The Topeka state journal., 1913-01-02
THE EVENING STORY
Cottage of Awakening.


brace the entire dwelling in it's fra
grant clasp.
| Patience, who lived within, was
wont to take the great pink blossoms
that peeped into her easement WINDOW
into the cup of her two hands ana
press her lips into their odorous hearts.
But then-Patience was a dream gIrl.
Perhaps, when she kissed the roses,
she was meeting in dreams the soui
of the man who would one day cross
her threshold and enter into ner
| heart.
| Patience never sat down by ner
softly blazing fire without first nav
ing placed another chair beside ner
own. After that she conversed in ner
| imaginings with the man who would
one day occupy that chair.
He will be poetic,'' murmured Pa
t1ence, "and his eyes will be great and
brooding like the eyes of deer. He
Will call me his guiding angel and tell
that grow by the silver streams" Pa
tience drew a long breath and wished
that her dream man were near.
her tea tray was always prepared
for two. and her table with it's spot
less linen was continually set for that
other guest. An ash tray lay in read
mess on the small table beside the
couch and in the tiny suite of rooms
upstairs there was a chiffonier upon
which lay pair of military brushes
and collar box.
Il do not know what else belongs
there" Patience told herself and In
the glass she saw a blushing face turn
swiftly away.
light hour Patience went down the
stairs and sank into her big chair
Twilight was the hour of her prettiest
dreaming and she wanted to miss not
moment of the waning crimson
evening.
Because Patience wrote verses
which from time to time appeared IN
the magazines she had been able to
take the tiny whitewashed cottage
that lay midway between the village
and the sea. 1t had beckoned to her
constantly when she had been living
in room on the dusty, toilsome vii
lage street.
MY dream man will be slight" she
unused while the crimson twilight
flickered joyfully over the gold of her
hair, land his voice will be musical
and soft" Patience threw her white
arms up over the back of her chair
and unused over the coming of her
hero. Sometimes she pictured him as
entering her cottage to ask for a drink
of cool water from her little white
washed pump, and again he would
have sought entrance that he might
ask the privilege of sketching her ar
tistic cot.
Patience fell into a light sleep.
When she awoke there was the pat
ter of rain upon her roof and outside
all was dark and cod. She shivered
slightly and poked the logs in her
fire. -
She was about to sit down to her
late supper with the guest plate op-
posite her when a loud knock startled
her.
Patience opened the door and her
heart gave great bound.
A man, so big as to fill the frame
of her small door, stood without.
There was wry smile on his face and
he was covered with mud from head
to foot.
IT have had nasty fall from my
motorcycle, he said, in deep ringing
tones, that knew no timidity. ct would
like to get wash and clean up if I
could" He stood there gazing at Pa
tience. and she noted that his eyes
We're neither soft nor deer-li1e.
They are crickly and laughing"
she thought, and a slight frown puck
cred her brow.
Il will go around to the kitchen, II
you like" the man was adding, sup
posing her frown to- be for his muddy
appearance.
Patience opened the door and mo-
toned him within.
"Snug little rest" he said, and his
eyes sought the girl who lived in so
dainty an abode. His first glance had
been impersonal. because his fall en-
the slippery roa" had been occupying
his mind Without thinking, he sank
into the big chair by the fire and con-
tinued to watch Patience, who was
busy preparing water and soap and
towels for his use.
She cast a glance at her rose-coyered
cretonne that was suffering from mud
and raindrops. yet her heart was sing
ing.
You may come in here she told
the man, and he arose and followed
the soft voice that had called him to
the tiny kitchen.
The man stripped off his coat and
Patience saw that his arm was cut
IT will tie It up she said, tirnidly.
and went for snow-white cloths Az
ter he had washed she drew near to
him and bound up the arm.
When she had finished something
drew her eyes up to meet his. The
world, for The moment, seemed to stop
in its revo--+ion-
A second later the man laughed.
Patience looked away with hurt eyes
then suddenly realized that the man
had done the best possible thing un-
der the circumstances.
Strange world. this" she heard him
n utter.
YES" echoed Patience, t'and my
dream mar has crumbled in the dust
The man glanced swiftly at her. Are
YOU married 90 he demanded so sharply
that Patience laughed Historically. She
saw him bring his teeth clo-e together
and wait for her answer. Also he had
seen the ash tray and cigars on the
table by the couch.
! hJrrsnad and shock hop Heo