The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-07-22
The Euening Story

(By Napoleon S. Zarick.)
NF;-S Carroap walked down L


avenue, she held her skirts above ner
dainty patent feathers, and her head.
with its jaunty hat, was held hlgher
still, the color flaming high, too, In
her round cheeks and showing on
charmingly against the background of
her chinchilla collar-which in itself
was a marvel of height and elegance
as well. The rustic of her skirts and
the defiant, nodding plumes empha-
sized the annoyance in her voice
Il shall resign from the club
that's all-and, what's more, III re-
sign from every club l belong to- A
woman's club-huhi A cats club
would be better name! Nothing on
earth would induce me to stay an
other day in the hateful thing, and
and ink to do it with. Every one of
them is in league to see the whole
| thing fail because I've put my very
heart and soul in it to make it go.
Well, they'll be in a pretty mess when
I give it all up! There's not another
one who'd have worked as hard as I
have, and the club will all go to pieces
| if this entertainment doesn't go
through. l don't care-Pd be too glad
for anything!"
| She had overtaken a boy of seven
or eight, a dirty little boy, with muddy
shoes and worsted cap. Miss Car
| mans anger could not efface her in
| terest in youngsters, and especially in
| a boy who scuffed his feet so attrac-
| lively and who could balance curved
stick so cleverly when he was not rat
| Ting it against the fences he passed.
He was walking in a 1eisurely way
that indicated ease of mind and
| plenty of time to get home before din
ner. AS she neared him, the stick
wavered and fell back, but was quick
ly caught.
81 thought it was going to hit me-"
1eI,
sistible desire to talk to this sturdy
little fellow took possession of her.
The more she thought of those club
women, the better she liked this boy.
He glanced at her, and smiled
shyly. Although her elegance dis
| mayed him, he recognized a promise
of comradeship.
| II know what that stick makes me
think off, she said. half to herself as
she passed him. This was a subtle
| move and worked admirably.
t'What?" he asked, running a little
SO to catch up.
She exerted herself to hold the little
fellows interest. 1t was soothing to
feel that somebody appreciated her
efforts. even If it was only little boy.
why" she said, looking ahead and
speaking gravely-she had learned
that to look a new child acquaintance
straight in the eye was to embarrass
him-"why, it makes me think of a
bow, an Indians bow, you know, that
he strings up and shoots arrows with"
1T makes me think of one tool"
exclaimed the boy.
| She slowed a little, but impercepti-
, bly-so as not to seem to be accom-
, modating him.
Only she went on, giving a swift
glance at the stick and its owner at
is sawed in a curve; it isn't a real rod
, bent to that shape. I don't believe
could string it UP and use it for kill
! ing people"
, IT could" he asserted. I'm strong
Me an the boys go in the woods some
, times an chop down trees One boy
! chops on one side, an another OF
tother. Then we carry it off on chop
, it up, an sometimes we make bows
; an play Indian. Once 1 went to the
country
Indeed" said Miss Carman in milo
: surprise, and she smiled down on him
sympathetically.
The boy smiled back and showed g
d, gap in his front teeth, with the prom.
Use of further incisors cleaning from
his pink gum.
Yes, an 1 rode the pig, an he
| threw me off in the pond, an the
t ducks all flew up all over me- an'-an
- In his excitement he met hel
4 eyes again, and a sudden restraint fel
o on him. She felt that she had mad,
a mistake to look at him then, SO sh,
said quietly:
the zoo here" Then she gazed lont
and earnestly across the street. to Civ,
!. | him time to recover.
II Yes, l have" he declared after
II pause and then he fell behind a little
II rafting his stick again on an irol
II fence.
II "Say, I went there once" he Gale.
as the distance between them widened
n She didn't turn. Should he let tina
lady go, thinking him such a bah,
no hn ho In to
He ran up to her side. She knew
children. She was sure he woult
: come. 81 say I have been there"
l. Oh she answered.
Q Yes, me an the boys went one day
o There was a great big grounding, a
long as from here to that fence'-th
r distance was about twenty feet-"ar
! they had to put concrete under tn
dirt to keep him from gnawring out
But. say, he gnawred through every
a lot of boys an have EN- treat yo
mean all day?"
e "No''-Miss Carman did not smile
n but Two been with grown-up folk
who did,
g. well, me an the boys had fight
1t all day. They wanted to pitch me in
to the mud all the time
ID Just like thoae grown-ups." sal
- Miss Carmen
-" The boy looked at her for a me
ment in incredulous surprise. 1t wa
r too deep a problem. He gave it u
81 and went on:
'An I said if they didn't stop I'd g
home an break up the whole gan
Here he gave her look to see if sh
had been paralyzed at his firmnes
IN Her mouth was tightly set
We'll, that's just what 1 said"
a. well. I bet you didn't do
p though
- I'm just going home now to do it
she answered His incredu1itx daa,