The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-07
THE EVENING STORY
Dianthe OF the woods.
[By NJ. woodruff NEWELL

4
A severe attack of typhoid had put
him considerably on the bias so that
ne welcomed quiet recuperating old
iaIm house, "2e miles from a lemon"
as desired haven. and went there
for a summers sojourn the first of
july.
The old couple with whom he board
LED We're one L4en1uel Merriwether and
his Wife, and they worried constantly
for fear he should have a relapse.
I'm very apt to- Andrew assured
Them often, being SO weak, you know.
The deiirium especially is very apt to
return
Being a. lone young bachelor, he en-
ijoyed their anxiety in his behalf and
worked shameiessly on their syn,pa-
lthies.
My heavenl" exclaimed Mrs. Merri-
twether the morning that he told her
THAT, throwing away a raisin that she
Was seeding and putting the seeds into
the sake in her excitement.
oh, it's very sad disease" contin-
lued Andrew, pensively, reaching for his
fifth cooky. 4
/ Then he took his camera and went
out for mornings prowl through the
woods.
The cour try was in it's summer glory.
land just before he started back to the
Ihouse ne took the picture that started
the trouble.
Il He had been walking along by the
iriver and, struck by clump of birch
path, he trained his camera on it and
lsought the finder. He smiled happily
as he saw The Picture 1t made--the slim
young trees with the long path winding
up behind them.
| That's fineI" he told himself, and
Holding the camera steady, snapped it.
He could scarcely wait to get home to
ldayelop it
Exclaimed arxiously, Gracious me,
hoy, where's tho fire %
i Got prize package" he answered
Isolemnly
4 Mrs. Mer.iweth.r, honest soul. stared
! after him
You doa't suppose now the heats
affected his head, do you?" she whisper
!; ed to Lemuel as he came up from the
Earn a little later
} Hes been on the go all day in the
| hot sun, and after such fever as he
! had he's liable to have spells of
looney, you know. He said so. just
) asked him what he was hurrying SO
: for, and he said he had prize pack
age, and I declare to goodness didn't
: see nothing but that old camera."
'Shoo. shoe, mother, the boys all
, right. It's probably just some of his
funny business"
RI If they had seen "the boy" at that
|. precise moment they would probably
have been more anxious than they
l were about him.
ii He was looking at the developed
|
shook as he held it up dripping be-
j tween him and the small ruby lamp
: on the table.
> by GEORGE" he said, and put it
: through the bath again.
A second time he held it up, and
scrutinized it in the dim red glow.
by gum" he said. Its a
witch, or I'm going looney."
There was the path, stretching out
alluring into the woods beyond.
There were the birch trees, tall and
slender and beautiful-and there, just
beyond them, peering out between
two massive oak tree trunks that Dor
! dered the path, was girl, or witch,
I or a dryad, with laughing lips, flying
!. hair, and an extraordinary eighteenth
. century gown.
How the dickens +" puzzled An
? drew. Its something on the film.
There couldn't have been real girl
there, alone. Lord, there amt one
within twenty miles. She surely
! wouldn't walk that far. and there was
I no team in sight, and anyway, what
would a girl of revolutionary days De
doing here?"
Fl He washed the film carefully, and
! put it through the hypo bath. Then
; he washed it again, and hanging 1t
up to dry, went down to supper.
There he talked at random, his
mind being full of the mysterious pic
3. ture His remarks were so rambling
: that they confirmed every suspicion
i. that Mother MerrlWetneT Hdo Ioriheu
that afternoon.
r Hes off" she whispered sharply
;. to Lemuel outside the kitchen door,
Its the heat. He's way off; just see
how funny he talks. If he amt bet
ter in the morning we'll have DR..
e Snow come over. Well have to watch
e him. without his knowing it. We
. must be mighty careful not to excite
q him. oh. goodness. amt it awful,
o that poor boy? My, but typnolo q
q faa rf,,I disease.
!. / Lemuel, vastly alarmed, was instant
> Nv "onto his job" For a watch dog he
s | proved an Al Andrew had difficulty
e in shaking him off long enough to go
t to the dark room at bedtime.
e The film was almost dry, and he
! | could scarcely wait until the next day
q | to make print of it.
n When morning came, however, he
: found Lemuel sticking closer than a
9 brother Wherever he went, Lemuel
y went also, and when Lemuel had to
: leave him long enough to see about his
il live stock, mother obediently took up
!, the trail just where he left 1t, until An
n drew, impatient and totally uncon-
q scious of their anxieties in his behalf,
. | bluntly locked his door in her very
e face, and getting out his printing frame
settled down to business:
The sunshine was bright in his south
window, and he had a print completed
+ in quick time. He held it to the light
- excitedly. the water dripping from it.
. Christmas, it's goddess.' he ejacu-
i lated.
: She peered out at him, her laughing
g face round and mischievous. Her dress
a was of olden style, with huge panniers
| at the side, and a trim-laced bodice
W | with a low French neck and little puff
:, sleeves One tiny foot stuck out saucfly
!, in a high-heeled French boot
, Andrew stared at her amazed. The
" arched eyebrows and delicate face were
), patrician. She might have just stepped
: | out of some old French painting. Why
4 | had he not noticed her as he snapped
= the picture 1t was all mysterious.
Then he heard Mr.. Merriwether's step
6 outside, and called to him:
{ Any little French court ladies
3 around here?' he inquired