The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-01
EVENING STORY
The Lure of NIoca.
(By Osborne Jones.)

! the most confirmed OLD DacnelOf. OH
| the score of his ld-bachelorhood-
| tho he was not past redemption at
! forty-they excused various little
| quips and quirks in his disposition
| Not only was Professor Gray the head
of the Greek department of the coll
| lege but, as son of one of the leading
| benefactors of the college, he was one
| of the trustees as we'll 1t was as a
| trustee that his objection on general
| principals to domestic science and
| arts, as part of a college curriculum
| had thus far successfully blocked the
building of the new domestic science
extension. The money had been
raised for the building but because the
site was part of the original Gray
bequest. Professor Gray's objection
made progress on the building impos-
! Slble.
| No wonder, then, that Joan Pres
colt, the attractive young head of such
! household art department as there
| was at Morton, was filled with a SEN
| timent toward Professor Gray that
| was as near to that of hatred as any
| that had ever entered into her spa
clouS heart. Like most household arts
| instructors, Jean Prescott carried into
her classes and laboratory an air of
rare geniallty. Professor Gray seldom
| carried much geniality into his Greek
! classes and perhaps that was the
fault of his boarding house keeper.
for Gray had got to the point where
| having tasteless coffee and cold fried
eggs tor breakfast was getting on his
! nerves.
If he took real satisfaction in any
| thing, however, it was that so far the
department of domestic science had
been limited to Jean Prescott and that
she had but two rooms-one for a
lecture room and another for a
| laboratory" merely a glorified kitch-
en-" Jean told her students-in a
reimbursement section of one of the
college buildings.
One day Professor Gray was correct
ing test papers in his private office
beside an open window that let in
| flood of sunshiny air that warmed
rather than chilled, the room. At
first he shifted subconsciously and
then he dropped his fountain pen on
! his desk, laid down the test book and
| shifted definitely. His thoughts took
! the form Of MY but that smells like
good coffee" He tried to go back to
work when something that smelled
IKE the crisp Drowned edges of corn
| cakes baked to a turn-an aroma red
| olent with recollections of his youth
and cheerful thoughts of a southern
mammy-tempted him again. He
took in long draughts of the fragrance
and then, rising, followed it to the
window whence it entered his room
He looked down as if expecting to see
a table set with coffee and corn cake
In the court below, but he saw nothing
save the wall of the building and
numerous windows.
After that Gray made it a point to
linger in his office every afternoon at
about that time and he never failed to
leave the window open even when the
air became chill. Sometimes there
came the fragrance of broiIing bacon.
sometimes the luscious odor of boil
ing sugar and chocolate Once il Vas
mingled fragrance of beef and onions
and carrots that spelled in his mind
the Kind of stew the old southern
| nanny used to make
Then one dav when the smell hAd
proved too tantalizing Pro lessor Gray
walked stealthiIy down stairs to the
semi basement section of the building
and, following the luscious flavors that
now positively smote him with their
| Viyidness, he came upon an open door
from whence issued the sounds of
| feminine voices and the occasional
| clatter of tins and crockery. It was
Jean Prescott's domestic science lab
oratory and a laboratory session was
in progress. Afraid of being observed.
he walked slowly away and, as he
walked thru the end of the corridor.
| his eyes caught sight of a little card
| tackled up on bulletin board.
For sale for the benefit of the Red
Cross" read the sign. Products of
| the cookery laboratory will be on sale
| in Miss Prescott's office from 5 to 5:15
every afternoon"
Professor Gray made an excuse to
himself to remain in his office until
late that afternoon and at lust 4:59
| he slipped down to Miss Prescott's Of
flee and, with mumbled sort of re-
| mark about wanting to help the Red
| Cross. he spent a dollar on dainties
| that had been made under jeans
careful direction 1t was then that he
! first really looked into the new in
| structor's face and he admitted to
himself that there was more of good,
| cheer and vivacity in it than in the
| faces of the other women instructors.
perhaps cookery has a better effect
on women" he reflected, than cal
culus or quadratics or the Had or the
| Odyssey"
Then one day Jean and her first
| class In cookery gave a luncheon for
| certain chosen members of the faculty
| and, strangely enough, Jean had the
| temerity to invite as guest of honor the
| man who was the most confirmed old
| bachelor in the faculty. He did es-
peeial honor to the feast and went
/ away wondering why it would not be
feasible for some person OF wealth to
endow a special domestic science
school for beardinghouse keepers.
with a scholarship for his own remiss
/ landlady.
That evening. instead of DOMINIC his
dressing gown and reading in the aura
of his student lamp. or sallying forth
| to to play chess with some bachelor
| crony of his he took a half our add.
| ing fine points to his toilet and sal
! lied forth in the direction of the girls
! dornitory. Could II be that he went
to see Jean Prescott who made her
! home there2
The next day Professor Gray went
to his safe deposit to take out of their
dark hiding place some fine old gems
of his mothers and later he was seen
in the inner office of one of the lead
ing jewelers.. On his way back to his
boarding house he stopped before sew
eraI furniture store windows and actu
| to price replica of an old mahogany
dining room set he had seen displayed.
He stopped at A florist shop when
he neared home and ordered some
! orchids, though In his confusion at
doing ANYTHING so unusual for him. he