Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-31
THE EVENING STORY.
the LIGHT IN THE kITcHEl
BY M. T.; PHILLIPS.

copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
airy Press.)
Hoover Wiles taught astronomy be-
cause he had to live, but he spent his
nights searching the skies at the OBJ
servatory on Tower Hill because he
loved It, The scientists and attendants
recognized the tall young man with
the shoulders OF an athlete and the
bullying brow Of a student, as one OF
themselves, and he had the run OF the
place.
Tower hill stood between the ocean
and the plain. 1t shot up into the air
several hundred feet Oak Harbor,
city OF considerable size, nestled at
it's base, spread over the plain and
climbed ambitiously up its side.
Wilkes liked to sit on the hill, like an
eagle on his crag, and sweep the pa
geaut sea with long, slim powerful
telescope that was his own property.
Between this telescope and the great
barrel which peered into the mysteries
Of the sky and was moved only by
ponderous machinery, he was perfect
ly happy.
One evening In early spring the sky
was overcast 50 that no stars were
visible and the sea was empty OF
ships. Wiles took his telescope to
loophole in the dome of the observa-
tory, adjusted 1t on its tripod and sat
down to the eyepiece. The city OF Oak
TIarbor was in front and beneath him.
pricked out by its hundred thousand
lights.
Dividing the town into vast check
erboards were the electric street
lamps, glowing white in the gloom.
The lights in the homes were OF a
mellower and less obtrusive tint.
They peered from the open doors and
windows and twinkled shyly through
the budding trees. The great ONCE
buildings tier on tier, illumined like
the portfolios Of undreamed OF ocean
liners, thrust themselves proudly
aloft. The trolleys, whose snoring
hum came family to him in his eyrie,
were moving streaks Of fire. Motor
cars few whittier and thither like Or
derby firefies.
Seated thus at his telescope, Hoover
Wiles felt like one Of the immortals.
He abode on his mountain, above
hum anity and it's petty, buglike emo
tons. How .aimless and useless
seemed all this Fastening to and fro!
What waste of energy in trivial, blind
pursuit of pleasure! Surely an ant
hill, with its misdirected activity,
was a conservative and intellectual
community beside the city OF oak
HarbOr!
Thus musing, Wiles turned his
telescope slowly, like long, moving
finger. 1t showed the groups waiting
for cars on the corners; occasionally
it followed an automobile for block
or two. Then, as 1t swept far to tho
left, the telescope seemed to stop OF
its ownAvolition on a pretty scene.
"A lighted kitchen window, sur
rounded by vines newly green, filled
its field. Within the kitchen a small
boy was sitting at table eating. A
young woman was waiting on him;
She wore a light dress and had q pro.
fusion of dark hair. Wiles felt that she
was pretty, though his instrument
would mot bring out her face in detail.
But the air of beauty was about her.
In her passing to and fro, once she
stopped to tousle the youngsters hair.
The watcher could see the happy
smile on the lads face. Presently
having finished his supper, he showed
back from the table. The girl, bub.
bling over with mirth and high spirits,
began to dance about the kitchen.
The light, irregular steps were the
personification Of grace. She swayed
back and forth across the space OPP.
posite the window. The boz clapped
his hands gleefully. Wiles watched
the scene until the dance was over.
Then he leaned back, took long
breath. and said:
Il shall find that girl and marry
her!' :.
Wiles had cause to regret not
keeping his eye glued to the, tele-
scope, for when he looked again the
lighted window had vanished. Either.
the telescope had moved, or else the
light in the kitchen had been ex-
tinguished. For two hours he peered
steadily into the eyepiece in the vain
hope that the dancing girl would
again fit across his field of vision.
But not another sight of her did he
get. At last reluctantly, he gave 1t
up and went home.
The next night he was early at his
post His heart beat with anticipa-
ton as he sat down at the telescope
and watched the dusk close In and
the lights of Oak Harbor spring into
being like jewels on velvet cloth.
The glass was as he had left it the
night before.
Again he was disappointed. In an
hour Of painstaking peering he picked
up score of kitchen windows. but In
each something was lacking. This one
had no vines about it: that one did not
have table within the line Of vision; Z
the third was lighted by electricity In
stead Of gas, and SO on. No sight Of the
dancing girl as he had begun to call
her. gladdened his heart.
When the clocks In the city below
were booming the hour Of IL, Wiles
admitted to himself that 1t was too
late for small boys to be eating sup
per, and for pretty girls to be float
ing across a kitchen floor like
thistledown. So he turned his atten-
ton to the stars It was a very wan
dertng attention, though; the stars
could have slipped from their courses
and gamboled together like lambs
ere comment or censure would have
l