would make that young fellow feel
way or In the Wilds where he was
But / had to take 1t, just the same. :.
You know you get sort OF interested
in people when you call on them the
way do every day. and I was anxious
to see how Oscar would take the card.
His postcards kept coming to her all
right-they were views of the place
where he was working and that sort OF
souvenir cards-and then they stopped
all OF a sudden. I reasoned that he'd
quit sending them the day he got her
card.
The girl was waiting for me. her face
all shining with smiles. the morning
that none of the cards showed up In
the mail for her.
mo cards for you today, Miss Alice y
I said, as she met me at the door.
The smiles all left her face at once
and she looked at me as though she
couldn't, believe 1t.
mot a one," said. Maybe the
party that's been sending them to you
Is hurt"
At that she cried.
Hurt! No, he can't be hurt!'
ST don't necessarily mean physically
n<1~ ycue
Of being hurt than physically"
She looked at me rather strangely at
this, then tossed her head. marched
into the house and slammed the door
after her.
There were no cards for her the next
day, but think she half expected there
would be, for caught glimpse of her
watching me behind the curtains In
the parlor as walked past. The second
day there were no cards and again ]
saw her at the window. From the lit
tie glimpse caught. thought she had
been crying. The third day there was
a single card and before thought
I wished I hadn't. The card was a
photograph Of Oscar looking lovingly
at some pretty girl. who in turn was
looking lovingly at him. The girl,
surmised, belonged in the city where
he was working, SO was mistaken In
thinking it was such a wild place.
In the first place, had no business
to look at another persons mail. In
the second place 1t got me all tangled
up worse than ever in the affairs OF
that couple. After seeing the card ]
had the hardest kind Of time bracine
myself UP to deliver it. to the girl.
When I rang the Minor doorbell the
girl fairly pulled 1t Off the hinges. she
was SO eager to get 1t open.
"Oh.o Sh0 cried. "yOn've got Some
postcards for mel"
= I've got one. miss said hesitat-
ingly.
LET me have it," she cried and
grabbed 1t from my hand.
She looked at it and then saw her
white figure culver. Then she straight
ened up and without a word she went
into the house and closed the door.
tell you felt pretty bad about it.
Not being married myself. had gotten
into feeling sort OF sense of owner
ship in that girl, and when she took
It SO to heart, felt that I ought to
do something about 1t. had no doubt
that Oscar still cared for Miss Alice
and had only hooked up with the other
girl because he was mad at her post
card and thought that Miss Alice had
given him the mitten. I was dead GER
tain that Miss Alice still cared for him.
I knew, though, that she was too proud
now to do anything to settle up the
quarrel Consequently I saw it was up
to me.
Finally I stepped into a drug store
handy and bought postcard telegram
card myseII. On the back OF the card
was printed:
There's only one person In the world
for me and thats-you!"
addressed this to Oscar in a hand
writing that I know was almost identi-
tically the same as Miss Alice's. Then
1 mailed it.
The next few days passed mighty
slow, I can tell you. 1 didn't know
whether I had made matters better or
worse and I was mighty anxious about
It, Poor Miss Alice seemed worn out
each day when passed her house.
kept hoping that had made things all
right with my card and yet I was