The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-08
THE EVENING STORY
Without Introduction.

WOTk6rS- AS ne look mel IdI6 anu
rang it up, he wished for the thou
sandth time in the past six months
that he knew her name, where she
worked. and all about her. The young
conductor liked her simple uncon-
seriousness, her quiet dress and manner,
her beauty which grew UPON one daily.
And every morning she got on his car
at Forty-second and got off at Eighth
street. Stevens looked AFTER her visit
fully this particular time.
Though 1t was June now, ne remem-
bered the winter day when he first saw
her among the Christmas crowd. 1t
was time of snow and ice, and in get
ting into the car she slipped and would
have fallen but that he had caught and
held her firmly for a moment. She had
colored and breathed a Thank you"
That was all, but enough to make John
Stevens notice her. Thereafter she
did not miss a weekday morning.
After a month or two he became SO
sensitive about her that he could not
ask any one who she was. In his
hours off duty he went through depart
ment stores and other public places
where she might be employed in the
Eighth street vicinity. But he never
saw her; neither, from her appear
ance, could he make out what she did.
She wore plain and rather worn dark
blue, the exact color of her eyes: her
hair was light brown and curled about
1 her ears. f10T IndHn6T was very uA-
Iobtrusive. She might be anything.
Then one morning, with uncharac-
| teristic carelessness. she left the car
and dropped the envelope which Stew
ems had seen her tear open as he took
her fare. At last he had learned her
name-written on the envelope-Annie
Merrill 1t was nothing, but he seemed
closer to her-it was the first step. He
| kept the. envelope several days. then
one day he handed it to her. his man
ner official, his heart beating hard.
| 'You-left this the other day.
| She took it, her e IS meeting his
with smile of reco5 milton.
THANK you she said but that was
all.
| He would have given a months pay
that June morning for the freedom to
| follow her and see where she went.
| He now had a fixed purpose: to meet
and know her. But, too, he was very
busy A relative had sometime back
! left him a. few hundred dollars which
| he had promptly invested in a subur-
ban lot across from little wood. 1t
had a three-room, dilapidated cottage
on it, and being clever with tools he
was tinkering at it. 1t was in fair shape
for an addition when he was able to
have it built. He had had it freshly
papered and painted. He thought of
putting in some furniture that had
been his mothers and rcoming there
instead OF at his mol OOWHtOWH DOdIO-
\ ing house Meantime he kept look
out for Miss Annie Merrill. She was
not the kind he dared speak to I'M
tvouched fora fact of which he was
VERY glad.
| But one day she was not on the car
nor the next, and his heart sank.
Was she ill? Had she-left the city ?
He fairly cursed himself for having
| let her slip away. Now he had posi-
lively no way of finding her. Perhaps
she had stopped working. Perhaps
she was even going to be married!
| What a fool he was to care, girl
he had not even been introduced to!
Still, the idea hurt. But toward noon
| he was relieved. Clad in white, with a
big rose hat, and breathing cooln ess
and leisure, she boarded the car. Only
a fat old woman and two children were
on. Dared he speak? Taking her fare
he managed to say:
Hot, isn't it ?"
! She smiled a little. and answered
pleasantly, Eyes. it is. I'm glad it's
vacation for me"
He passed on. So it was. only a
lvacationi That was not so bad. Then
he had another surprise. Almost down
town Jim Buckley, whom e knew and
disliked. got on, and catching sight OF
the girl, sat down beside her She
lspoke to him, talking little in her de-
mure reserved way. She got off, and
said a word about her to Buckley.
"What-does she do?" he said casu-
ALLY.
Buckley stared a moment. annie
Merrill? Keeps DR.. Juoson's books
Funny little thing-comes from my
home town. but loves me as the devil
does holy water! 1 asked her to go tC
a dance once, and she turned me down
in second-little prig, but I like
her!''
He also swung off. Stevens hear
went up in pean of joy. She ha6
good Judgment and taste to refuse
Buckley's company and his proffers OF
amusement, that was certain.
For two weeks he did not see hel
. again, and then an accident brought
them together. He was not well ane
was off duty for day. Going to SET
his physician, he saw her at the crowd
ed Fifth street crossing with sheaf OF
, letters in her hand eviC emily bount
. for the postoff1ce. Half way over. &
} sudden gust of wind tore the letter.
from her hand, and she caught at he1
hat to save that. Stevencs saw heavj
motor-tram close to her. knew that she
did not see it, and reaching her at
leap, jerked her backward just in time
The shock sent her against him, but M
!, helped her right herself. He shoof
her a little, he was SO frightened, 81
, angry at her carelessn ess.
, watch where you are going! DE-
lyou think want to see you killed p
She was a little dazed and white
He gathered up the letters went witt
her to mail them. and then, asking nt
permission. walked back to her Office
building with her.
"You-don't seem to know how t<
take care of yourself2" he said or
leaving her. I'm sorry I-wai
Irough!"
She nodded, and he saw her eyes
full of tears, and his glance fell on hel
white forearm where his angry grasI
. had left a red mark. She turned anc
, left him.
Il Stevens was wakeful that night He
had been q brute. Because he had