The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-06
The Euening Story
A Labor Day Denouement.
(By Ellis Graham.)

Are you really going to give up
your job. Katie?"
Yes, John"
Have you told Seeley?"
Yes, and he was real decent about
it. Of course, he began all that stuff
about the growing business and my
opportunity to grow with the firm, but
1 cut him Short
How on earth, Katie?" asked John,
for Seeley was something of an ogre
to his employees.
II said: Look here, Mr.. Seeley, you
can't soap this situation enough to
make me slip into seeing it your way
I've got an old mother and father who
need me, and I'm going home He
said: Now, Katie, you're just bit
homesick. Forget it. You'll miss
a week, and village don't offer
girl anything unless the butcher or
the blacksmith marries her."
well. Katie, that's all So" Men
ton of the village eligibles made John
bold to side with the unpopular Seeley.
Yes, nobody knows that better than
1 do. But I'm making just $12
week. and how much of that do you
think I save after paying board and
laundry and carfare and buying what
few clothes I have?'
mot much, guess
''In three years since 1 started in
here at So a week I've managed to
pinch along and save just an even SIS.
That's $25 a year, see? If I'd get sick
that SIS would go in a jiffy, and
working nine hours a day in stuffy
office and sitting up nights to mend
and sew and wash half her clothes
doesn't help to keep any girl healthy.
Besides, my mother and father need
me there. They don't say anything.
but 1 know they need me, and they
looked so old and frai1 when 1 was
home Christmas. I told Seeley some
of all this, and he said: guess
you're about right, Katie, but if you
want to come back, therell be a place
for you here F"
John stood helplessly with his hands
in his trousers pockets and turned the
waste basket this way and that with
his feet. Katie slipped a purple car
head and yellow second sheet and
nimbly twirled the trio around her
typewriter roll. Then she paused and
John spoke very softly:
You'll miss the life here. Katie.
You'll miss the car rides and the band
concerts and the movies"
Eyes, but not any more than they
miss me now at home" Katie looked
pretty solemn, for she was young and
loved gayety and music and the
of paper on the floor and rs he stoop-
ed to put it in the waste basket, he
whispered. will you miss me a lit
tie bit %
2S, JOnn, lois.
Looking up, she caught such a pain
ed look in Johns eyes that she quick
ly stopped to blow the dust from her
dictaphone record. There were tears
in her eyes size adjusted the long
rubber tubes in her ears and turned
on the electric current.
Katie's first week at hcme was de-
lightful, but when she had cleaned
and Strengthened up the whole house
pretty tired and felt the need of some
diversion, but, alaSi no music or
movies or car rides were available in
Plainville. Sunday was long, still,
lonesome day, and she did not enjoy
the gossip which followed the morn
ing service at the church where her
parents always sat in front pew.
AS summer came and her flowers
grew and blossomed she felt better
satisfied, but the small outlay for a
few necessary repairs and furnishings
had made quite a hole in her little
savings. There was no income save
the few scattered dollars from her
fathers fees as a justice of the peace
and the butter and egg money her
mother contributed. Nobody in Plain
vile had the slightest need of katie's
skilled services as a dictaphone oper-
ator. She was resourceful though,
and hit upon plan which netted her
a small amount each week. She en-
gagged half the space in the hardware
merchant SHOW WINDOW lot
day afternoon. Then she baked some
ioavcS of bread, an angel food cake
and some little tea cakes. All these she
displayed in the window on Saturday
with a card which said: Let these
help to make your Sunday dinner
easy"
Plainvil1e people were conservative
They looked askance at all innova-
tions and SO the first housewives who
passed gazed curiously at the display
without a thought Of purchasing.
Young Mrs. Moore walked right in,
though, as soon as she saw Katie's
display and read the little card.
mo stale bakers stuff for me when
Moore laid aside two loaves of bread
as she spoke, ard passed on to the
salad. mo standing over :he stove
cooking vegetables and cake when
these things drop right down like the
mamma did to somebody in the Sunday
school lesson Larry Moore doesn't
hurt himself at the head of that sec
ton gang, and I shan't hurt myself
cooking his victuals over hot stove.'
Two other housewives followed Mrs.
Mcore's lead and Katie's stock was
soon disposed of. After her second
Saturday, she arranged with certain
to see what she could supply for their
Sunday dinners, and she soon built up !
a good little business.
When summer was I:early over |
Kati:- began to get restless again. The |
merchants were busy stocking for the |
fall trade, the farmers were busy har- |
vesting bumper crops. the children /
were getting ready for school. and two J