The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-29
The Euening Story
A Discovery That Counted.
(BY Catharine Cranmer.D

Q
matrimony and his bookwormish
him to the lone bachelorhood of her
brother John, who neglected his pro-
fession TO satisfy his love for books
and isolated himself until it amounted
to an eStrangement from the whole
family.
One day Mrs. Williams returned
from a visit to an old friend and an
nounced 20 her astonished son at the
dinner table that the young daughter
of this friend was coming to remain
as their guest while her mother went
on a protracted visit to Panama to be
with her engineer son.
I'm afraid it will be deuced awk-
ward having young lady in the fam
lily, as it were. 1t will doubtless mean
that we II have to sacrifice to frivolty
many an evening which might be put
to uses worth while" Stanley object
led--whict from one of his dutiful
habits was little short of open rebel
| Lion, but his mother only smiled in
a whimsically pleased way.
| ''Oh, Pussy won't demand any sac
rifices that will be hard for anybody
to make" she said, still smiling.
t'Fussyi Mother, you don't mean
that the girls name is-that?'' This
new horror almost effaced his salts
faction at his mothers assurance that
he would not be expected to sacrifice
himself to the guests frivolousness.
It's nickname only. Her real
name is Augusta, and both are clearly
misnome's. But since she will be here
week from today, I'll not attempt
to describe her. said Mrs Williams
only week. gasped Stanley, as
| they rose from the table and passed
into the library, where he picked up
a copy OF Flammar1on's wonders of
no + kaeax- III
family laid aside when dinner was an
pounced. We'll, We'll have to do the
| best we can. Five minutes later he
was lost in astronomical flights, which
| took him millions of miles away from
frivolous things. But his mother
smiied a satisfied smile
A few days afterward Stanley wa g
called to a neighboring city on bust
| ness Absorbed in his work for sew
| eraf days. he quite lost count of the
time. and on the day of his return he
saw in a bookstore window a newlv-
published book on astronomical in
vestisations which made him eager to
reach this new work, whose author
was heralded as a second Flammarion
1t was cold, bleak day in January.
and Stanley strobe from the street car
to the house with his soft black hat
| pulled low over his eyes and his
overcoat collar turned up, while he
held the treasured new book under his
arm. He went straight to the library
expecting to find his mother quietly
crocheting or scanning the society
column in the evening paper, but her
chair was not occupied.
The warmth of the wood fire was
soothing to his chilled body, and he
walked across the room before remov-
ing his hat or overcoat When he
reached the hearth. he was astounded
to see a diminutive young woman
Snugly tucked into the shelter of his
I capacious armchair. One tiny foot was
tucked under her and the other dan
I gled within a foot of the door Hear
ing footsteps, the young woman open
/ ed two very bright brown eyes and
/ looked inquiringly up at him without
/ moving even the dangling foot from
/ which tiny suede pump was in i'm
/ minent danger of dropping. A pc
I culiar sensation passed over Stanley
and it was not precisely feeling of
| annoyance. He began to stammer an
! apology. 1t vaguely seemed to him
/ that If either of them were an offender,
/ it was the fair usurper of his armchair,
/ yet he volunteered the apology.
Just as the girl began to upcurl her
self from her snug position, Mrs. Will
liams entered the room from the din
| ing-room.
! ing you'd some tonight; haven't we,
/ Fussy?" AS he girls name was
spoken by his mother Stanley re-
/ allied the situation, and in the intro
I
! out his acknowledgment and his stiff
welcome to their guest.
Mercy. but I'm relieved said
Pussy. You looked so serious stand
| ing there all in black that 1 thought
the minister had come for dinner"
Although this remark was made in a
! most frivolous way, Stanley found
himself smiling over it in quite a toll
Grant fashion.
He cast longing glance at his new
/ book but when dinner was an
nounced Immediately he resignedly set
about doing hosts duty
Now that we have man at our
command, Fussy,' began Mrs. Will
liams, as they left the dinner table
| where shall we station him for duty
this evening""
| "Oh, let's make it a musical comedy.
| with glitter and gayety, and pretty
| girls and pretty gowns, and perhaps a.
| bit of supper at one of those dance
/ awhile, eat-awhile places I've heard so
| much about, Is that too much for
/ tired traveller to tackle in one even
Ing?'' Without turning her head,
Pussy threw her bright eyes upward in
a sidewise glance of piquant inquiry.
Not at all" said the dutiful host,
forcing himself to look away from the
table. where the new book lay tantal-
izing1y near his hand as he passed into
the library.
The next evening when Pussy came
into the library all dressed in a soft
| gown of pale pink, she found Stanley
/ absorbed in the new book. She sat
! down demurely in his mothers chair
and looked across at his serious, clean
featured face. The more she studied
him, the more she hoped he would
! continue to be oblivious of her pres
| ence so that she could continue her
study But suddenly he raised his
| eyes and caught her interested stare.
/ Both of them rose in confusion
! please don't let me break up all
your honey habits" she pleaded, as
she approached him so closely that he
caught the faint perfume from her