The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-30
The Euening Story
Her Last Filtration.
(By Jane Osborn.)


after she had ushered seven classes
| into Clayton she was smilingly spoken
of by the other girls of the town as
THE Youths Companion" Whether
it was because she resented this or
because of deeper reason it is hard
to tell, but just as the eighth fresh
man class since her eighteenth birth
day was about to enter Clayton, I<a-
Uterine Morley assumed another poise.
College men failed to interest her
any longer, she told people. They
had no true feeling. Her ideal man
was more of a primitive
This was all right as a drawing
room pose, but when Katherine put it
into practice and began to be seen
walking on Sunday afternoons in the
country and attending local attractions
with a certain handsome young fac
tory foreman whose cheap green suit
and creaky shoes, wide spreading hat
and gaudy neckties We're suggestive of
Hungarian peasant origin, the college
community was filled with conSterna-
ton. And when this filtration lasted
through the winter, and Katherine
quite frankly mentioned this young
peasant-Alec Brajaska - to her
friends and received him at her home
when her father was away, things be-
gan to look serious.
Most to be pitied was DR.. Morley,
her father. One day his assistant in
the sociology department, Beardsley
Drew, suggested that he might be OF
some assistance.
Something surely will have to be
DONE" replied the father. 1T is get
ting to be outrageous. 1 have spoken
to Katherine myself about it. I dread
taking the step, but 1 see no other
way out of it. L am afraid Katherine
is serious. L can have at least the
satisfaction of knowing something of
the mans origin. 1 must know
whether there is any reason why Ka-
Uterine ought not to marry him. 1
know of no one who can undertake
the investigation so well as you, Mr..
Drew
The result of this conference was
that Prof. Beardsley Drew undertook
the task of looking into the record
and standing of Alec Brajaska. AS a
professor of sociology, he had studied,
perhaps more interestedly than the
professor knew, the life and the Gus
toms of the factory element of the
men and women in town who were so
far removed from the college circle
and college interests. He knew their
various dialects, and the task was not
difficult.
Drew began his task in sensible
way by diScarding his regular clothes,
which would have branded him as an
outsider, and with a shabby suit and
a pair of brilliant tan shoes and a
cheap broad brimmed felt hat he sal
lied forth.
He went to the house where Bra
jaska was known to live. 1t was at
the hour when the young man would
naturally be at work A young for
eign woman answered his knocking
and proved to be the daughter of the
woman who kept the boarding house
at which Brajaska and several of his
associates took their meals. Prof.
Drew arranged to take board at the
same place. It was the easiest way
to evade suspicion, and as he was
having a weeks vacation he could
carry out his plan without fear of
being suspected.
He occasionally talked with Bra
jaSka, but more frequently with the
associates. He fingered after the
other boarders one morning at break
fast and started to speak of BrajaSka
to Magda, the young daughter
You seem to know Brajaska,'' he
said. How is it? Did you know him
in the old country ?''
Magda told him few things about
his bringing up, his boyhood ambi-
tons He was 80 and she was 20.
They had lived on adjoining farms
in the old country and for years her
father had been saving up to come to
this country, and had influenced Alec
to come. They had all ccme together
and then her father had died.
Suddenly the girl stopped talking
and then Morley looked up in sur
prise to see that she was crying. He
put his haid impulsively her
shoulder and she. did not resent it
She was apparently too much preoc-
cupied with her own grief.
DO you not KNOW" she asked,
about me and Brajaska? l was
promised to him and we were going
to be married in the spring, and then
a beautiful, very beautiful lady with
a great deal of money, took him away. |
She will marry him Rrajaska has
said SO.''
Drew's first feeling was for the
unfortunate Magda. This feeling
was followed by one of anger at Bra
jaSl<a, who had the insolence to de-
sert II woman of his own class and
of n nEG win he af.
lection of another woman out of his
class.
Drew remained at the boarding
house 2 week, each day growing more |
rowful little Magda. The last day of |
his vacation was to be the day of the !
excursion and Drew had seen that |
Magda had refused the invitation of l
several of .he young men to go with |
them. Then he asked her to go with |
him. She looked away from him |
shyly m
right 1 am promised to Alec
But don't you see, Magda,'' said /
Drew with more feeling than he usu-
me and are very happy and 1 seem |
to be very fond of you-perhaps Bra
jaska will be Jealous. We are all
made that way, we men"
But the rich lady will be with
him. said Magda. HE will have no
eyes for anyone else. 1 could never
stand it,
However, Drew was able to per-
suade her that a little skillful acting
might bring back Brajaska's affec-
ton. She was very pretty, Drew told
her. even if the other lady was beau
tiful-
1t was a gay assemhlage that met
in the woods and although Magda's
heart was heavy the sound of the
music and the festivity brought the !
light into her eyes and the color to
her checks. She laughed and needed
little artifice to disguise the true feel