The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-03
The Euenine Story
A Futurist.

A Futurist.
(By Martha McCulloch-W illiams.)
Such a botch! And to think I've got
to wear it.! Else stay at home" Jess
mourned. looking at herself in the spot
ty mirror.
It aggravated to a degree the wryness
and general misfit of the pink mousse
line she had on, but she knew its
| vagaries of reflection well enough to
discount them, SO understood fairly the
result Of inexperience and patterns.
III there have to be poor folks" she
| ran on. Il don't see why they aren't
made all humpbacked or one-eyed, or
with crooked noses. and pumpkin COM
plexions! Then they wouldn't care
what they wore-a gunny sack with
holes would do them as well as court
dress. I-I-love clothes. I could wear
them. too-if only I had them. And i!
hoped SO much-oh. it's too-too-bad,"
breaking down there and dropping her
face in her hands.
Tears forced themselves between her
| slim, tanned fingers. At sight of them.
Lu. her sharp young sister, said acidly:
1 1T does look bad enough-but cry-spots
| all down the front won't help it. Shut
up! Maybee folks will be SO busy lookin'
at your face. your frock won't matter"
Il am not gOfng-at least, I think
not Jess said. with a long, quivering
sigh.
Lu stamped foot. You are goin'.'
she said, imperatively. This is the last
in dress-the only decent thing in the
family. In another month I'll be clean
Outgrown, unless l take to starvin' my
self-which I won't, not even to wear
clothes"
How does it look?" Jess asked,
rr1. foil
in the glass;
"Oh, it bags and it says! 1t hikes
up, and hikes down-'most as bad as
| the fashions in the newspapers" Lu
said 5udicially. Suddenly she clasped
both hands over her mouth to strange
an eplosive laugh. It was not safe to
laugh out loud, unless Aunt Sarah was
safe at the sewing circle. The light
mindedness of her husbands nieces was
a sore and continuing trial to that
elect lady. Lu finished her laugh in
the depths of her handkerchief, then
said, more consolingly than common:
! Get busy, Jess-and sew up all that 8
left to do. I'm goin'' to help you-not
with the sewin'-but in better ways.
And don't, for goodness sake, say you
won't go to the Elwood party. Because
you will and be mighty glad of it."
With that she ran away-out Of the
house. across the back lot. and on to
the far hillside. where she know
Bently was sketching. He came from
the city-she had made friends with
him vagrantly-had given him but
termilk from the springhouse, and
now and then surreptitious lunches
of brown bread, butter and fresh
fruit. He was tall and thin, with
kind eyes and a whimsical smile, also
he coughed the least bit now and then
and held aloof from village affairs in
general. His home was in the cabin
up on the ledge-it had been tenant
less three summers of the four since
it was built. Talk with him in ran
dom matches had convinced Lu he
knew the world and pretty much ev-
, erything in it. She was sure of his
help even before he nodded emphat-
ically at the end of her story. over
which he laughed heartily as it went
on.
I'll be there-without fail" he
said again, nodding. Great scheme!
Young person. it strikes me your
, wasted on this slow country. When
Jess and Timber-toes make a match
of it -
What makes you call Johnny Ed
! ward Timber-toes? He hasn't got
any wooden legs!" Lu broke in Gag
. erly.
Bently nodded a third time, saying,
"sure he hasn't; but you see his ped
estal is wooden-the lumber mills
that make SO much money every day
they have sit up all night count
ing it."
"And-he isn't going to marry Jess,
I'm afraid not" Lu confessed honest
ly. You see, Milly Kicks has been
off to boarding school-and they give
her everything"
Fate gave Jess more,'' Bently said,
with a little half sigh. BE easy, fell
low conspirator. We are going to
pull all the kinks fashion and style
may knot up, out of this true loves
course"
Which was esoteric-to say the least.
But Lu ran ONE radiant-and even for
got satisfaction in her own superlative
appearance in her concern for Jess. The
pink mousseline was a horror. but then
off She had sloe-black eyes, a rose
lIeaf skin, wheat-yellow hair and motion
as graceful as wind in the wheat.
Aunt Sarah herself did not hold with
parties. but as q means to the end OF
marrying off two portionless girls she
was quite willing to let her nieces e
in ward Of Mrs. Kicks.
Thus the contrast between poor pretty
Jess and Milly, who had everything
: was made more than ever acute. JesI
q all but shrunk under consciousness O
. Milly was in white-vaporous and cling
= ing, with roses around the low necl
2 and a duck of girdle. caught will
= bigger roses. Even Johnny Elwoot
. upon his mothers left was conscious
Of the difference in them. 1t was 81
: valuable other folks nudged meaningl,
they stared when a tall DISTINGUISHED
: looking man. who had rather held a1oo1
9 came suddenly forward. caught boil