The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-14

palm. When that was gone hope
would go with it. After that, what?
He was a brilliant talker, versa
tile, witty, and he seconded my eff
forts to avoid the personal, but as
time passed he became less assured
and the onus of it fell upon me- Re-
serve, dignity dressed in one ragged
garment that could not hide my ma
kedness. And L was afraid-afraid
when he left me, afraid when l was
with him. l had not the least desire
to know more of him-his name. his
status in another condition of life.
resented his tentative attempts to eX-
plain himself When we parted, if
fate should bring that about, 1 wanted
nothing so much as to forget Until
then I claimed the protection of the
impersonal.
1--WE had lost all trace of time when
the horizon. Such tiny little
smudge! But after a little it grew
clearer, bigger. He stood beside me,
his hand gripping my shoulder until
it hurt, looking at me, not at the
approaching steamer. At the time I
thought it was the horrible fear that
the steamer would not see our signal
that made him regard me SO strangely
Afterward l remembered his eyes and
knew. 1t was farewell. Not for an
instant had he doubted our rescue aft
er seeing the smoke against the dis
tant sky. He told me that three days
later as he held my hand in parting
But l could not forget my backward
glance at the thread of white twist
ing and fluttering from the broken
palm. 1t would not have outlasted
another wind.
I'D gradually put the pieces in
stock and then I'd start something
else. 1 planned it all IN my mind-it
would be a set of small flats or cot
tages-one for three rooms, one for
n civ
They wouldn't take up any more room
than the House Magnificent does.
Everything in those dovecotes-that
is what 1 would call would be
chosen because it, was inexpensive,
and everything would be marked
plainly. And the things would be
what even the highbrows would call
artistic. And I'd make a big brag
in the paper that l was going in for
inexpensive and artistic home fixings
"a sort of campaign to improve the
taste and homes Of the folk with
moderate incomes. I'd say that here
tofore only the rich could have artis-
tic interiors, but that you were put
ting beautiful things within the reach
of all. And l would have some one
there all the time to show people
how to stain their own chairs ard
make cushions and make their own
curtains if they wanted to be shown
And young men starting in life would
cOIIIH around with their girls when
they were first thinking of getting
married, and the farmers wives would
come, same as they do now, but they
would be tempted by the signs to
buy"
A quarter of an hour later, when
Jenny had finished describing her
scheme. Mr.. Bradson. detained her,
holding out his hand to her
suppose we make it s25 instead of
s12.'' he said Il am sure you can be
worth that to me. We can't afford to
have the Emporium people get Won
away from us, you know"
And so the dovecoteS were begun
and Jenny had charge of them and
daily demonstrated the possibilities of
inexpensive artistic home decorations
TO the hundreds of housewives who
visited them.
For weeks Bradson had been too
busy to feel anything but the sense
that business had been booming
booming as no other mercantile enter
prise in the city had doomed for many
a year
One day he fingered at the six-room
dovecote with Jenny
am so busy nowadays 1 can't get
home. It's long way to go, anyway
l was wondering if I could have one of
these dovecotes shut off from the 9TH
ers-and have it TO live in right hera
when I am SO busy. We would make
other dovecotes to make up for it
we need several more
i've been wondering that, too" A
blush peeped thru the funny little
freckles. Were you planning to live
here aIone?"
Never bit" came back from
Bradson, and two strong arms were
held out to Jenny.
rs that honest to goodness she
queried.
Every bit" he said And we'll be
a lot happier than we would ever be IN
house magnificent too"-(Copy-
right, 1917, by the Mcclure Newspaper