The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-13
EVENING STORY
A Different Man.
(By Sarah Holt-)


ice she discovered many phases or LIE |
of which she knew nothing.
One night she sat far into the night
reading a book called Greed and
Grind. This book had been the
means of causing many changes in
the factory management where girls
had been overworked in bad air and
unsafe surroundings. 1t made Lettie
feel that she must do something TO
help girls whose daily work held them
toms of Marshville Lad held her, so
she began to study their problems.
She went to lectures and open forum
discussions and even to court rooms
to hear trials. She felt warm SYM
pathy for the girls whose lives were
so starved, and it nettled her to think
that while those conditions had exist
ed for years she had played at life in
sleepy old Marshville.
With the enthusiasm of a new con-
vert she entered into the question
with more zeal than judgment One
afternoon, when an open meeting IN
I Union Square was over, she sat stun
after the crowd scattered and looked
about her In a dark blue suit and
tailored hat her neatness and fresh
ness were in strong contrast TO the
women who had conducted the meet
ing or their followers who had made
up the audience.
On a bench near her sat young
man Sf1e ndO seen at NEARLY Gil ouSi
meetings she had attended. He was
always in the crowd. but apparently
| not of it, and she had come to think
of him as the different man. He
was perhaps thirty, with dark eyes
and hair, and usually wore gray
clothes and a soft hat. He seemed
to study the audience rather than the
speakers, and achievement was indi-
Gated by his whole bearing.
/ Deep in speculation about the dill
ferent man, Lettie did not notice that
another sort of man had sat down on
the same bench with her. Her
| thoughts went back to Marshville,
where the aSters in her mothers gar
den would now be all abloom. She felt
it would be good to be at home again.
and walked away she felt that life in
Marshville would be banker than
ever now that she had seen him.
| She felt keen1y that she didn't fit
anywhere. She didn't want to go back
l ito Marshville to live, but she did not
Illogical problem she could solve. In
| her Impotence she unconscfously
stamped her foot and frowned. AS
she turned her eyes from the slowly
| departing figure of 1.-The different
man. she met the confidently familiar
smile of the man who had sat down
| beside her. He was a fat and florid
blond, dressed in a loud suit of brown
tweed.
Never mind, girlie,'' he said. with
leering smile. Hes gone, but I'm
| here, and wouldn't it be a fair bargain
to take me in his place 20
Lettie turned pale and. with her
chin in the air, quickly arose without
taking any apparent notice of the
speaker. She could not bear to think
OF her predfcament becoming known
| even to the children nearby who were
| noisily enjoying their roller skates She
started away in a fast walk and was
surprised to see that 1.-The different
man" had turned and was walking to-
ward her. She failed to see that
wobbiy beginner on roller skates was
close behind her. and the next mo-
ment her feet were knocked from un-
| der her and she landed on top of a
! frightened little girl. The fmperti-
| nent man took advantage of the con-
fusion to hurry away.
/ When Lettie was once more nm her
/ feet she started forward and almost
i bumped into 1.-The different man." She
/ was holding her right wrist as If in
pain and the whiteness of her face
| arrested the eyes of the man. who
hestitated as she passed on without
even glance at him. Then he sud
denly turned and overlook her.
/ I'm afraid you're hurt" he began.
MS dark face glowing with a confused
flush Wont you let me be of serv-
AS Lettie looked into his kind eyes
she did the very thing she didn't want
i to do-she let the tears that had been
burning her eyes roll down her now
i crimson cheeks.
THANK you,' she said simply
There's a drug store right over
mere where you can have this proper
ly bandaged," said the man, as he ex-
haps you'd rather see a physical n
first ?" His tone was SO matter-of-
fact that Lettie became quite COM
posed.
"oh, no: it isn't much of a sprain,
think; but 1 suppose it ought to be
bandaged."
AS they emerged from the drug
store little later. it seemed quite
natural for them to continue walking
together.
Did you get an overdose of local
were laughing little now.
Local color?' 1 don't under
stand
why, thought the man hest
tated and looked puzzled. you may
think 1 was presuning to think about
you at all. but I've supposed that you
went to an these queer meetings to
get local color for your stories, as 1
do
ooh. so that's what you do? I've
wondered and wondered who you
were,'' This unconscious admission
made the man smile, and he drew a
card from mis- pocket.
: "I suppose I should observe the for
rnaIities,'' he sail, handing the card 10
Lettie. She looked into his gray ewes
and they looked 50 fine and honest
; that she knew she was safe with their
owner.
.srH tell you what let's do" He
smiled assent TO her enthusiastic offer
and she continued: You give me
, your card and I'll give you mine, but
! we won't look at the names until We
get home, OF course, I've never done
anything to make my name Known
outside of Marshville, but I've an idea
that you've done big things until lots
of people who never saw you know
iyour name.'' Lettie looked at the