The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-14
The Eue,,ins Story

The Evening Story
Candlelisht Carry.
(By Catherine Coope.)
The community In which Carry
Reynolds had settled was sadly lack
ing In what the artistic world terms
'satmosphere." Had she known Of
this deficiency before moving out into
the country she would have stayed IN
town.
As Il was she had moved bag ana
baggage into the house left her by an
uncle, and all that was possible now
was to make tho best OF Il.
Garry was not gifted in any OF the
her soul craved the beautiful. even ~
the dropping violet pines for tho dews
Of heaven.
Her uncle's old house. with its still
more ancient assortment Of furniture
and its appalling wall paper and
painted woodwork, shocked her en-
tire senses, yet Carry's meager income
would not permit so great an expen-
diture a. redecoration.
Everything is indescribably ugly"
sighed Garry. "Oh, WELL" she smiled
a moment later. ''Candlelight covers
a multitude Of sins, SO when get
those hideous gas jets pulled out and
|
and cranies-it won't be SO bad
Thus 1t was that, all unknowingly,
Carry established for herself = repu-
tation for eccentricity among the VII
layers.
There's something queer about any
pipes pulled out and lights her house
by them f1ickerin' candles" was the
way in which old Hiram WEIGH sized
UP the situation.
However, Garry went her way re-
gardless of what people thought OF
her. Since she found no one coneen-
ial among the village people she with
drew as far as possible from them and
lived according to her own schemes
OF existence.
If by candlelight Carry dreamed
dreams and made OF life a very beau
tiful picture no one was tho wiser.
She seemed ever to smile and ever to
feel an inward happiness that she
most assuredly did not find In tho Ill
kept village streets. nor yet in the
well-ordered homes Of the country
families.
4toHn the city and took a room in the
Repshaw boarding establishment he
wondered how any community Of peo-
pie could be so totally void OF all that
made life vital and thrilling He could
conceive Of nothing quite 20 drab and
colorless az the people who came In
during the hours of the day ana called
for their mail at the postomce win
dow.
Drab village I could not ind . moro
perfect atmosphere to study" he So
Iiloquized. as he stood waiting Tor the
mail to be distributed.
"Have you no village characters ?"
he asked Of Hiram WEIGH. who leaned
against the long writing desk with his
cob pipe swinging from his tobacco
stained. lips. mo freaks. like mteers
or half-witted people ?" he calculated.
Hiram took the pipe from his lips,
spat upon the floor Of the village post
ONCE, ran his bony fingers down over
his yellow streaked beard and drawled
an answer to Reaves.
wal, I don't know as we have any
special odd ones except Candlelight
Carry-her as tore out all the gas
pipes and uses them pesky candles to
light up by. She'll burn. up tho whole
1aldarned village with her fool. no.
tons"
David Reaves laughed. Candle
light Garry! The name promises in
terest. Tell mo more Of her. Per-
haps I can use her"
''She amt no use to no one and
there amt nothin' much to tell about
her. She looks like any ordinary gal.
but she means about them candle
sticks and goes about with q queer
smile on her face, az II she was al
ways SEEM somethin' she didn't see"
Hiram shook his head. hopeFeesly.
shes just kind o. cracked. reckon"
Cracked! Well the plot thickens
I'd Nike more than ever to meet your
'CandBelight Carry. How to manage
It? Do you know?"
Hiram took or his hat and scratched
the place where his crowning beauty
once had f1ouriahed. wall, L reckon
II you had some rusty old candle
sticks or some patent candies to burn
in 'em she might welcome you. my
boy"
David Reaves smiled and nodded
comprehensiveiy: The very thing .,!s
laRe, maybe? Something antique that
might interest her."
Hiram looked at the young stranger
az If he, too. might not be q little
Cracked" my old woman's got q
pair O. old pewter candlesticlks that
her granny set q heap o store by, but
/ guess shed let you have EN-. They
amt NO account to US now that were
Albumin thi. here electric juice. ~
they calls it,
David followed the villager when
he turned to leave the postonice after
asking for the family mail Not that
Hiram's family ever got mail but It
sounded well TO ask for It.
DO you suppose your wife would
let me see those candlestfcks II
walked home with your he asked,
catching the long stride OF Hiram and
walking with him down the village
street
Hiram thought the arrangement
could be made. and he was right.
Mrs. Hiram WEIGH, counterpart Of