The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-23
The Evening Sto1y

The Evening otory
Gardens and the Girl.
| (By Harmony Weller.)
The gardens in the little suburban
Village that nestled at the foot of the
Chiltern Hills were beginning to show
the lack of care. The war had robbed
those tiny cottages and left them
stripped of masculine hands. Wives
and mothers and sisters who were
left behind to grieve and toll had no
time for gardening when there were
children to care for and homes to
keep tidy against the day when the
soldiers would once again be well
coined back.
silent and pitiful evidence of the
wars greedy clutch lay In the fast
dropping gardens OF the tiny homes.
Flowers at the front gate made brave
attempts to rear their heads above the
tangle of weeds: q vine struggled and
fell for lack of support, and behind
the house, vegetables often needed
asset to the meager allowance. died
dens they were. It seemed as IL an
hour could have been squeezed from
the crowded day in order that they
might live. But the wives of those
brave soldiers were already burdened
and that hour could not be found.
/
masculine hands in the village that
might not fire shots at the enemy be-
cause hts physical body had been
found far too weak to stand the
strenuous life of the battlefield.
George Bassington grieved sorely that
men to fight the great fight. but he
realized there must be some way in
which he could be Of service to those
left behind.
| II could take care of those gardens
he pondered as he walked through
Laurel lane and witnessed the
condition of growing things. Per
hape it will help the struggling wo-
men as much as the outdoor work will
benefit my own body"
| He smiled wrathfully at his own
weakness, but went braveiy from one
door to the other asking II he might
attend the gardens Of the soldier hus-
bands who had gone to war.
| II am absolutely idle,'' had been
his stock phrase when overcoming
the scruples of hOusehO1ders. 1T
| will be a favor to me If you let me
care for your flowers and vegetables"
/; At the end of two weeks George
small gardens. Flowers again raised
joyful heads. vines clanbered over
gate posts and vegetables continued to
add table necessities to the SIX tables.
Bassington felt proud of his work and
became a great favorite with the wives
and mothers whom his work was
helping. He had his tea first with
one and then with the next until they
began to feel trifle jealous If he was
seen longer in one garden than in the
| other. 1t was with difficulty that he
kept one bit of property from over
stepping another in beauty.
There was one house on Laurel
1af1a that QxiY1 tfY01r INFINITE RI
| over and that one was the home of
James Holiday. BassingtOn realized
that because of the inmate he found
! himself lured there in spite OF him
self. He supposed the fair woman
| within to be the wife Of Holiday be-
cause she tended Holidays two tiny
| children and seemed ever busy with
household cares. So busy was she
that Bassington had never, during his
short stay in the garden, had more
than q word or two of conversation
with her.
! 81 can hardly ask her if she il Hol-
iday's wife," laughed the temporary
gardener to himself, much as my
curiosity may hamper me. Nor do I
feel justified in questioning my neigh
bor3." However much he disliked the
thought Of her being the wife Of any
man, he was forced to the conclusion
that she was the wife Of Holiday and
the mother of his children. In con-
sequence Bassington made his CONVEX
sation as short as possible with the
little lady, and she in turn did not
offer a more lengthy chat than was
as If she made a point of being strictly
civil and no more to him.
| AS weeks slipped past Bassin9ton
began to regain the health that had
escaped him. The recruiting offices
would not turn him back again, he
felt, and With that thought in view he
once again went into town In order
to offer himself for active service.
This time he was not sent away from
his medical examination with droop-
ing head. Instead Bassington stood
i erect and there was sparkle OF tri-
then marching to meet the enemy. He
had been accepted for active service
and he was to join his old regiment
and leave for the front with them.
1t was with joyful heart that he
approached the little cottages in Lat1-
excellent friends Of his success. 1t
was going to be a trifle difficult to
tell Jim Holidays wife, ana BassinR.
ton left her until the last. He did
i not know why it was difficult to tell
her. but It was. and as he dropped the
shining brass knocker Of her door
he braced himself as II for the first
v0l1ey OF shot from the enemy.
Once inside the trim little house
Bassington looked Tong and earnestly
at the fair girl who seemed ever to
elude his level glance.
| II am going TO the 'front.' he said
| in his Straightforward manner land
wanted to tell you that have ar
ranged for another man to care FOR
the gardens I am off ON 9aturdAy. .
.Ohs. g.sped the GIRL then you are
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