The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-26
The Eue11i11g Story
In a blizzard.

ne Evening OIO1Y
In . Blizzard.
(By Olive Roberts Barton.)
Katrine Wharton was being talked
about. Tongues and fingers were fly
ing at the Ladies' Missionary band.
The big stove in the parlor at the
church was sending out great waves
of welcome heat. for outside bliz-
card was raging. Mrs. Milton, on the
floor with an immense pair of scissors
in her hand, was cutting around q
shirt pattern laid on red flannel.
what I want to know is Mrs.
Milton paused and waved her scissors
with Patrick Henry gesture, why
she won't come. It looks mighty
queer to me. 1 sometimes think it
must be a guilty conscience.
The Rev. Mr.. Washburn raised his
head from the sermon he was prepar-
ing in his study. The door was slight
ly open and the words of Mrs. Milton
had filtered in.
He frowned and pushed back his
chair impatiently. He had an idea
that he knew Of whom they were
talking, and it hurt.
The Rev. Mr.. Washburn was not
ed. nor SO old. In fact he rather
shuddered when he saw his name in
print. and he generally opened his
mail with the gummed side up. His
hair was very wavy, he liked hot pam
mother, when he was at home on q
VISIT called him Sammy. His brothers
fcalled him Smootch.
When the Rev. MT. Washburn
ffowned he was not very forbidding,
but some way or other no one ever
seemed anxious to be the subject OF
that frown. Mrs. Milton, unaware Of
1t, went on. -
fau. alone she can't be too careful
NATURALLY WHETHER uncle died a1d left
her the house and a little money to
live on. she left her work in the city
But how do folks know what kind OF
a person she b, coming here a per-
feet stranger, unless she tries to prove
lshe's respectable? She's been asked
land has refused. And I've seen her
with my own eyes, through the parlor
window, playin'- cards by herself"
The young minister was not listen
that the ladies Of the church were
tlhostile to the Independent young
woman. He was thinking OF the time
q few weeks before when he was in
and sickness had made extra work
which was too much for the house
keeper. Then Katrine Wharton had
pitched in. She went over every day
to the preachers house and washed
porches and ironed. Once she had
washed the clothes. Others were kind
: and willing. but none had shaved as
she had done for the young man away
> The lowered voices in the ladies'
parlor caused him to shudder. He
knew perfectly well that all this was
being discussed. The propriety Of her
attention to the sick man had been
= | Exy a nj
congregation.
He dropped his pen. The sermon
was no longer possible for that day.
He felt that he had done wrong in not
: taking up her cause and acting as her
t champion Yet little things had held
him back. There were times when
! her happy-go-lucl1y defiance Of the
r proprieties made hin. almost believe
3 the ladies were right. At other times
!, he felt like telling the women OF his
flock, with clergical tact, that they
I ought to be ashamed Of themselves
Then again, when he saw her regard
J. ing him with frank amused eyes, he
0 had a suspicion that she was trying to
n shock the preacher: Which ambition
{. on her part could very well extend to
t those straitlaced ladies who were now
sending a box OF clothing to southern
d negroes.
n on his hat and went out. There was
r one thing sure and right here we try
e to believe that he forgot he was any
}. body different than Smootch Wash
= burn-She was prettier than any OF
n the women who talked about her. and
she knew how to wear pretty clothes,
: too.
d The wind and snow that met him
s at the door suddenly coled his indtg-
e nation. Immediately came that feel
d ing, taht had caused him to become
v a minister in the first place. What
d had he done to be blessed with plenty
n and comfort when fellow men. just as
: worthy, were suffering? For in
:. stance, Mr.. Cassidy with his wife and
d family Of four children and likely an
4 other one had been sick for four
e months. The Rev. Washburn had
a been to see them often, but what help
1.-The church gave them did not seem to
6 go very far. He wondered now If they
: had -ood and coal He would go i'm
Il mediAtely and find out sss.s.ss
e The wind fairly blew him into the
81 hard to brace himself against the wall
IL to get the door shut. The sudden lull
: from the beating elements outside
. seemed queer-the house usually
3 noisy was hushed. The doorway into
n the front room was open. Four children
II were quietly playing q game on the
8 floor, a big fire was burning in the
o CRATE. and in a low, broken chair near
e It sat Katrine Wharton doing. On
IS her lap lay a newly born baby.
r The Rev. Washburn went In as
o him and sat up with a start, nearly
dropping the baby. She laughed ~
e she grabbed It
Than she turned lovely rcd Il
II 81 49,
ssSk Sssss