The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-09
EVENING STORY
sophie Adyertises.
(By Mary Willis Miller.


tention to her for that. Her father
was a retired farmer, and she was
the only child of a second marriage,
born when her father and mother
We're both advanced in life. They
lived in little Kentucky town, and
were the kind you call good, substan-
tial people, but never invited any
place.
She did not play with other children.
and she went to school just to study.
Every Sunday she went to Sunday
school, and by the time she was in
high school she was playing the organ.
She had no musical talent, but she was
conscientious, and she had nothing to
do but practice.
A little Kentucky town is the incest
place in the world to live when you
are between 16 and 20. There are
| dances and moonlight picnics at the
springs, and parties and lots of Wis
itors, but Sophie merely heard of
these. And a little town has nothing
to make up for merely hearing.
Sophie was not even invited to the
big teas at which nearly every one
was included. 1t was not that she was
Intentionally left out, but no one ever
thought about her.
She didn't really want to go to the
parties, but she did want to be in
vfted. But Sophie kept on practicing.
A few times she went to the picture
| show with girl who lived next door
would not let her see. He would meet
them, and walk home with them.
They both ignored Sophie, but she
rather enjoyed it anyhow. In time
that diversion ended, and the girl for
got about her
After she was graduated from high
school, she went to the Cincinnati
conservatory for the summer term.
Then she came home to teach music
and because she played the organ at
| church she got some pupils from
i that congregation. Most of them
| looked upon her as inanimate as the
| piano they banged upon by the clock
Sophie herself neither liked nor dis
liked teaching. 1t simply took the
place of some of the practicing.
The year she was 90. her father
and mother both died. For six
months she lived alone, with no one
but the old colored cook to be near
! her. What Sophie was thinking dur
| ing those six months-or for that
matter what she had been thinking
! those twenty-nine years-no one ever
considered. But at the end of the six
| months Sophie appeared in new
| spring suit z Now there is nothing
| startling in a new spring suit but
this was very early in the spring
when only few of the girls had new
suits and. besides, this was the first
suit that Sophie had ever had that
/
| extreme suit, and it was dark blue
but it had a big white collar and
style was written all over it. Also
| Sophie had her hair curled. and new
hat-and it wasn't a little inconspic-
uous hat, either.
A few days later, she again wore
the suit, and this time she was
wearing huge corsage of Ward
roses and violets. And every one saw
/ Sophie.
Curiosity plays big part in our
social relations. People who had
barely spoken to Sophie now began
/ to talk to her. And about her they
talked even more.
Letters came to her, always by
special delivery. The postmistress
told this. Yes, a mans writing, and
the letterheads of a Louisville pa
per A box of candy came from
Louisville that week, too.
| They knew about the letters Sophie
received, but it was just as we'll that
they didn't know about the ones she
sent. Several weeks before she had
written the first. and hardest one 1t
twas TO the advertising manager of the
Louisville paper, and she sent it be-
lfcSuSe she had read some Talks on
Advertising" The talk said that you
could get anything you wanted if you
advertise. 1t was most convincing
Sophie read it several times. and each
she ever would get what she wanted
was thru advertising. Only she wasn't
sure how to do it. so she wrote to the
advertising manager
Dear Sir: 1 have read your Talks
on Advertising, and l want you to
help me. 1 want a man, cookbook
ling. we'll educated to come to EN-
field to see me- am % years of age
and neither pretty nor attractive or
wouldn't have to advertise There is
no Object matrimony' to it, for l hon
estly don't want to marry. | do want
to be rushed, sent candy and flowers
and all the rest of it, even if | have
to pay for it all.
Il have lived here in Enfield all
my life. and no one has ever noticed
me. If they do at all they simply
feel sorry for me. What | want is to
make them think that some one is in
terested in me. And he must be a
man they will notice and wonder what
he sees in me. 1 will pay all expenses
and whatever salary seems fair. II
will not be easy for the man, for
am not at all interesting
Il prefer big man. with dark
hair. And a corsage of Ward roses
. and vio1ets and Sweetman's candy.
SOPHIE BROWN"
II The man who read the letter was
: interested, in spite. or perhaps be-
cause, of the frankness of Sophie's
statement liIdl Src was not at all In
teresting- He mad lived in little
: town himself, and he could see the
situation He was going to take his
: vacation in two weeks anyhow, and he
9 might as well go down to Enfield and
talk to the woman 1t would make &
. good story some day. In the mean
e time. he could try the Ward roses and
yiolets.
!, He was big, and his hair was dark
i While he didn't want the job he could
fendure 1T for day or so, and gel
some local color. So. two weeks later
he arrived in Enfield
II Sophie, in the new suit. curled hail
: and new corsage. met him o.
= course he knew her by the corsage
| and she wasn't at all like he expected