The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-30
The Euening Story
Her Model Scholar.
(By Keith KENYON

room where Elsin Dorr taught and
played with her kindergarten babies.
Dr.. Dorr had gladly given the great
bow-windowed room on the second
floor to his only daughter, and SO FL
sin found her vocation in opening the
first kindergarten Wildwood had ever
known.
There were fifteen of the young
sters sitting in their little chairs
around the wide circle chalked on the
schoolroom floor and Elsin, at the
piano. led them in singing Good
Morning Nor Ing ro Merry Sunshine; How Do
The first line was barely finished
when Elsin became conscious of
new voice-a little boys strong treble
without the fsintest appreciation Of
| tune.
AT the end of the first verse, Elsin
| turned to the circle and discovered
| the cause of the 1utter of excitement
| among her pupils as well as the owner
of the discordant voice.
| Seated crosSlegged on the floor, in
the middle of the circle was a strange
little boy, a winsome-faced laddie of
five years, with a big brown eyes and
a curly mop of f1axen hair. He wore
a Russian blouse of blue serge and
| bore every appearance of having come
from comfortable home and the low
ing hands of a mother.
tie breathlessly 1--WE are very glad
to see you. Will you come and tell
| me your name?"
The small visitor got up and came
to Elsin's knee, putting UP a wistful
mouth to be kissed.
Tell me your name, dear" urged
E1sin.
Jonathan Ferdinand Marbridge,"
returned the child.
THAT is a very nice name, Jona-
| than said E1sin. Now you must
tell me who brought you to school
this morning"
81 came myself-Dobbin is down in
| the yard"
Who is Dobbin. dear?"
He is my pony. Don't you know
| him? L told him 1 was coming this
morning and so he bringed me. I've
been wanting to come for long, long
time, and Daddy said he'd see about
it, but he is a very busy man." Jona-
than puffed out his chest and looked
very important
Very well, Jonathan. you may
fetch a little chair into the circle and
1 will send word to your father that
you are here"
But it was a difficult matter to dis
cover the residence Of Jonathan Fer
piebald pony. No one in Wildwood
appeared to recognize the name of
Marbridge and even the central tele-
phone exchange could give no clew to
the identity of the little boys parents.
But Jonathan stoutly maintained
that he lived in a big red house in the
woods and that Dobbin knew the way.
So, after the little pupils had scattered
to their homes, ElSin invited Jona-
than to lunch, and then, buttoning
him into the scarlet wool sweater and
cap which he had worn, she helped
him upon Dobbin'S back.
II will hold the bride and Dobbin
must show me the way to your house.,
said Elsin, pulling her white woolly
cap over her bronze-brown hair.
"Dobbin knows the way" said Jona-
| COnf1danflV Ann0are6.
for as soon as they reached the end
of the street in which the DORIS lived
Dobbin turned his white nose into
winding road that led straight into the
woods.
rs this the way you came. dear?"
asked E1sin.
Eyes, Miss E1sin. Dobbin didn't
mind the snow at all-his feet went
squash-squash all the way. Listen"
The woods were very silent and the
wood road was untracked save for the
single line of footprints made by the
pony when he brought Jonathan to
the kindergarten.
"It is all so strange" thought Elsin.
glancing at the erect, scarlet-clad fig
ure on the pony. "1t seems If he
had stepped out of a fairy story and
expect he will vanish any moment"
She smiled whimsically, not knowing
that she, too, added to the picturesque
sweater, with her glowing cheeks and
sparkling blue eyes. Elsin Dorr was
a remarkably pretty girl.
Then the strange road leading to
where she knew not was another myS-
terry. She had lived in Wildwood all
her life and she had never set foot in
this wood road before. She had seen
carriers coming from it with loads of
cordwood and she knew that it led in
some devious way to section called
Oakland Plains, where there were
many handsome country estates. But
she had never approached Oakland
Plains by this path.
do you live in Oakland Plinas.
Jonathan she asked after awhile,
for she was growing uneasy.
Eyes, Miss Elsin,'' he said in a sur
prised tone. "Of course I do!'
HAS your father got telephone
in the house ?"
Eyes, Miss Elsin."
tAnd your mother, dear? Won't
she worry about you?"
ct haven't any mother any more.
Miss Elsin-she is with God. There's
and Sarah and the other servants"
And you are a very lonely little
boy, dear?" asked Elsin.
Yes, Miss Elsin, dear. I was driv-
ing past one day and all the children |
were going into your house and daddy |
said he would bring me, too, but I
got tired OF waiting for him, so just
got on Dobbin and told him where 1
bought Dobbln from Mr.. Hawkins.
who lives on your street, so he knows
the way there" he added naive1y.
Then Mr.. Hawkins would know |
where you livei" exclaimed ElSin. |
I'VE must go back and ask him,
Jonathan"
"Dobbin knows, too objected |
Jonathan. "See, he is turning into |
this little path among the Christmas
trees, and it comes out in our |
woods"
So Dobbin led the way, and finally |
they emerged into tall oak woods. |
and in the distance was a snow-swept |