The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-06
The EDening Story
Tardy, But True.
(By Elsie See.)

chant prince OF the town, was now
getting good salary private secre-
tary to a city lawyer. 1t was equally
well known that the merchants young
wife of year kept a servant and an
automobile and had charge accounts
at the city department stores. Every
time Madge came home for a vacation
Plainyille weighed the respective mer-
it's of her independence and the mer-
chants wife's affluence, but the
shreWdest of the goSsips did not sus-
pect that g. memory ante dating her
affair with Jim Butler meant more
to Madge than anything that had come
into her life.
One summer morning Madge alight-
ed from the o'clock train for her va
walton without having told Of her COM
ing, as she preferred to surprise her
parents by appearing unannounced for
breakfast. She hurried up the quiet
street and, slipping quietly through
the yard gate, she picked a handful of
dewy nasturtiums before stepping
| around to the side porch and knocking
at the kitchen door.
My dear child! 1 just felt you'd
come soonI" exclaimed her mother at
sight of her.
THE same dear mother-can't be
surprised" laughed Madge, as they
embraced
But I can be glad, and 1 am,
dearte," said the mother, with a catch
in her voice. And heres crisp bacon
and fried apples and hot biscuit just
as if you'd ordered your favorite sum-
mer breakfast
And I'm ready for the breakfast.
100, said Madge, with happy sigh.
But where's father?'
. He's in the garden said Mrs
Ingram, and the next moment Madge
was in the garden too, and in her
fathers arms. No sooner, though,
had ne began to point out the excel
fence OF his tomatoes and sweet corn
than Mrs. Ingram summoned them to
breakfast.
Whats doing today, mother? Is
there a picnic?" asked Madge, after
breakfast
Now, how did you guess that?"
saw Tom Jordan hauling some
giant ice cream freezers and a lot of
fruit up to the Maplewood pasture
and, oh, saw a Observation-Disclosures
man in gray tweed over near the hotel
He looked like a man of affairs above
lAnd beyond Plainville picnics."
W That must have been Tom Whit
I'low. He's here for a visit, and he
dresses like that and is staying at
the hotel
Tom Whitlow, who used to
Madge hesitated, and her mother con-
tinued:
Used to drive Buffers delivery
kagon; But they say. he's made
manager of some mines out West
somewhere, and l guess he deserves
credit, for his folks were poor as Jobs
turkey
But Tom was bright and gentle
manly" said Madge quickly, land he
used to help me do my arithmetic
problems, although he wouldn't talk
to me outside"
Il guess he's still kind O. quiet" said
Mrs. Ingram, for they wanted him to
| r1nG L oI nT L.
made excuse that he'd rather listen
than be heard"
That afternoon Madge went with
her parents to the picnic, and, al
though she felt a certain pleasure in
greeting her old friends and answer
ing their unvarying questions about
her health and her impressions of To-
cal improvements, she soon began to
feel keenly that she was no longer in
sympathy with their lives or they with
hers. When people began to gather to
listen to the speeches of the county
candidates for office and of the local
politician who introduced the speak
ers. Madge stepped away and went
across the little stream and up the hill
t. the north where she had often gone
for wild flowers.
A thick underground had changed
the appearance of the hillside, but she
soon found what she was seeking, a
big oak tree, with a gnarled limb near
the ground that formed a rough seat
on which she had sat many times
watching the birds and squirrels. AS
she walked around a thick clump of
haZelnut bushes and sumacs to reach
the grassy space underneath the tree,
a tall man in blue serge, who had been
sitting on the grass with his broad
shoulders against the tree, rose and
removed his hat in respectful, but en-
| barrassed greeting.
II hope 1 haven't startled you," he
said, land may 1 hope, also, that you
would care to remember Tom Whit
| low?"
mot at ALL b1urted Madge. Then,
| in Embarrassment, she fastened to
add: THAT is, you didn't startle me,
and I'm glad to meet you again. But
are you sure you know who 1 amp
You? Why, you're Madge Ingram.
Pardon me-Miss Ingram
'eNo-let's be Madge and Tom before
we begin to be formal" said she, ex-
| tending her hand. You used to help
me with my lessons, but you wouldn't
talk to me. Won't you make up for
lost time now by telling me of the in
teresting things you've been doing?"
May not tell you what 1 wanted to
tell you years ago, but hadn't the
| courage?" His gray eyes were eager
and his strong hand still held hers.
May 1 not tell you that it was you
who first aroused in me a desire to
do things? Some of the girls at
school made mouths because they had
to stand beside me in class, but you
never did. Those girls, later, looked
over my head when they saw me driv-
ing delivery wagon, bat you spoke to
me even then. And may tell you that
1 went away determined to achieve
something that would make me worthy
of even more than your friendly
greetings? 1 worked away for a year,
and then 1 heard you were going to
marry Jim Butler"
He turned away and dropped her
hand. In a different tone, he re-
sumed a moment later.
Il never opened another issue of
the little old Plainville paper for fear
I'd find the account of your wedding.
IL worked my way through the state