The Topeka state journal., 1908-01-27
THE EVENING STORY
The House of the Ogre.
by Troy Allison.1

| mors of delight
He lives UP there all alone, Miss
voice, .'and nobody knows-just what
he-eats!" She peered closely at Miss
Jarvis face to see If 1t were covered
by an appreciative pallor or other sign
Of overwrought nerves.
Now, Kittie, some one has been fill
| ing your little head with fairy tales"
Katharine Jarvis said indulgently. 1t
had not been long since she herself be-
lieved in fairy tales-and even at "a
| she could enjoy q game Of "make-be-
| lieve."
"Oh-but Jimmie Darnell said he saw
| just an awful looking man there. Jim
mie peeked through the hedge and
| didn't dare let himself be seen. He
was afraid even then that the man
would say:
Fee-Ff-Fo-Fum
I smell the blood
! OF an English-mun!"
Kittie lent herself to the dramatic
possibilities of the poem, and cake
walked solemnly to it's rhythm. The
| afternoon walks were part Of their daily
| routine, but today they had started Ia
| ter than usual owing to the threaten
| ing clouds Of the early afternoon. A
| sharp peal Of thunder startled Kath-
arine from her meditations, and she
was alarmed by the sudden downpour
| of rain.
| Come on, Kitty. we must run for
your ogre's house-this is awful on you
after your attack on tonsilftis."
Kitty hung back, the heavy rain
| trickling from the red wing on her hat
| in red stream down her cheek.
| 20. Miss Jarvis, II guess I'd rather
get wet" she said, her teeth chattering
with cold and fright.
Nonsense" said the girl. taking her
by the hand and running toward the
shooting box at the top Of the hill. you
are SO thin you would never do for an
ogre, childie-and. besides. expect It's
a nice old man who will tell us stories
and let us sit by his fire and get dry
while the storm, is passing. Think of
| that dreadful sore throat you've just
| had, dear-we mustn't let 1t come back.
| She pounded brealthlessly against the
door, and when 1t opened suddenly the
force of the wind sent them staggering
| into the room, which, except for the log
| burning in the open fireplace, was dark
| ened by the shutters closed against the
storm.
The man had evidently been smoking
on the couch drawn in front Of the
| fire.
Its fortunate you were near enough
to run in-it's almost a cloudburst," he
said, throwing on another log and
apologizing for the amount of tobacco
| in the atmosphere
Katharine's fingers, clasping the
chi1d's hand, frightened convulsively.
II fortunate IOr the utIlS S1TI-SHc
been sick, and, If you will allow me, l
will dry her shoes and stockings inme-
diately," she said constrainedly.
At the sound of her voice Bradley
turned in amazementa
'You-you!" he exclaimed, putting his
hand on her shoulder and peering at
| her in the Pickering light. 1--WE been
hungering for the sight Of you for
| months"
Kitty's overwrought nerves gave way
| in a shrek of dismay.
"Oh, Miss Jarvis-you're not too
thin, and he-he wants you.'' she
gasped, hiding her face on her COVER
ness shoulder.
| Bradley's astonishment was mixed
| with mirth.
| "By Jove! that's a precious kid
| didn't take her minute to diagnose
| the case. He certainly wants you-and
has, for ages
katharine, seating herself by the
| hearth, took off the child's shoes and
| tried to quiet her.
'She is dreadfully wet-have you a
blanket we could wrap her in until her
| clothes dry?"
Kitty, forgetting her woes, succumbed
to the warmth Of the fire on the so1es
of her bare little feet, and was soon
| fast asleep. Bradley laid her on the
| couch and drew it close to the fire.
| "Now-tell me why you refused to
answer my letter-and how you drop
ped so completely out of sight ?' he
| demanded eagerly.
Katharine smiled family.
ST thought you seemed undecided as
to whether you liked Miss Hindley or
me better-and I knew she was far
more suited to be your wife than I
your aunt's companion. So accepted
| a position that was open / to me, and
came here in the country to be Kitty's
governess. That's all: there was moth
ing secret about it. I thought, If you
| cared very much that you could easily
find me-" the girl said bitterly, think
ing Of the long months she had wait
| ed; first, hopefully, then despondently.
| Bradley seized her hands eagerly.
"But Katharine, you forget that
your brother and his wife have rtven
rectory-and I had absolutely no
means Of getting your address. l
| didn't know a soul who knew you ex-
cept the people at Aunt Ems. and
dress before he gave up the fiat on
Harvard street."
She gazed at him wonderingly. "I
never thought of that" she said
TiGMIk: Hindiey.@ @u'0o Seee0 to 'Ae MISS
| Bradley laughed boyishly.
"My dear girl. Miss Hindley was en-
| gade to my brother. It had not been
| announced at the time. but he asked
me to be nice to my future sister-in-
| law ana get dCQudlulGQ WllH ner.
Katharine leaned forward impui-
| sively.
"Then you didn't like her a bit p"
| she demanded.
mot bit-that is, well enough for
| a sister-in-law," he conceded.
! "Oh!' she breathed contentedly
! "Oh!' he mimicked happily, drawing
| her head to his shoulder
| "Oh!'' said Kitty awaking suddenly
| and gazing sleepily at the couple by
the flreside "he isn't a bit of an ogre
He's more like a hero in my story
book, that says. AN they lived happy
ever afterward. "-(Copyrighted 1908
| by P. c. Eastment.)
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