The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-12
THE EVENING STORY
Meredith, the sconer.
(By Annie HinrichSen.)

naShed into her tired eyes, the INES OF
anxiety and nervousness about her
mouth disappeared in a smile and her
wan, white cheeks flushed to a rosy
glow.
Meredith looked curiously about the
room. The Office and the duties of the
advice editor of a newspaper seemed
always to have for him "a strangeness
and a reluctantly acknowledged inter-
est.
''Busy?" he inquired. amy time for
intrudeTs %
There is no intruder present. I see
a welcome guest"
Meredith picked up q pile of type
written sheets. What a lot of stuff
you write every day." he commented.
And what q waste of talent. You
ought to do better work than this"
A little of the new brightness faded
from her eyes, but her lips smiled.
1.-THE managing editor is satisfied. He
thinks 1 earn my salary
Advice TO maidens.' Love, dress,
business, social customs-ev everything
that concerns damsels. Here is one
paragraph.
heartache- The cure rests with your
self. Resolve that this sorrow was sent
as means of mental and moral devel-
opment. 1t is in your power to turn
your misfortune into a blessing.
Learn that by pain is character made
fine and true. Regard this unhappi-
ness as stepping stone to greater
self. Let it make you a new girl, one
of nobler purposes. wider sympathies
and higher ideals and standards Why
do you write such things %
Because there are girls and women
who tell their troubles to me. They
find comfort in doing it and they
want my advice"
What sympathy can you have with
the woes of 'Perplexed Polly Mig
Inc AZ M0P To- nd Qrfc
Eyes? p What do you know of sorrow
that you can give help to an aching
heart ?"
''Of course I know nothing of sor-
row. A woman who is compelled to
work for her living in a large city
never comes in contact with the cruel
i things OF life. She has no discourage
ments, no disillusions, no heart-aches.
She has no experiences that give her
the desire and the ability to help other
women"
The bitterness of her voice did not
reach the Scoffer's conscience
Il hate to think, Helen, that you are
satisfied to do this insincere and vapid
work. You do no one any real good.
You will become in time writer OF
silly drivel, unable to do better things.
| A woman can not do any work long
without receiving from it an ineradi-
cable stamp. You will become
The pain in her eyes stopped him.
81 mean" he went on, that I wish
] you would devote your time to real
literature to hard study. to the lines
of work that will tend to deepen your
character
A smile of satirical amusement
twitched her lips. She looked at
Meredith meditatively. He was six
feet of health, strength and good
sively tailored. He had the care free
look of the man whom wealth has pro-
tected from anxiety.
Il have to earn my living she re-
minded him.
Marry me and you will have every
then to do things that are worth
while"
81 can not marry you." she said
quietly. The tired lines had come
back to her face and the bright color
was gone. ST can not"
That afternoon Meredith, coming
from a building in the poorest section
| of the city, saw Helen Rayne enter a
house block away The neighbor-
hood was one which he visited only to
verify his agents reports of needed re-
pairs on his property.
He hurried to the terament Helen
had entered. In the hall g. weary
| looking woman motioned hirr upstairs.
On the second floor he stopped. The
partitions were thin and the doors
! nuQR loosely Oh lnelr hinges. he COulQ
hear a harsh, sobbing voice interrupt
ed occasionally by Helen's clear, soft
words.
''I can't stand things any longer a
girl was crying. I've tried Miss
| Rayne. to be brave and good and work
worn out. What's the use of living
when there is never a bit of fun, no.
body to care about you and you've lost
your job and are too sick to get an
other? You've given ne so much
good, kind service through the paper.
But never thought of your coming
down here to talk to me-
He caught fragments of what Helen
was saying. 81 can find YOU place to
work-in the country where there is
pure air, fresh milk and fruit and
where the people are very kind. You
will get well and strong"
When Helen came out Meredith was
waiting for her.
SIS it your habit" he asked, ''to visit
every girl who writes her woes to your
paper?'
ut is not. But sometimes there
comes to me letter of discourage
ment and unhappiness SO real that it
strikes a responsive chord. l, too, am
q struggler for my daily bread. If L
can find the girl, and her case is as sad
as she thinks it is, try to help her.
can not do a great deal. But some
times send a broken hearted girl to
q new environment in which she can
forget her troubles. Som etimes find
for a sick girl a place in the country
where the work is light AMI the air is
pure"
For several minutes they walked in
silence.
Helen" said Meredith finally. 1--WE
never understood you. loved you. I
thought loved you because you are
clever, pretty and charming girl.
know now that I have loved you be-
cause you are a tenderhearted, deep
souled woman. I'm laundering,
ignorant sort of chap, a mere surface
person with no knowledge of the hard