The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-07
The Evening Story

| II The Eoenng Story
The Professors Proposal.
(By Louise Oliver.)
Miss Purling readjusted the cover OF
the picnic basket The white cloth, how
ever, did not prevent certain spicy
odors from escaping into the stuffy air
| of the boarding house parlor where she
stood awaiting the professors arrival.
She had thrilled with anticipation for
| two weeks before this wonderful day.
and now that it had come at last every
thing, from her new dress to the bulg-
ing basket, seemed too wonderful to be
| true.
final inspection. A curl had broken
bondage and protruded coquettishly
from under her hat. Miss Purling hast-
| lily tucked 1t away and pulled her hat
to more precise angle. The result was
| unsatisfactory, somehow, not in the
least picnieky. Out came the curl again.
and with guilty flush she loosened the
hair a bit on the other side. Another
curl! And for five long years che had
devoted precious minutes each morning
| to brushing her hair into decorous reg
| ularity as became the librarian of Ex-
seller Academy.
A step sounded outside the door.
pulled her hat to slant. All the girls
| were wearing hats at this angle. The
| effect rather startled her, bringing
pleasant flush to her cheeks. The curls
| and the rakish hat and. Perhaps
! after all the professor had not asked
ner entirely from sense of duty!
Cyril McAllister, A. b. C. X. Y. T.,
also M. N. ar O., accc ing to the
youth Of the town, had decided to brave
the blast OF school -.dicuIe this year
| and ask the keeper of the books to the
annual picnic.
| Every day for five years. Saturdays
| and Sundays excepted, he had wished
her a pleasant Good morning." as he
handed her slip of paper containing
certain references. And every day he
| mad found bis books ready and open at
the proper page when he presented him.
self at o'clock in the school library to
do little quiet reading. Miss Purling
| ideal librarian. Further than that he
knew little about her, except that her
| first name was Martha, and he liked
Mertha for q name.
| Miss Purling herself opened the
| door in answer to his ring and he fair
| ly gasped with establishment. Instead
OF little gray moth. as he had ex-
pected. here was a pretty butterfly.
The tilted hat. fluffy hair. flushed
cheeks and girlish blue dress all had
I
membered that her name was Martha!
The charity work he had taken upon
| himself, namely, to give the quiet little
old maid an outing, was turning out to
be a romantic adventure. He was glad
he had worn a white soft hat and
white trousers. He had been afraid
she might think him frivolous. But
now things were different. He even
pulled the lavender border on his
handkerchief into palmer view.
| 1t being customary for the young
gentlemen of the academy to invite
their favorities OF the gentler sex to
their outings, under proper chaperon-
age, a merry crowd of youths and
maidens had already gathered at the
station before the arrival Of the pro-
fessor and his lady.
| Each young man having his hands
rather full. both figuratively and lit
orally speaking, the newcomers were
rather relieved to note that their ap-
pearance together did not create any
particular sensation. But Bob Haw-
kins. Jerry O'Neil and Trip Wardrop
to find girls to go. The common mis-
/ fortune was q unifying bond, and the
result was a bad BUNCH any one of
which was perfectly capable of liven-
ing things up Il bit on his own account.
| Professor McAllister, catching sight
of the unattached trio. and remember
ing sundry dement's and threatened
thrashings. felt sudden misgivfng.
| however, the
three politely lifted their hats without
any particular sign of surprise
He did not see a certain movement
on the part of Jerry O'Neil, class
clown and accomplished ventriloquist,
who stuck his tongue into his cheek.
winked his left eye at Bob. his right
| eye at Trip, ans. taking an arm Of each
led them fondlv away from the crowd
/ toward the back Of the station.
| The train pulled in at last. and the
l 1od ~.
He cast an investigating look along
each line of seats within and sighed
with relief when the derelicts did not
appear. His happiness was complete,
What more could a man want? A
pretty day, pretty companion.
mind-the latter being a rare attain
ment for a teacher Of boys.
! AS they shot through a panorama
j of green hills and valleys. over limpid
rivers. and past way stations, with the
| deep blue sky and masses of fluffy
lied that she had never been so happy
in her life. After all. the beauty Of
nature was only a setting for her
idyl. Her Adonis had stepped down
| from the clouds and by word and ac-
ton was paying her homage indeed
She forgot the train, tl< picnickers
the bad boys and the world. There
were Just two Of them tearing back
ward through a space of green and
| blue and white, and then-darkness!
The train had plunged into q tunnel
without warning.
Suddenly above the roar of the cars
the re came a loud osculatory smack,
and q woman's voice. Miss Purling's
with Just the right shade of pleased
protest. "Oh. Professor. how dare
you %
Then the train emerged into day
HA1f nav down the r4P fhreA
boys were turning their heads with
j 49, ..ssa A.. 49, ~ ..-S..ns~~l. Al.o