The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-15
THE EVENING STORY
The Little Brown House.
1By Heroine Sprague.l

she would say to the motherly woman
who was half maid and half house
keeper.
Il think he is pretty selfish, Mary
fussing.over him.
ooh, but he is always bringing them
| things. He comes home with little
| parcels, and they run out to meet him,
room I can see them open them.i
1T seems to me you must be watch
| ing them pretty closely" Mary said.
We'll, what else have I to do"
house, with my throat bad all the time,
| and nobody to come to see me?'
ut is a pity your uncle ever moved
here" said Mary. eff you had stayed
in the house where you'd always lived.
you'd have had friends enough
Jacquelin's lips quivered. ct was
glad to come away" she told the old
woman. Everything in the old home
seemed to speak of mother, and now
| that haven't her any more I'd rather
be away from the familiar surround
ings."
Then she broke down and cried, and
Mary comforted her. what you need
is company" was the old woman's
comment. you just sit here and
NOPE and nope, and it is bad for
YOU
do you know what I'd like to do"
Jacquelin said. I'D like to give a par
ty and invite those girls next door and
the boy, too"
Mary looked at her severely THAT
might do If you were eight years old
instead of eighteen, but young ladies
don't give parties and invite people
they've never met"
81 don't care" Jacquelin said.
Those girls next door are as poor as
they can be. and except for their
brother, they never have any fun.
They work all day.
over to sit with you,'' Mary capitu-
lated. ct don't suppose it would hurt
though I don't know what your uncle
would say about it."
"I don't care what he would say"
Jacquelin declared. I'm young, and
a CASTLE
"Of course not, was Mary's sooth-
ing reply. ..Yous just write. a little
note, and I'll take it over to one of
those girls
But Jacquelin was not easily
swayed from her plans. Pm going
to have all of them over" she said,
to lunch tomorrow"
1t was hopeless for Mary to argue.
SO the note went forth and created a
great sensation in the little brown
house next door.
will you listen to tl1is?" said Ruth,
the eldest girl. who had opened it.
She read aloud the following:
my window. am very lonely and
notA very we'll, and I wish you could
come to lunch with me tomorrow.
Can't you? Please say yes and make
the girl next door very happy"
There, told you she wasn't
proud
do you think we ought to go?"
Ruth asked anxiously.
''Of couse," said Betty promptly.
But Grace and Evelina were not
10 le,,~ =
But what would brother think?'
Brother" Betty groaned. "Oh,
Bob is such stickler for proprieties."
Bob is a DEAR" Betty agreed; "but
he'd like to keep US in cotton wool. He
is SO afraid we might make unpleas-
ant intimacies that he keeps us shut
up like lot of children, and want
a good time
why Betty" they exclaimed. HE
is man and he doesn't understand
something of the world, and I'm going
over to the big house for lunch to-
morrow whether the rest of you go or
not
Let us wait" they pleaded. until
Bob comes home. We can send our
answer at five o'clock"
We'll, of all things" said Bob when
he had read the note. THE colossal
condescension of it. She has lived
next to you for six months and hasn't
come when she beckons, I guess not"
Betty's face famed. 'I don't see
why" she said. "It is our one chance
for good time, Bob Carson
But Bob was obdurate. .I should
think you'd have some pride in the
matter, Betty" he said.
Betty went away to weep by her
self, but the three other girls accepted
the verdict meekly.
The next morning Bob started forth
for the Office in a glow of seIf-satis-
faction. Betty had returned to her
attitude of alteration, and he felt a
little glow of triumph in his influence
over his feminine brood As he passed
the gate of the big house, he looked
up at the window, and saw, between
the curtains little white face banded
with dark hair. It was a pathetic lit
tie face, and it haunted him all the
to him that he had been selfish.
Perhaps she wasn't as purseproud
and naughty as his Imagination had
painted her. He took up the tele-
phone and called up his sisters
Look here he asked do you |
suppose that it's too late for you to |
accept that lunch invitation? I've had |
reason to change my mind about our |
neighbor."
Betty, on the other end of the wire. |
called her up we could fix things"
So artfully did Betty make her apol- |
ogies for the refusal of the night be- |
fore that Jacquelin forgave her at |
once. please come over now" she /
begged. "Of course I want you'' /
Arrayed in their best the four sisters |
sailed forth to be struck with awe at the /
magnificence of the big house. There
were American Beauties on the table and /
JacqueIin in duh red crepe, was like a |
rose herself, for excitement brought the /
color to her cheeks
at was lovely of you to come she
said.
1T is lovely of you to have u.s." Betty
enthused.
After lunch JacqueIin entertained them