The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-24
The Euening Story
A Permanent Fund.
(By Catherine Cranmer.)

(By Cather1ne CranIner-)
Williams and Company offered a
prize of twenty dollars in gold for the
best name suggested by an employee
for their new line OF granite ware.
Harry Benton, salesman, and Amy
Werner, cashier tied for the prize
The cashier handed each of them
ten-dollar gold piece, but Benton
knew that his annual salary reached
in thousands almost what Amy's did in
hundreds, and he felt that he ought
not to let her divide the prize with
him.
Wont you let me add my gold to
yours so you'n have enough to
jingle?" he asked smilingly.
Sure" and Amy smiled in reply,
thinking he was only joking.
Catch, them" Harry threw the
shining piece and Amy caught it with
a clink against the piece she held.
When she looked up and realized that
he was in earnest, she blushed a bril-
liant pink.
"Oh, you couldn't think 1 meant
really to take it, could your"
Wont you? You really earned it
more than /. I've talked the goods so
constantly for years that it was nat
ural for me to think up name easily,
but you've been here only year, so
your suggestion meant lot more
thinking than mine
"Ah, now said Amy. with a tiny
pout, don't intimate that thinking
was such hard work for me; but 1
can't accept what you earned by your
thinking even if it was easy to do"
Now don't misunderstood me. "
apologized Harry, but if you won [
take it please suggest some way 1
could spend it to make somebody bit
happier. Let's call it a happiness
fund. What do you say?' Harry was
7 As,-..
! that he wondered he had not noticed
her more on his former visits to the
office. will you have dinner with
me this evening and help me think out
a way to do something nice for some
body with that piece of gold p
Amy looked very straight at him be-
fore she replied. He had always been
free from the easy familiarity OF
many of the statesmen, but had been
cordial and courteous Beyond that
| she had not thought of him at all, eX-
/ cept as the salesman who was at the
looked at him so long that he began
to redden a little.
"Ye-es," began Amy slowly I'll
help you if you'll let me contribute
my gold piece to the happiness fund
for 1 do so little for others that 1 fee
very selfish and useless sometimes
And Harry agreed.
A few hours later, over their dinner
they discussed the possibilities of theil
fund if used for a picnic for poor chill
dren, or for the maintenance of a bee
! in a fresh air mission, or donated tC
some organization purporting to sup.
ply the needs of the needy.
! But that would be giving only the
things people usually give, and 1 wan
our fund to bring happiness to some
body who doesn't dream of it, and t
bring it just at the psychological mo
3 -har1 hi A
was charming when she was serious
That's the. idea exactly" agreed
Harry, land the best way to distribute
happiness is to go where there is
lack of it. What do you say to oul
taking a stroll through the outskirt,
of the 'Potpourri,' as somebody ha.
called one corner of a downtown resi-
dence district? ?"
That's where there are extreme.
of happiness and unhappiness, I've
heard All right, let's go; that is, i
you think we won't attract too mucl
attention" Any was a little doubt
full, but Harry was thinking that il
her simple tailored suit, soft whit,
waist. and flower-wreathed hat sh,
was dainty enough for a formal part.
and yet so simply and harmonious,
attired that she might go anywher
without looking out of place.
ooh, you'd attract your share of at
tention anywhere. but I'm plai1
enough to offset your charms Thi
was said without any palaver of gal
lantry and was accompanied by sucl
a genial smile that Amy laughed, too
although she thought that Harry
clear eyes and honest face and broa,
shoulders very satisfactory kind o
plainness.
As they passed through the distric
of the downtown poor, they distrib
uted various bits of happiness in un
expected dimes given to small tots VIII,
were standing disconsolately in door