The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-13
The Euening Story
Mixed Tweeds and Madge.
(Rv Catharine Cranmer.

| Madge would have chosen the sea-
shore rather than the mountains, but
the doctor said it must be the noun
tains for her mother. So that settled
| it and her father engaged a mountain
furnished cottage.
Madge was soon quite as absorbed
in getting tweeds ard khakis and soft
| shirtwaists as she would have been in
ge1ting an entirely different wardrobe
had the seashore been her summer
| destination. She wanted tweed hat
to match her suit, but her tailor as
/ cured her that not scrap of the ma
te1ial could be had from across the
water for many and many moon, If
| ever. A day or two before her depart
ure she made tour of the mems hat
departments in the big stores, and was
/ delighted to find in one of them a
| number. of mems brown tweed hats.
They were scattered over the counter
where they had been placed for the
| inspection of a customer, a tall man
who walked away as Madge ap-
! preached.
| ION, have you got this in a small
size?" eagerly asked Madge, as she
held up, brown hat that would har-
monte beautifully with her suit.
Yes, miss, all sizes" The smiling
! clerk produced smaller size. Just
sold one of these to a gentleman who
says he looked all about town without
finding such q good value" Madge
was inspecting the Eat. with little re-
| gard for the testimonial of the de-
| parting customer. but with intense sat-
| iSfaction that It was the color and size
| she wanted. Leaving orders to have it
sent out home, she hurried on to COM
plete her mornings shopping.
| Her last purchase she made in the
trunk department located in the base
/ 90 hi !, -
| of luncheon, Madge glanced at her
wrist watch and was amazed to find
| that it was already forty minutes of
| the hour she was to meet her mother
| at the dreSSmaker'S That left scant
time for luncheon and a twenty-min-
ute car ride, so she stepped over to
the store lunch counter nearby and or
dered coffee and sandwiches as if she
were as thoroughly accustomed to it
as girls who lunched there daily. On
/ her right, two girls were talking shop
| business and scattering personalities
| freely.
My boss is like somebody crazy to-
day. said one, between bits of her
cheese sandwich. First he telegraphs
an order for a lot of camping stuff,
then he cancels it with another tele-
gram, and just as I'm dropping the
confirming letter in the box he ups
and reinstates the ORDER
Must be in love-" suggested her
companion.
John Marchmont in love? Not
much" said the other, assuredly
| Hes in rage cause up in the noun
tains where his cottage used to be the
only one for miles, some gink has built
some brand new cottages and rented
them furnished. 1 heard him tell
some fellow that he supposed each
family would have so many children
or dogs or marriageable daughters
that his bachelor quiet would be lost
in the shuttle" Reaching for her pie
| and showing her sandwich plate aside
| the girl added: But I should worry
for he's SO determined to beat the
others to 1t that he's going two weeks
earlier than usual and I'll have things
easy when he's away"
Inc two girls hastily swallowed the
| last OF their luncheon and were gone
| by the time Madge's was served Their
mention of mountain cottages had set
her to wondering what sort of neigh
| bors would fall to her lot, but during
the next two days the packing and
| checking and telephoning kept her
so busy that she thought of nothing
! else than reaching her train with her
self and her mother and her belong
ings intact. She sank into the car
seat with sigh of profound relief
As she thought that after that day she
, would De free to rest or to roam the
Mills, to search for wild flowers or to
fish for trout as the mood suited
The first t'y at their eattage she and
her mother were content to sit quietly
on the porch and survey the~a ills and
valleys and cloud-capped mountains
but the second morning Madge eager
iy announced her intention to take g
long tramp. A little later she came tC
her mother, who was still at the
breakfast table, with a look of intense
/ disappointme
"Oh, mother, just look." she ex
claimed, holding at arms length
brown tweed nat They've sent ms
a hat big enough for old King Cole
1t was delivered after 1 began pack
ing and I stuck it in my trunk with
out opening the package. I know i
isn't the one I tried on" With a las
ruefu1 look at it, Madge tossed the ha
across the room to the window seat
But, dearie," said her mother
cheerfully, IF you're sure you tried
on a smaller one, send this back anc
exchange it. If you'll hurry you car
get it in this mornings mail. for Sandy
says the rural carrier gets to our boz
about 10 o'clock.
Madge wrote a hurried note to the
department store and made the hal
into rather awkward bundle Their
she hurried down the winding road
toward the row of mail boxes on the
main roadway, half a mile distant
When there remained at least one.
fourth of the distance to cover. Madgs
saw the little covered mail cart with
its two jogging sorrel ponies stead
lily approaching the boxes. She start.
ed to run and a moment later she
heard somebody else running behinc
her.
Il Looking over her shoulder she saw
tall man descending the road toward