The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-14
The EUening Story

| The Evening Story
A Valentine With q VENGEANCE.
1t was amazing upon how slight a
pretext James Frederick Randall could
manage to call across the garden
fence. And upon each occasion. Lois
Martin invariably murmured to herself.
IT'S very strange that a man. as smart
as he is supposed to be. cannot under
| stand a rebuffy'
| He wished to tell her about doing
| up her rose bushes for the winter in
the latest approved manner. He
wished advice about the best variety Of
strawberry for the long bed. Would
! she let him send his colored man round
to spade up her garden? And would
Miss Martin come for walk to Sunset
Hill?
| Lois placed more old carpets than
usual about her rose bushes in de-
f1ance of the latest approved methods.
She could not think of troubling his
man to spade her garden. And most
| emphatically she would not walk to
Sunset Hill!
For be it known that Miss Martin
had rearranged the curtains at her east
windows the day her new neighbor
! moved into the house adjoining.
Were going to miss the morning sun
dreadfully,'' she confessed to Thomas
, Christer. the gray cat. II never did
like curtains hanging over a window.
but I can't run the chance Of seeing q
Randall every time lift my eyes from
my sewing.
1T isn't as If he worked like any
other man, Thomas Christer; he'll just
be around all the time. It has always
seemed dreadfully trifing to me for q
man to write books for a living"
She did not wish to be friends with
| him. She remembered when the Ran
calls, an inCiscriminate crowd Of them.
lived in shabby house back Of her
parents immaculate establishment
She remembered how in their youth
the remembrance still sent a flush Of
modification to her spirited face-this
Jim Randall. minus the eye glasses and
the eminence and with freckles in
abundance. had ventured to make love
1T Is a mystery to me. Thomas
Christer," she said in evaporation,
when that man ever writes. was up
this morning at the first streak Of day
light to II / could get an hour to
work unmolested in my own garden,
and If he wasn't out mulching the rose
hedge"
Thomas Christer yawned impolitely
and sauntered over to the dividing
fence.
You're a nice friendly cat" observed
the man in a shabby coat and eye
glasses.
But I suspect" he added in his
quizzical way that always gave Lois
the impression that he might be Sc
cretly laughing at her. that you are
just common cat. and not a born
Martin"
He meant that for me-" said Lois.
Indignantly I'll never speak to him
Lois devoutly hoped that the closing
in of winter would relieve her of the
undesirable presence of her neighbor.
It was, therefore, something of a shock
when she found him standing before
her front door on the evening Of
Thanksgiving day.
you ate your Thanksgiving dinner
alone?" he inquired. when she had re-
luctantly seated him In her pleasant
parlor so did I. 1t wasn't very pleas
ant. was it? I've been thinking about
1t all day. Can we not arrange to have
our dinner together next Thanksgiving?
In fact, have all our dinners together,
Miss Lois?"
'.Have dinner with your" Lois rose
In her excited dignity. why, do not
even wish to be neighbors with you.
Mr.. Randall!'
I've noticed that" and the man
laughed out, as IL the circumstances
were amusing instead Of annoying in
the extreme. 'Still, isn't that rather
foolish for two people who vent to
school together? Don't you think? I'm
going to give you time to think this
1 To her relief the succeeding four
weeks were peaceful ones
IT thought he had given up being
50 foolish she exclaimed on Christ
mas morning, standing above the box
Of magnificent roses that had Just ar
rived. "Oh, they are beautiful: no one
ever sent me such roses as that-but
don't want his roses"
WAS the Christmas dinner a sue
cess?' he inquired that evening, sit
ting serenely in her most comfortable
parlor chair. IT can tell you it was
pretty lonely in the next house. tried
putting up Christmas greens, but It
didn't work out right some way. It
takes two people to keep Christmas pro-
perly. Miss Lois"
1.-TWO are sometimes worse than
one" she answered severely.
4 Grown wise from experience, Lois
Martin did not answer the ring of
her doorbeIl on New Years eve. In
the morning she found a card slipped
under the door. "Aother lonely holi-
day. I wish you would let me try to
make thi. a happy New Year for both
OF u.s." She tore the card across i'm
patiently. and then-placed the two
pieces carefully in her desk.
Apparently, after that he tired OF
her indifference. Lois began hearing Of
him socially; he was decided addi-
tion to the small festivities OF the lit
tie town.
l Never before In her ufs had Lois