The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-04
The Euening Story
The Port of Shelter.

kinder fancy, am I II, lOr a girl IN
her position?'
What do you call her position,
Aunt PolIy?"
well, sort of dependent. She's just
getting over the fever and it'll take
quite a spell for her to get her
strength back so she can do any work.
Esther understands that. She won't
be a mite of good to me for weeks.
Still, it's only March. Maybe by the
end of June she'll be all right. 1
want her to help with the summer
boarders. She's been assistant librar-
ian. but that's too combining for her
now, and anyway they won't take her
back 1 guess she won't be in the
way"
Ben laughed. lounging in the door
way with the Gordon setter nosing at
his hand.
You'd tuck any one under your
wing, wouldn't you, Aunt Polly. if he
needed it? Old Brookside farm is a
regular Port of Shelter in time of
trouble
Aunt Polly's latest Waif of chance.
Loving and motherly by nature. with
no child of her own to pet and tend.
she always seemed to be giving out
help to some one.
Her sister Esther had written to her
about Myrtis hampton. She had been
brought up in one of the church
homes at Wakefield, the orphaned
daughter of a schoolmate of Esther's.
When she was eighteen. Esther had
found her a position at the town Ii
prary and had kept an eye on her, as
she said, until the girl had come down
in the winter with typhoid fever.
And 1 do feel it was my fault let
ting her board in one of those cheap
little houses near the river flats"
wrote Esther to Brookside. 81 could
have taken her in here with us Just
as wen as not, but you know how fussy
Andrew is, so I let her go. But just
as soon as she's able to be about
want to send her out to the farm to
you, Polly. She needs loving and
chirking up. that's ALL"
Ben agreed heartily when he saw
the lone figure get off the Providence
train and come toward him. White
faced she was. with big blue eyes, and
he knew by the way she got into the
carriage she was still weak and shaky.
Through the long GUNNER days she
lay out under the NAPLES in the ham
mock getting stronger slowly. Miss
Calder would sit near in one of the
rustic rockers, reading or sewing. sing
ing softly to herself. and ready with
a smile when Myrtis wakened.
Pm so useless. Aunt Polly" she
said one day. I'm no more good to
you than a weed"
Some weeds have turned out heal
ing herbs, dearie," answered Aunt
Polly happily. Just you rest and sleep
and stop worrying"
Late in the afternoon on Sunday,
Ben would go into the parlor alone
and play on his violin. Maybe he was
totally unconscious of the figure out
in the hammock, but if he was he
surely made good hit-Or- miss guesses
what to play. Not new songs, but old,
r,
memories. Myrtis could remember
how her mother had sung some of
them, ''Aileen Aroon," 1.-The Low
Backed Car" robin Adair," "Loch
Lomond." and ALLAN Water
II just dread to think of going
day in early August. The latter looked
at her over the tops of her glasses
well, I shouldn't, if 1 was you,
Myrtis,'' she responded pleasantly
why don't you take the school ex-
animation over here at the crossroads
and teach there. It's twelve a week,
and you could board here if you
liked"
DO yoL think I'd pass?" she asked
eagerly.
"Of course you would, child. 1
taught there myself years ago when
1 was a girl. You don't need Normal
out here to teach. I'll write to the
school board tomorrow, and you bet
ter let me drive you over there and
face it. I'll coach you up on it"
Ben said nothing when he heard of
the plan, but he smiled across the
table at Myrtis, and she colored deli
cately.
when the. weather's rough, this
winter Ben can drive over with you
said Aunt Polly happily, so busy serv-
ing dinner she never noticed what was
happening right under her nose. Like
| enough you won't be a bit lonesome
out here. Would you rather go back
to Esther and do library work."
oh, I'd much rather be here with
you" Myrtis exclaimed. IT'S home
now"
We'll, just stay. then, child. We
love to have you. Don't we, Ben ?"
Certainly do" said Ben Seems
as if you belonged here now. Aunt
Polly took me when I was a little sha-
yer after my folks died and brought
me up, and I know how I love the
place.
The letter came the following week
notifying the new teacher of her ap-
pointment, and Aunt Polly was, if
anything, more enthusiastic than
house singing, and Myrtis stole down
to the walk by the brook in the pine
glen just to think how wonderful life
mad turned out for her. 1t was so
good just to be wanted and loved after
one had been a waif on the waves of
| chance and circumstance. Now she
would stay on at Brookside, working
and doing her part, too, with no fear
of the long winter facing her.
The hemlock branches cracked on
the slope above where she sat Ben
called hello to her.
Have you seen the black calf any
where?''
Not down here
I've been hunting it for an hour"