The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-22
The EVENING STORY
Her Chance.
(By Jeanne o. Loizeaux.)

Inc girls rather look MS pipe from
his mouth and answered his wife,
manlike, with another question. He
would have no nonsense about Dora
where's Steve? thought that
was good as settled. Young Storms
may be all right, but he'd better stick
to the girls Of his own class, He may
be playing with Dodie-I won't stand
for that. What makes you think he's
interested in her?"
well, he's brought her home from
the Office q half dozen times-and
once when it stormed something aw-'
full he stayed to supper-you remem-
Der, and spent the evening. He
seemed to enjoy himself. I don't see
why he shouldn't be in love with
her, and marry her. She's the pref
test girl anywhere about, and We've
kept her sweet and ladylike. Being
in an Office hasn't seemed to spoil her
bit, and it's been near a year now"
The father grunted incredulously. and
his wife continued:
"Steve's all right-in his way. He
don't amount to so much. He hasn't
much to begin on
The man interrupted: Hes plenty
of sense and health and good trade,
and no bad habits. She has always
known hirn-and that counts. He's
better off than I was when you
thought
t'You-oh. you were different"
said his wife softly. s'There was al
ways something about you. I'm not
sorry I took you, If I have had to
work hard, but I'd like to give Dora
a better chance"
She did not say that she had al
ready, with clever casualness, dropped
the information to her old friend,
Steve's mother, that Atwood Storms
seemed to like Dora and brought her
home. though she did not mention
that it had always been when there
was bad storm, and because he had
to come that way anyhow. The moth
er had told Steve and the first little
cloud appeared between the young
people.
but she had made up her mind. She
had been only a class behind At
Strom's father in high school. He was
the son Of poor parents-his phenom-
email success in the law had broug nj
him money, but the little woman did
not see that his sons life was removed
in class from that of her daughter.
|. Things in the family began to
change. q The house was rearranged,
new articles appeared, there was less
toiled, managed, insisted on better
clothes for Dora and made them
herself, for she was clever with her
needle. Nothing was said to the chill
dren, but Dora began to wonder II
they could afford SO much. and her
mother laughed and told what a good
manager she was getting to be, hiding
her anxiety. The father began to
work over hours at his carpentering.
Within three months from the time
Dora's "chance" had been seen by
her mother a piano appeared in the
house, and the girl began taking les
sons, using part of the money she
had hitherto paid toward family ex-
penses.
Atwood Storms, a good amateurs
pianist himself came out one even
ing and played for them all. Dora
had told about the new instrument,
and he was pleased by her chndlike
pleasure-he was very young himself,
not twenty-one. He was gay and jolly,
liking the pretty girl, the simple fam
lily. He came again, and yet again,
and it happened that on each OF these
times Stephen Hollis came for one OF
his frequent calls, saw the young man
at the plano, Dora and the others all
about. He stood moment looking
through the window, and then went
away If she wanted to throw him
over for rich mans son-let her,
but he wouldn't show that he cared.
Thereafter steve remained away.
When by chance he met Dora, he
lifted his hat, and passed unsmilingly
by. Dora began to think. He had
not taken her anywhere for long
her heart leap to think he might care
enough for that.
This Steve had been her beau"
from childhood, though there had
been no word of marrying spoken be-
tween them. Then, like sudden light.
her. Nothing had been said to the
girl, but she saw now the reason UNI
DERIVING the new expense In the
home, the anxious planning, the over
work. It was for her-for her! Her
young cheeks blazed with shame:
Could her poor mother have thought
Atwood Storms was really in love
with his fathers stenographer, just
because he was reading law IN the
Office and saw her daily?
The girl knew his attentions had
been no more than kind, but her in
terest in him was reused. Singularly
unspoiled heretofore, now new sell
consciousness came like pain. She
was unable to meet the young man
with her old simple frankness. She
was embarrassed; her eyes avoided
his instinctively. He was puzzled,
and often sought her face-once enc
blushed furiously. He was annoyed.
He had liked her as one Goes a pretty
kitten Was she, after all, like the
other girls of her class? Come to
think of it, she was rather more
dressed and curled of late. Then
he glanced at her again. and again
she colored. Did she think he was
trying to f1irt with her?
Then he very promptly forgot her.
for he was called to the phone Eliza
beth Towne, with to him inadequate
excuse, Cancelled her engagement for
a drive with him. She had been diff
fident lately. Immediately he dashed
out of the office, found a florists shop,
and sent flowers recklessly, enclosing
, a note to the effect that he wanted
her to be at home to him that even
ing. He went back in the rain to the
office.
There, with his eyes on law book,
and his mind on Elizabeth, the after
noon wore on, while Dora clicked at
her machine, and saw the November
drench of cold rain from the window.
She would get wet going home. for
she had brought neither umbrella nor