The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-06
THE EVENING STORY

(By Alice sprague.1


get home in time to prepare O'Clock
dinners for their husbands and that
those who were single might be safe
~ housed before the early darkness
or the winter evenings.
Miss Tiverton sometimes wished that
they might stay later, for it was al
ways a long, lonely stretch between
their going and bedtime.
sometimes Lavinia Greer stayed with
her, and on those occasions Lavinia S
brother Richard would call at 9. And
these were the social GASES in Miss
T1verton's desert of dreary evenings.
She always made more tea for Rich
ard and brought out her little sponge
cakes Richard liked the little cakes,
and he liked Miss Tiverton's dainty
ways. her delicate pink and white
prettiness and her pale rose-colored
house gowns.
Lavinia thought Miss Tiverton very
foolish to wear muslin all winter.
Think of the washing" she said as
she and Richard walked home one
evening. "And Letitia Tiverton is as
poor as Jobs Turkey"
She surrounds herself" said Rich
ard. musingly. with an atmosphere
Of beauty
Lavinia shifted She hated to
have her brother say nice things about
Letitia Tfverton. Lavinia had kept
her brothers house for many years
and it had always been her great duty
to nip sentimental affairs in the bud.
Therefore it was many weeks after
that oninous remark of Richards be-
fore she again spent an evening with
Letitia. She took her work over in
the mornings or went to the little tea
drinkings, but she did not allow her
brother to darken the doors of the
little gray cottage.
One day Richard spoke of it mild
ly. 1--WE haven't been to Miss Tiver-
toms for long time he said. mot.
think, for four weeks tomorrow"
Lavinia gave him "a sharp glance.
How did you happen to remember
the date? ,' she acked acidly.
Richard looked at her quizzically
over his glasses. ct noted the date
in my diary" he said. 81 always
write down the events of the day,
he had added after the formal state
ment, Brought Lavinia home from
Miss T.'s,'' the further comment, miss
T. looked like a rose in her pink
gown"
A week later he urged Lavinia to
call. "She will think something is
the matter" he said.
Lavania shrugged her shoulders. 81
have been there in the day time" she
said. IT don't see what more she can
expect
Richard thought for moment.
"She has told me that her evenings
are lonely" he reminded his sister.
"Humph,'' said Lavinia. 81 don't
KNOW tndl we are cdlleu On TO put
ourselves out to go there these freez-
ing nights
Richard returned to his book, but
after a reasonably judicious interval
he looked up to say: Il saw a very
pretty tea basket in shop this morn
ing, Lavinia, padded inside to keep |
the tea warm
"Who wants thing like that?'' La |
vinia questioned, scornfully. 81 al |
ways make coffee. Richard
Richard said nothing more. He low
ed tea, but Lavinia preferred coffee, |
and there you were. Yet the next
morning he sauntered to the flaming |
Japanese bazaar, where were display |
ed native wares to tempt the tourist |
who were making the old-fashioned |
southern village halfway stopping |
place on their way to the tropics.
The tea basket was a quaint affair |
of oriental weaving with a gay pink |
satin lining and a green and pink cord |
and tassel about the handle. The |
pink made Richard think of Miss Tiv- !
erton. With a defiant look he went |
in and bought the basket and ordered |
it sent to her.
His heart failed him, however. when
the dark-skinned salesman asked him |
for a card to put with the gift.
Gust send it without" he said has |
tily. Visions of Miss Lavinia's wrath |
should she know of his purchase, came |
to him oppresSively.
Letitia Tiverton a source of infinite |
delightful speculation. She displayed |
it to her afternoon circle, the rose
colored lining, the pink cord and tas-
sci. the fine basketry.
"And 1 can't imagine who sent me |
such a beautiful thing she ended |
radiantly when all had seen it.
At the first glance Lavinia Green's
eyes had hardened. OF all those wo-
men she only suspected where that |
ho Clx ROT fob I'D =,
sent it. This looked seriously like
the beginning of a romance that would
be most inconvenient. to Miss Lavinia.
On the way home she thought over
a plan. 1t was simple. At dinner she
told Richard: "Letitia Tiverton was
too silly about a basket that some
one sent her.
Richard started, and his face flush
ed. He realized that Lavinia had put
two and two together and had guess
ed that it was he who had sent the
tea basket to Miss Tiverton.
81 wish you had seen her. Lavi-
MIA pursued. II wish you had heard
her giggle and boast that you sent
Richard turned questioning eyes up
on her. But she did not know that
had sent it, he said. There was
no card, Lavinia.''
Lavinia went on hurriedly well,
then, she guessed. for she Dragged of
it, Richard-it@it was disgusting"
Miss Lavinia's face was a dull red.
She did not like what she was doing,
now that she was doing it. But she ;
was desperate.
ST can't imagine, '-Richard's tone
was incisive-'I can't imagine. Lavi-
mia, woman of Miss Tiverton's deli
cacy doing a thing like that
Lavinia tossed her head you
don't know much about women Rich
ard she retorted.
Richard walked abroad that night
by angry doubts. Surely
Lavinia would not lie. Surely Miss
.riverton would not brag. His gold I
headed cane tapped the pavement ir-
resolutely. Then suddenly he strobe
down the street, irresolute no longer.
Miss Letitia, alone and a little