The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-15
EVENING STORY
The Strawberry Festival.
(By Earl Reed Silvers.)


various duties of her position by her
daughter, Margaret, who had eyes the
color of a ripened chestnut and lips
as red as the crimson roses which
grew in profusion over the rambling
front porch. Margaret was pretty
an Irish girl as could be found in a
days journey, and whenever her eyes
met those of Walter Blake she became
even prettier.
Walter had come to Fernda1e in the
early summer, and there he had met
another Margaret, a Miss Fischer,
whose home was in New York. She
wore her carefully prepared vacation
clothes with a mark of distinction. She
powdered her nose with a puff which |
| she carried in her handkerchief and |
| Redeemed her lips by the aid of a
magic stick which the country girl had
| once seen on the top of the dresser in
| her room. Her conversation was
| savored with a touch of careless slang.
| She had admirers by the score, and
] Walter Blake was one of them. Dur
ing the first part of his visit, he had
| followed her around much in the man
ner of faithful collie who will not
be driven back when his master wants
to go somewhere without him.
But one night he had disconsolate1y
| watched her drive over the hills with
Edgar Nolan, and, turning, had found
Margaret McConaughty looking at him
with the hint of a twinkle in her eyes.
Seized by a sudden impulse, he had
asked her to drive with him, and they
had gone together to the movies in
Liberty. On the way, they had passed
Margaret Fischer and her companion.
The city girl had looked with amaze
ment at her country rival, but when
the other had passed out of sight she
had drawn forth her powder puff to
tap her nose gently, for she had noted
the healthy color of Miss Nc
Conaughty's cheeks. The boy had
frankly enjoyed himself that night,
while as for Margaret it became the
event by which all other incidents of
the summer were measured.
After that they saw each other fire.
tquently, but one night when Walter
!; had asked her to go with him to a
> barn dance in one of the neighboring
= hotels she had been forced to refuse
because of the stern necessity of help
ing her mother with the supper dishes.
1 And he had been inclined to argue.
Il don't believe you want to co. he
: had said
Three days had passed since then
and Blake had paid little attention tc
his country friend He was contin-
ually in the company of her rival
however, and seemed to be perfectly
: satisfied to listen to trivial talk OF
!, Broadway. Mary Pickford and Muir
: rays. All of which. with the excep.
ton of Mary Pickford, was a mys
2 terry to Margaret.
y | On Saturday evening, however ar
l. hour before the strawberry festiva
= was scheduled to be held in the vii.
:, lage church, Walter found Margare
= McConaughty sitting on the bacl
porch hulling berries.
Are you going to the festival to-
! night?" he asked
81 Margaret smiled whimsicalIy
81 I'm going to have a little festiva
all of my own she answered "Ther,
are fifteen boxes to be hulled befor,
1 go to bed tonight"
N, "Oh, you don't have to do that, d,
your
Is Mother says So
o But doesn't she know that Vol
IL might want to go to the church,"
Yes, she knows that 1 might wan
a to-" Margaret's brown eyes twinkled
but she also knows that these berrie
y must be fixed tonight"
d "Oh, let them CO." Walter spok
carelessly. We'll get up early in tn
n morning. and I'll help you.'
l. How early?" She looked at hin
with amusement.
About seven o'clock. We can d,
1t them easily before breakfast"
ID Il guess you don't understand coun
try people. I'm down stairs befor
six every morning
se What Before six ?"
-
% sighed Il guess my strawberry fes
tival will be a lonely one. after ALL"
N But can't you just sneak away ant
not do them?" He did not under
stand that Mrs. McConaughty was &C
is customed to be obeyed
But before she was given a chanc
lie to answer, another figure appeared a
the foot of the steps. 1t was Marga
l. ret Fischer.
9, "Oh, hello, walter," She spok
in with apparent surprise, just as if sh
had not known that her most faithful
a follower had been talking to Miss Nc
Is Conaughty for the past ten minutes
lie wed better start for the festiva
sooh.'
1t IT don't know whether I'll go o
e not" For some reason or other, h
er did not seem especially pleased at tn
ID interruption.
n .'Oh, come on; I've saved d place 70
you beside me in the wagon Sh
to seized his hand playfully, and led hin
lie off, half reluctantly.
w Margaret McConaughty watche
t. them 60
to There's quite lot of drawbacks t
e. being the daughter of a boarding
10 house keeper she unused. but, a
u least, / haven't got paint on m
cheeks"
ir She attacked the berries briskly
ir From the front of the house cam
sounds of merry laughter. A farr
N wagon, loaded with hay. drew UP a
N the door.
Hell be sitting there in the darl
a with her. Margaret said to herself
I'd And then he can't see the paint an
powder on her face She'll be a
e. dressed up IN her Broadway toys, an
lie he won't give a thought to me sittin
here hulling berries. / hate tn
IN things" She took a red and rosy on
ut from the box and threw it vehement
into the darkness at the rear of tn
i house It struck something with
soft thud. -
so please don't fire at me-" a yoic
u pleaded.
e. Her heart jumped as Walter Blak
w lappeared at the foot of the steps,
IT didn't know you were there 2" JL