The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-29
THE EVENING STORY
Raw Material.
(By Joanna SINGLE

(By Joanna Single.o
It was Labor day, and the world of
work was trying hard to play. All
day there had been parades, brass
bands, picnics in parks, the streets full
of gay young workers, of bent, discour-
aged, old workers-men ana women
of little children growing UP to a her
itage of toll. Toward evening people
went home, but later the festivities
ion dance at the park. Here laughter
and music, the beat of feet, were in
sistent.
In the big. lantern-lighted pavilion
quietly against the wall She had dane
ed little, for the tide Of gayety did not
snatch her up and claim her for it's
own-she did not know how to play.
Why was it? She felt set apart, and
her blue eyes were wistful as John Gift
dance SO WE'LL and she was so stylish,
so entertaining. SO interesting.
Rose, knowing the girl, whom she
coarse and unkind, yet wished for a
share of Names evident popularity.
She herself, mouse of a homekeeper
for a widowed father and younger
sister and brother, had from the be-
ginning of her mill work shrunk back
otherS-she was too refined, too quiet
and they resented it. The holder girls
felt the silent rebuke Of her reserve,
and though she was very pretty they
tainted and tormented the young fell
lows of her crowd out of any inclina-
ton to notice her.
John clifford, this young carpenter.
was rather a prince to Rose, who in
stinctively felt him TO be her own
sort, but she was both too proud and
delicate n court his attention
Name did, as she was at that moment
doing, as the dance ended and she
hung upon his arm.
The two sat down near Rose in an
open window and the girl heard him
say something in a low tone, but his
companions answering words were I'M
mistakable.
Rosie? Amt she a little stick !?
Kind of pretty as you say but awful
raw material! She's been stuck to the
wall most of the evening! She's too
good for our crowd on everyday Oc-
casions, so of course she amt popu-
lar when it comes to the blowouts-
don't see why she came at all She
usually stays at home and does house
work for that doddering old father of
hers. Small thanks she gets! Cook
in and sewin' are all right, but q lit
tie more snap and go would do her
more good in society. Say, amt this
the SWEETEST dance? Oh, that you,
rom InlS To q SNdSS6IlDS yOuHS Ter
low who was asking her for the next
waltz. "Well, seeing Mr.. Clifford is
tired of me, perhaps I will.
With a laugh and a word, John Gif-
ford slipped away.
He walked straight over to Rose
Shaw and asked her for the next
dance Then he sat down and began
to talk to her. He noted the sweet,
downcast modesty of the oval face, the
deep blue eyes. the heavy brown hair
%,s0< i,,Tx 80
into the prevailing looking
fashion. The small, hardened hands
lay in her lap. She tried to talk-in
fact she had come only because she
had been stung into it through hearing
the girls at the mill say, thinking her
out of hearing, that she didn't know
how to talk to a man even and never
went anywhere.
tits pretty tonight, isn't it? But it's
almost prettier out of doors than in,
don't you think?" She raised her eyes
for a shy glance at the face of the
young man. How could she know that
his silence was a hope that the gentle
voice would continue its unwonted
| speech ct like outdoors" she went
on. before we came here. and mother
was living, we had a little place al
most in the country, and I had some
flower beds and chickens. liked
that better than being indoors"
He began to draw her on to talk:
/ Z gu re right, ne CLOd- NO
got little place myself at the edge
of town, and when I'm not building
| at melody else'S house tinker at
mine My sisters coming on from
Chicago to keep house for me-lf she
doesn't get married before she starts
she's such a favorite. Not that she
likes housekeeping much.
| st do" she said. ct keep Cts and
Jimmy in school-Im bound they
shall know more than I do. Mother
] 10 ioh sob nj. h
/ she died"
| She smiled wistfully. but the smile
| touched the mans heart more than
| tears would have done. And then he
realized that the dance he had asked
| for was almost over. He jumped to
his feet, apologizing. But it's your
own fault for talking to me-any-
body would have forgotten" he said
and then they swung into the waltz.
| He would not have supposed the girl
could dance like a feather, but she did
lit was like instinct-she was grace
and lightness itself. AS they swung
| and swayed past a corner they almost
ran into Name. who glanced at the
| girl in surprise. Then she remembered
| what she had said about Rose and
| tossed her head. She laughed up al
her partner of the moment.
"Say,' she said, eff you want to
make a fellow crazy about a girl, nc
matter how homely and raw she is
tell him she likes to keep house!
Look at John clifford and Rose Shawl
Didn't know you liked Rose well
enough to do her a good turn" said
the man, dapper young stonemason
Name shrugged her shoulders, in
wardly calling herself a fool. At the
end of the waltz she saw the two sllI
out of the pavilion into the moonlii
paths of the park.
wouldn't that-beat you2" she re-
marked to Sadie Dickson. Rose
Shaw came here and sat against the
wall and looked at her hands and die
nothing-and, walks off with John Gift
ford I'll bet she's a sly mink, for al
she acts so mouse-like at work. Watch
me take it out of her tomorrow
i Meantime Rose, lost in a dream q