The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-07
The EVENING STORY
Her Best Story.
(By Catherine NJ. Patterso'

! be seen that neT WEI
| greater than her assets. A deter
! mined look came in her usually smil-
| ing face. She would remedy this most
dep1orable state of affairs, and that
right soon, unless Providence ruled
| otherwise Ann couldn't boast of
grain of religion in her whole make
up, but she did have a wholesome re-
spect for what she termed the gods or
fate, and to her, these were Provf-
| dence.
| mies-and she had a few-believed
| implicitly in her ability to write, and
most of them had told her so, not
once but often. Ann had received
soothing and they never had i'm
pressed her greatly, one way or an
other. When the spirit moved her to
write, she did SO, with Indifferent
success, but she had never taken the
matter seriously: But today things
seemed different, and she realized
| that the time had come for her to do
something for herself.
| The small income left by Mr.. Lau-
renee was barely sufficient for his
widow and it was now AIMS painful
privilege to help herself out of the
| financial depths in which she found
herself. Hence her determination.
With Ann, to determine was to do,
so the afternoon found her at her
desk, writing steadily few minutes,
then gazing out into the apple tree
in full bloom just outside her win
dow. Ann always worked where
there were flowers. She declared she
could sniff OUT her plots and plans
best when flowers were on or near
her desk.
Her story finished the next day.
she pushed it aside, Ito cool for forty |
eight hours" as she expressed it, be- |
fore giving the final pruning, refur- |
bishing and putting into tiptop shape |
for perusa1 by some editor fiction |
reader. Three days later, the story |
typed, folded, ready to be put into |
the envelope she had addressed, Ann !
paused, holding aloft the duplicate |
amount of postage she had inclosed |
for the probable return of the manu-
script Her story was to be entered |
in a fiction contest being held by a
magazina in the ritv near AIMS home
town. This she had determined on at |
the last minute. In an instant smile
went over her face.
'Ill take it in myself" she said
aloud to the apple blossoms. They |
tell me there is new editor on the
magazine, and that he is in charge
of this contest. They tell me also
that he is young and good looking"
and Ann laughed aloud in glee, then |
sobered suddenly.
For shame, Ann Laurence. Any
one in such financial hot water as
you are should be properly cast down
instead of shouting with joy because
you are going to see a good-looking
man."
But the Ann in the mirror, thus
addressed, only smiled and showed
her dimpIes beneath the becoming
hat, the latter. by the way. having
done its share of the swamping of
Ann financially.
Arrived at the magazine office, Ann
was confronted by a stern and quite
unapproachable dragon-office boy,
who, in some miraculous way, neither
mn f6A IT., |
how, was quite impervious to AIMS
Establishments and dimpled smiles.
No, Miss Laurence could not pos
sible see the contest editor"
AIMS intelligence having finally
grasped this crushing fact, she en-
trusted her story to the dragon-boy,
the latter assuring her that it would
be delivered very promptly into the
proper hands.
Serves you right, muttered Ann to
Ann, for getting so excited over your
thinking that smile from you could
possibly have any effect on-oh. I beg
again, Mr.. Iawley-I don't know-I didn't
mean-Oh.. don't know what do mean"
She was GREATNESS after her extremely
sudden meeting with a very tall, broad
shouldered masculine person, who had
turned the hall corner near the elevator.
Il believe you,'' grimly replied the man
addressed as Billy then Mr.. Hawley"
II you viii come into my office perhaps
we can unravel this mystery, likewise sew
eral Others. Being a forceful person he
had his own way, and Ann soon found
herself seated in the biggest. most COM
Portable chair in Mr.. Hawley's office.
What are you doing here?" was AIMS
first question, curiousity crowding in It's
way to the top of her many varied feel
ings and thoughts.
II belong here answered Billy shortly.
Presently further Information came I'm
one of the editor, new job, I'll admit,
but
"Oh.'' gasped Ann in consternation you
are the new editor, the one in charge Of
the contest
IT am. But what has that to do with
discovery"
I'm not-everything,' garbled Ann,
wildly.
Billy laughed. THAT sounds like YOU
Ann. know you are not everything to
lots of people but you are to me, and I'm ;
going to find out a few things. Will you ,
tell me why you have so persistentiy
avoided me for the last two months2 /
Why you have not answered my note, |
refused to come to the phone when ,
sand and one things that you have to
destroy the peace of mind of the man ,
who loves you-yes do, and you know It.
VIII you answer me?" ,
(which question first?" asked Ann, au-
daciously. Then she told him what his &
mother had said and Ann had overheard
that a man who had his way to make, as !
Billy had, should either not marry at all i
or else choose his wife girl who was
blessed with many sheckeIS. And so on, 6
through the whole foolish story, to which !
Hawley listened with closed lips.
s'I understand" he said at last. And
in trying to effact yourself from my life 5
you were proving your love for liz
yourself out of my life, no matter how g
hard you try. Mother is a dear, and s