The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-07
The EDening Story
Robins and People.
(By Louise Oliver.)

quiringly Then she arose and smiled
pleasantly as the tall young man
handed her his requisition slip.
Most people smiled at Homer Brad
en-. His frank, courageous face and
brown eyes which looked so fearlessly
at the world were always paid back in
the coin they gave-a smile for
smile. Just now they looked with
open admiration at the pretty little
girl with the golden hair and blue
eyes, her youthfulness accumulated by
her navy blue frock with white collar
and cuffs.
81 am sorry, Mr. Braden," glancing
at the name on the slip, but you are
a minute too late. The last Scien-
tific American has just been given out
No. thank you. I will just look
over the want ads in the papers.
Where shall 1 find them, please?'
They are all on file at the long ta-
BILE to the right. L hope you will find
what you are looking for she added
hesitatingly. AS a rule she did not
converse with the patrons of the read
ing room, but somehow with this one
it was different. She felt an undefin-
ed sympathy and interest in him.
Thank you I hope so, too" and
with a pleasant nod he turned and
made his way through the maze of
chairs, tables and low lights of the
large room to the table indicated.
The next day he came again. This
time the desired periodical was in and
he seated himself at table beside the
desk of the pretty librarian. At the
end of half an hour, however, he could
have told more about a pair of won
derfu1 blue eyes and the wave of a GER
tain girls bright hair than about the
newest process of producing tantalum.
He returned the paper, but she
noticed that he again scanned the
INF ds'' before
After that he came every day, always
asking for some magazine of science,
and then anxiously scanning the adj
lvertisement pages of the daily papers
But of late he had hurried first to the
table with the papers.
Her interest in the man deepened
when the anxious look grew more in
tense. His face had grown thinner
and his linen frayed, although always
immaculate. Katharine found herself
worrying for him, watching his face
anxiously as he perused the columns,
evidently in vain.
One day he did not appear at the
usual hour and although Katharine
watched the green baize doors expect
antly all afternoon he did not come
When she went home she felt that the
day had ben incomplete and insuffer-
ably dull. 1T must be the spring
weather" she told herself, but it is
early in the year for one to feel SO out
of sorts. L suppose a tonic is what L
need" with soft little sigh.
The next day the same-and the
next. A week went by and still the
stranger did MT come. Katharine
! resolutely turned her attention to the
! tonic and ceased wondering about the
| man-as much as possible. The effect
was not great success and her work
| dragged more heavily each day.
One Saturday, she left the library at
noon. It was her time for shopping
As she made her way through the
| throngs on the busy streets she watch
But whom am L seeking?" she asked
herself angrily and a slow, self-con-
scious flush dyed her cheeks
| The day was warm and bright, the
| sky blue. and in the atmosphere was
a soft. mysterious something which
| tells of coming summer. Katharine
| took deep breath of the delicious
air, and a desire to see more of the
miracles of spring seized her. She
| decided to walk home, since it was
| not far and most of the way was
| through the park.
AS she came to the lake, a fussing
and chattering among the birds
| brought her to a standstill beside a
| bed Of opening tulips. She watched
an unfair fight between dozen SPAR
rows and two huge redbreasts with
blazing eyes. The robins finally flew
for protection to the top branches of
a red budding maple and the spar
rows confiscated the few wisps- of
straw they had left on the ground.
1.-THE little beasts!" she cried indig-
| dignantly. isn't there any place for
decent birds or decent people in this
| cruel world ?" She stamped her foot
furiously. The action loosened a bun
die from its nest in her arms and it
path behind her stepped forward
quickly to restore it and Katharine
looked into the pleased face of Homer
Braden.
This seems to be my lucky day,
Miss Lang" he said, with a smile in
which the joy was unmistakable She
wondered how he knew her name.
rs ornithology your hobby, or, like
myself. do you feel like constituting
yourself a society for the prevention
of cruelty to robins? I saw the little
drama from afar, although 1 did not
dream it would bring so much happi-
ness to me. I missed you at the
library today"
You were there" she asked in
surprise.
Yes. I wanted to tell you of my
good fortune. I presumed enough
on our short acquaintance to hope you
might be interested
"Oh, yes, indeed. We have missed
you so much in the reading room
lately. Where have you kept your
self? We were afraid you were i'll. u
'We?"
The rose tint in her cheeks deep
ened, but she laughed. well, 1 sup
pose I shall have to confess that is the
editorial we. 1 might have said T. -
'It is pleasant to be missed. And
as turn about is fair play 1 will owr
up that 1 was keenly disappointed al
} not being able to go. 1 have beer
very busy"
katherine noticed the change in his
appearance. His old clothes had beer
, replaced by new, and the transfer
. nation was miraculous. A certain con
fidence. too, had returned in his man
ner. His next words explained the
reason for both:
Il did not tell you about my inven-
ton before. 1 will tell you just 2 lit
tie now and save the particulars fol
later on, if you don't mind. 1 have
something more interesting to tell yoJ
first. 1 had given up all hope of sue
cess till today when I received &
check from the manufacturing con.