The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-03
THE EVENING STORY
When Fate Relented.
(By Ellen Heney.l

little hall room she dwelt in. from the
plump diyan cushions to the book
shelf above her cretonne-concealed
washstand. A trunk bumped on the
landing outside her door and then pro-
ceeded with a series of smaller bumps
up the stairs and landed with final
crash overhead.
Some one new" Faint rope flick
cred up. to die instantly. But of
course no one worth while would come
here to live" she mumbled scornfully.
Bitter distaste of her surroundings, of
her daily grind, of her colorless days
arose within her and logged her mo-
mentarily out of the rut of logged
cneerfulness and acceptance of envir-
onment that she had forced herself
into,
IT hate EN-" humping her head
into the pillows viciously. 81 hate
everybody" Rising, she faced herself
accusingly in the wavy-surfaced mir
Tor. i hate myself, too; I'm even
beginning to crook my little fingers
IKE them-they'il be calling me gen
teeli next. Ugh, I'd rather be bad
downright horrid-than genteel, with
q cotton wool brain and sawdust
A soft wind stirred the ruffled cur
tain and whisked her hair, and, turn
ing, she thrust her head out into the
sunshine.
Boob. Sally girl, but you've got the
Il.
the crisp air eagerly
with the stirring of spring sap
comes an eagerness in the blood may
hap, but it's the fall for the reckless
ness and zest of adventure, with its
1ns1stent warning whisper of departing
days, its urge to make haste. that
opens ones eyes to fleeing youth. its
RAINING breath, charged with the last
rant scents of summer sweetness And
1t moved unwontedly in Sarah Styles's
hart q a sniff -
softened the repression of her lips.
"G1rd up your loins and put on your
tan pumps, Sarah, and fare thee
FORTH, she murmured, land perhaps
adventure will hit you on the shoulders
you poor lonesome thing, and intro
duce you to an affinity. Any way, the
fall air is glorious"
From the woods came the tingling
scent of autumn leaves and sun
warmed moses and cooI-shaded
silence in sharply tapped measures and
a squirrel darted across the sun
flecked road.
Miss Stiles kicked her heels against
the fence she was perched on and in
uncomfortable abandon threw back
her head. pursed her lips and poured
forth lifting, whistling refrain of her
long ago school days.
Family floating from the distance
another whistle chimed in. and she
drawing together instinctively, but. a
smile fingered on her lips. Plaintively
rising and falling, the notes came
nearer. Softly the girl crept to the
fringe of bushes overhanging the road
and watched the whistler swinging
along, his head tilted back, his hands
buried in his pockets.
II wonder" she whispered nervous
ly, 'if 1 dare-um. He looks-er-
intelligent-and nice. 1 believe 1 will"
icfI lot III
breathlessly she peered out, when sud
denly the earth crumbled beneath her
feet and laughing, hair-blown, clutch
ing the willowy saplings in her path,
she descended into the very arms of
the approaching whistler
While she put straight her hat and
tucked in stray hairpins he picked up
the scattered crimson leaf clusters and
presented them to her.
Did you learn The Farmer Boy in
a little red school house, .oo?" he won
dered, anu at the honest usefulness in
his voice the last remnant of Sally's
caution melted.
Foolish, reckless. horrid.'' The
worlds thousand voices crooned it
warningly in her ear, but she smiled
back into the boyish eyes.
1T was a gray stone school house
with boys yard and girls yard,
and pump in front where we all
waited our turn for the tin dipper."
your slate and left pink, sticky hearts
on your desk
Engraved 4 love you,'" she as
sented. tAnd was there a girl you
way home-all whirling hands and
legs?'
''Gee, I wished you'd gone to my
school" His eyes were shining de-
lightedly, and Miss Stiles sobered sud
denly.
"But we're grown-ups now" she
sighed. "Only sometimes we forget
Wouldn't it be great to slide back
to those kid days, when everything was
what it seemed. when we cried when
were glad and believed in everybody
we knew and everything we were
told?'' he asked.
''Now I smile when I'm hurt and
cry when I'm glad she said.
.Well?'' he challenged, his hands
still thrust deep in his pocket and his
eyes dancing eagerly. you don't look
like girl who would take a dare"
I'm no 'fraid-cat," she boosted.
II know where there's a birch" The
laugh in his eyes flickered anxiously.
"Oh-o!"
Her little squeal of delight was gen.
uine. And We might find some win
tergreens. Tough, old ones, you know,
with red berries. oh. it's fine to be
a kid
''Yuh betchyu. faint no fair to
talk like grown-ups, though" he pro-
tested.
To think there was a man like this
in that grubbing city beyondi Her
eyes were as childish and blue as the
autumn sky as she protested.
"I'll beat you to that sumac. there,
little boy" pointing with outstretched
finger. zone, to, three, ready-go."
With that mad scamper, Sarah stiles
began an afternoon of unalloyed,
foolish fun that never tagged until
she was homeward bound, loaded with
the gorgeous foliage of the autumn
woods. They paused at a bend in the
road, where cottages below were
glimpsed through the leaves and a sky
of molten gold poured itself into a gilt
tering river. The laughter curves fell