The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-29
TIE EVENING STORY
Miss Brejetta's Halloween.
(By Susanne Glenn.)

reckoning to the trim little figure
passing his gate. Miss Brejetta,
hadn't you better decide to take the
school again after Christmas? The
new teacher doesn't seem to give salts
faction. some way, and the folks are
all asking for you. You'd better say,
now, that you will take it and have
| that over with"
WELL" answered Miss Brejetta, hes
itating, maybe I will, Squire Brown.
I'll think it over"
AS Miss Brejetta walked homeward
over the sunburned grass and under
the crimsoning naples her thoughts
Were busy. Yes, she would doubtless
be better with the school to look after
than If she were alone in her quiet
cottage. 1t had seemed at first when
her mother left her that she could
never stand the loneliness of coming
home every night to the empty house.
But now she was beginning to think
| that she could not endure the lonely
| aimlessness of these uninterrupted
| days and nights. Tears dropped over
| Miss Brejetta's delicate, spirited face
4 in a way never guessed of by her
| friends.
From his vine covered porch Rich
| ard Dayton, her life long friend and
nearest neighbor, watched her APP
| proach with the tender interest he
felt in all her doings. How dainty
and sweet she looked; SO frail and in
competent, yet so supremacy self
sufficient Almost as far back as he
could remember he had longed to care
for her, to protect her, to let his love
| show itself, yet never in any smallest
way had she allowed him to serve or
i approach her
This strong man. capable of MAX
ing the world yield him his honest
| rights, stood irreso1ute and defeated
| before the sprightly Indifference of
this pretty but independent woman.
/ Unwilling to allow her to pass
without a word, the man sauntered to
his own front gate in time to intercept
her. AS Miss Brejetta, seeing him
approach, dried her eyes covertly,
while there was a little added en-
phasis to her sugar coated sharpness
with which she always treated him,
born of her fear lest he should see
upon her face traces of her recent
weakness.
Just been pulling my last beans
remarked Dayton. .,t disp lay MS
you let me fix your for you this even
ing. Miss Brejetta?"
He glanced over the dividing fence
at his neighbours garden.
Indeed, no, thank you,' refused
Miss Brejetta emphatically; II shall
enjoy doing them myself! 1t is just
play to care for that tiny garden, and
| It gives me something to be interest
ed in, you know"
at must be lonely for you now.
remarked the man with solicitude
that made Miss Brejetta stiffen with
/ resentment. DO you never 160l A6E-
. vous at night all alone in the house p
"Why should I be afraid? And
besides, Mr.. Dayton, what cannot be
: cured must be endured. I am alone
in the world, and so must make the
Dayton 1onged with his whole heart
to tell her of solution OF her diff
: culties that would bring her a devot-
: ed protector, but the tilt OF her pretty
} head warned him to desist, and he
| M c11COaCfpd Iane1v.
? you know my housekeeper would be
glad to go over and sleep in the house
and really think you ought to have
2 her. Miss Brejetta, with so many
} tramps as there are about just now
Won't you let her come tonight, any
' way? The boys will be playing pranks
: that may be unpleasant for you"
2 Miss Brejetta smiled Eerenely ano
exasperatingly into his pleading face
1.-THE boys will do nothing to annoy
me, am sure, Mr.. Dayton" she re-
Y marked, passing on to her own gate.
t But when her own front door had
' been closed with quiet precision. Mis-
: Brejetta's ca1mness vanished and sht
: flung herself with angry and undig'
e nifed haste into an easy chair.
r "I wish he would stop it," she crieC
: stormily. II will not have him pity
. ing me and looking after me all the
: time! Now I shall have to gather
Y those horrid beans OF he will never
{ cease Fostering me about them;
q can Just imagine the remarks tina
would be made in this town If al
i lowed him to make my garden!"
And Miss Brejetta having eaten {
v hasty supper, PINNED up her spotles'
Z linen skirt, put on her stoutest gar.
den gloves and, inwardly consumed
with wrath, sought her diminutivt
o bean patch.
= II had better get It done with she
: whispered to herself after the fashion
a of lonely people, because 1t Will o.
I too wet in the morning and too warm
during the day. But It just make
n me furious to be breaking my bacl
i, out here when I haven't even cut tht
e leaves of that new magazine yet"
q The sunbaked earth seemed loatf
a to mart with the vines it had so care
and Miss Brejetta's strength was no
| great Her own cosy piazza beck
| oned enticingly, but the CLEAN of
| cigar end on the neighboring porcl
held her to her task.
/ In the welcome dusk she stole int
the house, barring doors and win
a | dows carefully.
ssYou are tired" she cried defiant1.
at her reflection in the hall mirror
land you just hate gardening. Yo1
i nearly die of fright every night o
s your life. Why don't you own up t.
1t and let people help you when the.
n | want TOT"
The nearest neighbor had watched
y Mis- Brejetta at her bean pulling
Z | with almost angry Impotence.
"I wonder why she does it-cer
tainIy not because she enjoys it. AM
7 she splits her kindlings in the shed 81
L I cannot see her-as If I could no
hear! And she locks the doors an
f windows and nearly smothers hersel
4 'T honestly believe" he unused
that she would be fond of me If sh