The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-01
THE EVENING STORY
Renting a Summer Cottage.
(By Dorothy Blackmore.)

steps of the tiny office of the Suburb
Land company and closed her pretty
parasol. Then, summoning courage,
she stepped within.
The man at the desk did not look
up. 1t was his business to seem very
much occupied.
DO YOU" began Dolly, and the
man, whirling about in his chair, be-
held her.
II beg your pardon. madam" apol-
ogized the man. jumping to his feet
and taking off his hat. II did not
hear any one come in"
Dolly blushed. She had never been
In real estate office before. Il came
"a bungalow, if possible" she ex-
planned, searching in her lace chate-
laine for card.
Certainly" replied the man. offer
ready for occupancy. Be seated,
please"
Dolly had unearthed the object of
her search and was handing the man
the card. You may know my-hus-
band, she said.
Mrs. j. Lawrence Meadows" the
agent read on the bit of pasteboard he
held. "Oh, 1 know of him. 1 have
not met him personally"
I-that is-we want a six-room
Exactly the man nodded. would
you care to come out now and see
what we have? Our machine is at
the door and it will facilitate matters
to go straight to the available cot
tages, Mrs. Meadows"
Dolly watched him as he stepped
outside into the miniature garden that
surrounded the suburban office. He
strobe down the gravel path, and she
observed, with admiration, the grace
g., Il riv7er Of r. &c ell Pr0G-
emily he returned and said that he
was ready to go with her.
He assisted her to the tonneau of
the great car and. instructing the
chauffeur, took the seat beside her.
Dolly, to keep the sun from her eyes,
raised her parasol and sat within its
warm pink glow telling the real es-
tate man exactly what she desired in
the way of a cottage.
They drove about the parkway of
the attractive new suburb and Dolly
commented on the beauty of the flow
ers and shrubbery. You owe great
deal to the landscape artist who did
this work for you," she remarked, as
which were rustic benches, tete-a-tete
seats and clambering blossoms every
where.
II. myself, am that artist the man
replied, not without touch of vanity
'I was a landscape artist before | be-
came a real estate man." he added.
They were approaching an artistic
little Devonshire cottage set well back
from the road and the man explained
that the place would be ready for oc-
cunancv by the first of the month.
dPd love to look at it, exclaimed
Dolly.
1--WE shall do So" the man told her.
as the machine turned into the blue
stone driveway.
In many respects, Dolly discovered,
the cottage was what they wanted, but
there was one chamber too few, and
she decided that the exposure. of the
dining room was not exactly what she
had had in mind.
81 do love the morning sun for
breakfast" she explained, "and I'm
sure it can't get round here until after
noon" Dolly looked very wise, indeed,
and when she looked wise her dimpleS
were not at all in evidence.
The next house on the route was
pure type of bungalow with five rooms,
all on one floor and with porch all
the wa around. Dolly's objection to
the place was its close proximity to the
neighbors, so they entered the car and
went in search of something else.
Here" the man began, as they ap-
preached a pretty hedged-in place, us
Queen Anne cottage with seven
rooms, including the nursery on the
top floor"
"oh, how lovely" exclaimed Dolly,
jumping lightly from the car. They
stood in front of pale gray cement
cottage with the long slanting roof OF
the Queen Anne type, and Dolly
thought she never had seen anything
SO beautiful as the way in which the
delicate pink of the Dorothy Perkins
climbers lay against the house AMI
clambered over the windows. me
children could have place to play in
rain days, for they surely would be
| out of doors at all other times. Do let
me see it,
The man, if he marveled at the fact
that this lovely young woman was the
mother of at least two children, did nor
| look it. He took every opportunity,
unobserved to drink in the beauty Of
| her face, and every minute that he re-
manned with her disclosed some new
and charming characteristic. Perhaps:
| he was thinking, it would be as we'll
| for him if she could not find suitable
| cottage in this suburb.
| what a lovely living room!' Dolly
exclaimed as they sterped within the
great room "And what a love of
! fireplace. How I hate fiats!" she add
ed vehemently and then she turned to
look the man sQuarely in the eyes.
THAT very hatred of those coops called
homes in the city is what makes your
business thrive. isn't II she asked
by way Of explaining her impulsive
| outburst.
| The man nodded yes he admit
tied chats it. It's good for our bust
ness and bad-very bad-for the doc
tors" He was wondering what fur
Their dimples the young woman would
display. He had just caught sight of
another in her chin. He began to be-
lIieve that her very soul must be dim
pied.
They began to ascend the broad
low stairs that rose from the living
room and crossed, Juliet fashion, to the
| extreme end of the room before con-
itinuing their upward way I'm just
crazy about this sort of a staircase
dolly was saying. "You can put the
piano beneath-right down there she
explained. leaning so far over the rail-
ling that the man was fearful lest she
1 fall "and when someone is singing
IwelI, say a love song-he can look up
lin the most effective fashion flor In