The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-26
The Euening Story
Miss Cady,s Zoo.
(By John Trent. }

| <AulOlS TIE lTiNOlOuS young III
the village Miss Arabelia Cady's select
boarding house was known as THE
Zoo AS Sally Hecker vivaciously
explained it to her fellow teachers at
! the high school, 1T is a human zoo,
anyway if there could be such a
lthingi
First" said Sally, there is our own
revered principal, Mr.. Dale-is he not
perfect bear, a BIZ growly, grizzly
bear? And DIR. Coleman is a perfect
polar bear, so cold and unmannerly
and restless, And Miss Twitchen is a
felfne-soft ant purry and with sharp
claws that scratch, and biting
tongue. And Sally giggled, II heard
Mr.. Dale say that the new boarder
the young man who works in the drug
store, was puppy, and everyone
knows what a silly goose Mrs. Jones is.
and all the rest of the houseful are
just as funny and freakish- oh, no;
Miss Lane. don't go to The Zoo to
Violet Lane. the new teacher.
smiled mirthfully at Sallys descrip-
ton of Miss Cady's boarders.
You are too late, Miss Hecker, I've
engaged board there and 1 don't care
what you say about the rest of them,
but 1 do think Miss Arabella is per-
feet dear.
"A dear, What did 1 tell you,
girls?' cried Sally. "Oh, don't mind
our foolishness, Miss Lane; you are a
dear yourself and entirely eligible to
go to The Zoo. Perhaps you can do
1
| ALL"
Violet smiled and was silent She
| could not explain to these giddy girls
how pleasant and homel.- was the
little chintz-hung room at Miss Cady's,
where she had unpacked her belong
ings that very morning. How quiet
was the home atmosphere of the place
and how delicious the wel1-cooked
food
They could not appreciate what this
position in the Vineland school meant
to a girl who had worked her way up
from orphaned and friendless
education and who had never known
what a real home was like.
To Violet Lane Miss Cary's zoo was
a charming colonial house filled with
delightful people. 1t was more than
that, it was home.
So, accompanied by the unwar-
ranted pity of her companions. Violet
Lane turned in at Miss Cady's gate;
fected fear of it's inmates, and was
still smiling as she opened the front
door.
The smile died away as she met the
fierce, dark gaze of Homer Dale. the
principal of her school. Mr.. Dale a
tall. dark, studious looking man,
growled a greeting, tried to smile and
failed utterly, before he desperately
boted into the sitting room and hid
himself behind a newspaper.
Violet was puzzled. II don't believe
he likes me-. she thought, as she
mounted the stairs. At the top she
met little Miss Twitchell. who had
lived for many years at the Zoo. She
had little, dried-up face and form,
and spoke in a raspfng little voice
"Oh, it's you, Miss Pane-Lane or
Dane, did you say? Oh, Lanei
really thought you were a little girl;
but la! when our school teachers wear
such short skirts and f1ounce around
how is body n +,
''She is scratchyi'' decided Violet, as
she removed her hat and Slipped off
her gown preparatory to dressing for
supper. But I don't care-a real
home has cats and dogs, and some
times, L suppose, tame bear, and 1
may as well make friends with them;
make pets of them, perhaps
She sat down at the crowded table
with violet eyes and rosy lips and
cheeks and hair like pale corn silk:
surely this flower face did not belong
here among these sterner counte-
nanceS.
The drug clerk passed the butter
twice to Violet and ventured a re-
mark about the weather. Mr.. Dale
passed the butter to the new board
er.
Miss Twitchell made scratchy re-
mark and fat Mrs. Jones giggled. Vio-
let blushed and DR.. Coleman emerged
from his Polar bearishness long
enough to remark that she looked
feverish, and suggested to Mr.. Dale
that there might be an epidemic of
scarlet fever threatening the school.
"Oh, 1 have had scarlet fever" re-
assured Violet hastily
DR.. Coleman froze up again and
asked for another cup of tea.
The remainder of the meal was eat
en- in silence and the guests passed
out to the broad piazza where each
one Immediately appropriated a COM
Portable chair
Violet sat down on the top step and
felt very lonesome. The women were
embroidering and talking in low
tones; DR.. Coleman was reading a
medical journal; the drug clerk had
returned to his soda water fountain,
and Mr.. Dale was looking very stern
and unapproachable behind a news
paper.
Miss Arabella Cady, fat and rosy,
hustled out dressed in her second best
attire.
I'm going over to Sister Aniy's for
WHILE, she said as she went down
the steps. She paused beside Violet
and laid a plump hand on the girls
head. Don't get lonesome, honey
there's a piano in the parlor-make
yourself to home,''
THANK you, Miss Cady," quavered
Violet, for she was very near to tears. |
dim parlor. She had learned to play |
by ear and she had a sweet, unframed |
voice. There were so many old songs I
that she knew by heart, and as the |
melOuleS CnreaOed out from ner nm |
gers she sang softly to their accom- |
paniment.
annie Laurie Bonnie Doom" |
Tosti's Goodbye" Loves old Sweet |
Song'-and she sang the words of I
this last favorite love song of several |
generations Violet became aware that !
other voices were added to her own.
Somehow, the dim room had mys-
teriOuSly become populated with /
shadowy forms. There was the reedy
treble of Miss Twitchell, the deep bass