The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-31
THE EVENING Story
The Coveted Contract.
(By Harold Strong Latham.

when she removed the final wrapper
from the little package which the
postman had just put into her hands.
She could scarcely believe her eyes.
and yet prolonged scrutiny drove
away the last shadow of a doubt. 1t
was a picture of herself! There was
her willow plume hat with the buckle,
which Uncle Ned gave her, across
the front; there was her light tan
dress, with even a suggestion of the
trimming; and most wonderful of all,
at her throat, there was the brooch,
old and queer in design, which her
great-aunt had presentde to her. And
yet-and yet-how could such things
be? She had no artist friends, at least
none who were so adept in the ham
ding of water colors as the author of
this piece of work had proved him
self to be. She turned the drawing
over in bewilderment, and there on
the back, way down in the corner. she
found a clew. In tiny letters were the
| initials "A. H. s."
Priscilla was very much like other
girls of her age. To her romance
was a much-desired and a too-little-
ly in those ink initials she scented ro-
nance.
| 1t was not until the next day that
she told her mother of the picture,
and the next evening her father.
| Mr.. Wright was successful bust
ness man. He was shrewd, practical
and positive. He had had to work for
his money and he had succeeded in
accommodating a considerable amount
of it. Now that he had his material
needs taken care of. and those of his
| family, he was beginning to turn to
the cultivation of the artistic side.
| His daughter was enrolled in a Sc
| lect finishing school on the Hudson
and was now at home on her summer
vacation. His wife was one of the
promoters of a fashionable Brown
| ing club and was encouraged by her
| husband to act as the patron of any
thing that might be looked upon as
out of-the-ordinary, provided of
course it had standing.
Mr.. Wright had often wished. and
expressed the wish, too, that there
was some fad for Priscilla to busy
herself with and, moreover, he had
stipulated that it be an artistic fad.
Consequently. when Priscilla showed
him the little water color of herself
he was more than Interested
Who did it?" he asked abruptly.
| Priscilla explained the situation to
him and called his attention to the in
itials.
"a. H. S. he repeated. ''Humpht"
And right here his shrewdness, his
practically and his positiveness as
1
| There must be further clew,
somewhere" he said Where is the
wrapper?"
Priscilla produced the outside paper
and handed it to her father. There
seems to be nothing on it," she re-
marked.
Mr. Wright took the paper and
scrutinized it inside and out. At last
a CLEAN of satisfaction came into
his eyes.
"See here" he said, reckoning to
his daughter and extending a corner
of the paper on which were printed
in fine letters, "P. & B. Club, East 18th
ST.
Priscilla clapped her hands with
delight. ooh. now we can write to
him and thank him!" she cried.
ITO be sure we can" her father
acquiesced with unusual alacrity.
Write the note and let me approve
it, my dear"
The girl ran to her room and re-
turned with this brief Letter:
"a. H. s., P & B. Club: The work
and likeness are excellent. We want
to thank you. Come to see us. Pris-
ella and her father
This short but very cordial epistle
was duly dispatched, and develop
ments were awaited with not a little
curiosity and excitement, not all of
which can be charged on Priscilla S
side CT the book.
"A H. s. didn't come next day, or
the next, or the next, and Priscilla
and her father were beginning to des-
pair of ever becoming acquainted with
that gentleman. But on the fourth
morning the postman left another lit
tie brown package at the Wrights'
door, and Priscilla, recognizing the
writing, knew what to expect.
An immense head of brown hair
falling over a forehead that shaded
pair of eyes which, even on the pa
per, seemed to twinkle, kindly
mouth, with the lips just ready to
lhonest-looking face, and one, withal,
so wholly attractive that Priscilla
gasped, was what she saw. Under
meath was written in a boyish scrawl,
| The author"
THE idea! How absurd" Priscilla
expostulated to herself. 81 didn't
want a picture! 1 wanted to see him!
L know he's NICE" she added. quite
| irrelevantly.
That mans good advertiser her
father declared when Priscilla COM
municated the result of their little
him. He's got a good jaw. Priscilla -
| Priscillas father was an excellent
helper out of romance.
And SO it was that Mr.. Wright
tents of which he did not divulge.
This succeeded in bringing about the
desired end. for the next evening the
maid brought a card into the library,
where the family were assem- bled.
ALBERT Henderson Simmonds," Mr..
Wright read. "Ah, Mr.. "A. H. S. has
come Priscilla, shall we go in %
| "Oh, noi'' Priscilla exclaimed. You
co."
"AlI right" her father agreed.
When he returned he brought Mr..
iSimmonds with him. After the intro
IT1a
comfortably settled the talk turned
quite naturally to Mr.. Simmonds's
work.
He hasn't had all that he's want
ed lately" Mr.. Wright remarked. 1--WE
been discussing with him the mural
Il L.. Lib anA f.or