The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-03
7HE EVENING STORY
Astronomy and Anne.


81 cannot possibly go into an Of
flee" she decided and smiled ruefully
at her lack of training. Besides,
want my day hours for writing. If ]
once got a start in the magazines
would not have to work. 1t was evil
dent from Anne's decision that she did
not consider writer's toilers of the
earth.
She glanced around the scantily fur
nished room and her eyes grew dim.
They had rested upon the telescope
that stood by the window; it's brasses
were polished and its great glass eyes
most see her father peering through
it up into the heavens. It had been
his hobby to star-gaZe through many
a night when Anne had been tucked
snugly in her bed.
Had Anne wanted to part with this
treasure of her fathers, she might
have realized sum that would have
run it to the thousand mark, but she
would not.
eff the worst comes to the worst, -
he had once laughingly suggested. 1--WE
can open an astronomical institute and
| charge ten cents a look at the moon,
and take your choice. How would that
/ be, Anne ?''
Capital idea, Daddy!" Anne had
returned.
peating themselves in Anne's brain.
And now it seemed as if the big
| telescope were reckoning her some
where, to some goal. Its glass eye
blinked in the sunlight, and Anne
| strove to fathom the lure it seemed to
hold out to her.
! PAY your money and take your
choice" sang Anne. '"Therei I have
there on the boardwalk with Daddy
| telescope and offer to passersby look
| at the moon or starsi" Anne smiled.
| She had solved her problem of work,
1 esIa4 h. .I1~ -
forfeit her days. She was elated over
the scheme, and she knew that much
material might be gained while she
stood beside the telescope on the
| crowded boardwalk. Besides, there
was the ever constant song of the
ocean as the waves rolled in over the
white sand. Anne had no friends in
A ASy Park, SO there was not a
| ct wouldn't mind, anyway" she told
| herself. with toss of her Independent
little head.
Thus it grew that few nights later
the endless chain of pedestrians on
the boardwalk saw a new sign to at
tract the unwary.
Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars; have
look at the planets and stars they.
read, and many stopped half in the
interest Of astronomy and half in
curiosity.
Anne presented more or less
| unique appearance there in the semi
gloom. Her coat was long and almost
covered her; a soft hat was pulled
low on her head and the great white
Russian wolfhound that guarded her
seemed to attract observation rather
than to repel. Anne prided herself on
her sense of advertising.
The boy who carried her telescope
! to and from the tiny cottage looked
up at her as they made their way
home after the first evening.
"Geel I didn't think all them guys
would paw ten cents to look AFT the
stars! Amt it funny
'It is delightful returned Anne
and jingled the many dimes in her
pockets
1t was on the third evening of her
new work that Ben Huy1er stopped to
stroke the great wolfhound's head. A
second later he looked at the figure
beside the telescope and whistled in
wardly. Another second and his eyes
had met Anne's under their shading
of soft hat and wind-tossed hair.
"I will have look,' he said quickly.
and produced a dime.
Ben Huyler had never taken the
slightest interest either in moon or
stars, but he seemed suddenly pos
sessed of a wild longing to learn all
there was to know about them In a
most impersonaI way Anne told him
the few bits of information she had
gained from her father. Whether
Huyler heard or not is a matter of
opinion. He learned, however. that
Anne's voice was melodious and that
her eyes were like twin sapphires in the
light of the moon.
When he had fingered as long as con-
vention allowed he strolled off and
dropped into nearby bench Whether
or not Anne noticed him was another
matter for conjecture. She only knew
that she rather liked her latest star
gazer.
IT liked his personality" she con-
fided to her telescop and her slim fin
gers caressed the shining brasses
VOLTS faithful eyes had followed
Huyler and fingered there.
Anne turned to greet the serious eyes
of the man who had been studying the
planets each night that she had been
there.
.'I would buy your telescope tomor-
row if you would sell it, he said after
he had greeted Anne. But when Anne
shook her head he only nodded and
continued to give her of his fund of
knowledge concerning the astral bodies.
During the ensuing three weeks Anne
seemed to be swaying between the man
who came nightly to gaze at the stars
through her telescope and the man who
came nightly to look at the moon by
way of her own eyes.
A slight but mutual bond between the
girl and Ben Huyler was that of lit
erary tendencies on both sides.
81 used to edit our fraternity pa
when she had shyly told him of her
stories You must get heaps Of ma
teriaI down here for your writing" he
suggested
.I try to make myself think that I
am doing this for atmosphere, when |
in reality 1 have to stand here for |
money" Anne told him. with whirn-