The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-16

happy and contented because here I
can have the kind of surroundings 1
Observation-Disclosures, sunlight, indivi-
duality and repose."
Sometimes Martha invited one or
another of her women friends to
spend the day or the morning or an
afternoon, but on this occasion, when
she. had planned to do some sewing,
she was alone. In spite of the fact
that it was Saturday, when Toms Of
flee closed in the afternoon, she felt
no need FOR a hasty return. 1t was an
assured fact that he would not go
home till time for dinner at night.
More and more Tom had taken to
spending his leisure time away from
the old home.
At two o'clock she thought first of
luncheon and, altho she was to be
alone, she opened a gate-leg table be-
fore the open fire, spread a lunch
cloth over it and arranged her tempt
| ing luncheon of toasted bread and
| cheese, hot chocolate and late autumn
fruit In spite of the cheerfulness and
| beauty of the simple surroundings.
Martha felt lonely and more than once
she felt that she mad spoken inconsid-
erately. She almost wanted to
apologize to Tom for having emphas-
| lied the fact of their uncongenia1ity.
Then it was that she heard Toms
| knock at the door, for Tom it proved
| to be-Tom who had gone out for a
country tramp and had stopped on
| the pretext of getting a drink of wa
| ter.
IT think I felt that there was some
thing suspicious about this cottage"
he told her after Martha's hurried,
half apologize, confused explana-
tions. I've passed this dovecot sew
eral times and somehow it fitted so
| thoroly into my own ideas of happi-
ness and comfort that L decided I'd
become acquainted with the owner.
Then today I could no longer wait to
know, and 1 trumped up that excuse
about wanting a drink of water
Meantime Martha had opened the
| little gate-legged table to aceommo-
date two and was spreading an extra
place for her unlimited guest.
"You see," Tom went on, I've
| taken a sort of dislike to that house of
| ours, with it's heavy vines and its hid
| eous red plush hangings. But-funny
thing always thought you liked
it just the way it was. 1 think per-
haps if 1 would have known all along
that it wasn't your ideal of home
! 1 would have felt better acquainted
with you. There wasn't any one else
in the world but you 1 could have
cared for and with you there was al
ways that barrier of red plush and
| the heavy vines So 1 rented a wing
of an old farmhouse up the road and,
manlike and fool that was, thought
I'd fix it up satisfactorily as a sort of
bachelor paradise, where could
! spend leisure time read1nS ana
smoking, alone or with my friends. of
course l didn't want any one to let
YOU know, because / thought it would
| offend you to know how L disliked the
atmosphere of the old place. So far L
have made a failure of my retreat. L
wanted it to look like-well, just
| about like this-books and fireplace
| and shaded lights and sunshine. But
how could a man alone make home
for himself? If I'd only known you
didn't care for the old things 1 might
have
Might have what" Martha came
to the rescue.
Might have suggested doing the
old house over and making a real
| home. What L really mean, Martha,
Is that I might have asked you long
| ago to be my wife. I've thought of it
a hundred times and even tried to tell
you, but always those red velvet
hangings ard the damp old vines that
keep the house so dark and cherries
seemed to come up between US. But
here-Martha won't you forgive me
for not understanding you before and
won't you make me happy always? ?"
Martha's expression was one of
archness mingled with newly awak-
ened sympathy and understanding.
| STILL she added, in spite of those
red plush barriers / think 1 have
been Just a little bit in love with you
for ever so long.'-tCopyright, 1916,
by the Mcclure Newspaper Syndi-
cate-f