The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-22
Bv BRINKERHOFF.

that day. 1t was on the last flight
that she turned ard looked back at
the man who had been following her
up the stairs. She dropped the loaf
of bread and he picked it up for her
Then. while he was still standing
holding it for her, she opened the
door of the apartment and stood TO
take it from him.
There was a look of momentary
surprise in the face of the man which
was explained to Sister Bells salts
faction when he said: so you are
Ben's sister I have seen your picture
in his room. He's a great boy and
l have been big-brothering him
around a little" At this Sister Bell
shifted some of her parcels. held a
We're friends. I've been fixing up
his place" she said. Since the poor
lad has to live in such close quar-
tiers I might well have it coy.
Perhaps you viii come in sometime
this evening and tell me whether II
is progressing to suit a bachelor"
The newcomer promised and fumbled
in his pocket. then turn and went
downstairs with the excuse of having
mislaid his key and needing to get
a duplicate from the janitor.
That evening as Sister Bell sat TAX
ing deft stitches in the yellow silk
shade Martin Stowe kept his promise
and made his visit of inspection. If
he had tried to hide his enthusiasm
over the effect Sister Bell had pro-
duced he could not have done so.
It's great to have sister like
that" he said. and the sister said:
Il never dreamed Benson had such
an absence Of taste. How he could
have lived in this hole without one
attempt at beauty or decoration 1 can
not see" Manlike. Mr.. Stove tried
, to defend the brother. He has very
little time after work. He has been
4 here only a short time and it's a
cherries thing for man to think of
home without a woman to share
it"
Every evening and sometimes in
the morning besides Mr. Stowe made
an excuse to come and see how the
work progressed. Sometimes it was
also to borrow one of Benson's books,
I sometimes even to get something out
/ of his trunk that he had left in Ben
sons dining room. and as the dining
room shaped itself with inexpensive,
/ but effective furniture he took the
/ trunk back into his own narrow back
apartment-a mere bedroom with
/ bath. 1t was his within to live in
! { >mped quarters, he told Sister Bell.
( The day that Benson came home
! Mr.. Stowe met him at the station He
asked Sister Bell to go with him but
/ she said she would rather stay home
and have the kitchenette dinner ready
! for them on their return. A week had
passed since she had come and there
/ had been many changes. The small
! apartment had assumed all the grac e
and beauty that it had lacked before
and in the spending of each neces-
sary dollar Sister Bell had felt a thrill
/ of the love that was more like that of
a mother than that of a sister. In
/ that time Stowe had had time to tell
her that he had already admired her
before he met her. Her picture
| that he had seen in Benson's room
| had first told him something of her
and the days between had told him
the rest. Sister Bell had only hest
tated to tell him that she had found
as much to admire in him because
her thoughts We're so taken up with
the joy of completing her work for
Benson.
When Benson and Stowe returned
from the station the explanation was
not long in coming. OF course it
I hadn't been Benson's apartment at
/ all 1t was Stoves; and, of course.
/ Stowe should have told Sister Bell
/ to begin with. But manlike, he ha d
! not wanted to tell Benson's sister that
back apartment when the sister was
/ disappointed at the smallne-s of the
larger one in the front. When he
realized what Sister Bell was really
uOlllS ne ndOn wanted 10 OlSdppO1nl
her. He hoped somehow that by the
time Benson came back, he would be
able TO afford the larger apartment.
If not Stowe had made up his mind to
let him live there anyway if he would
allow the real owner to share the
living room.
Il was worried TO death about it,"
ne said, but 1 couldn't get my nerve
up to telling Sister Bell the truth
And then-apparently Stowe had
t. Id Benson how the land lay on the
way from the station-"then thought
perhaps Sister Bell might consent to