The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-03

refused to have him replaced by an
other girl, because he had made up
his mind to tempt Norma back with
ton or twelve dollars a week Then
at directors meeting of a charity
in which the family had long been
interested he met the woman of
wealth who had trusted Norma. She
asked him about her and told him of
her admiration for the girl. The
next day Majors set out to find her.
He did not exactly hope then to
get her back his switchboard oper-
ator. He was more annoyed than
ever that day with the discomfortS
of coming downtown in the subway.
He was jealous of the club girls who
could induce Norma to make a lit
tie vine empowered home for them
within few minutes walk of their
work.
He found her finally in the house
behind the brown stone fronts
smuggling down behind high office
buildings and as lonely and peaceful
at nights when the office buildings
We're closed as cottage in the
suburbs. The trellises were already
put up and the growing vines gave
promise of what the little bower
would look like later on. Norma was
directing the work of plasterers and
paper hangers when Mr.. Majors
found her
Il don't know just what I have
come to ask YOU he said as he stud
/ y
a coarse. all-enveloping bingham
apron. Il thought at first that /
could tempt you back. But now that
1 see what you are doing here I have
another idea. This is a rafting idea
of yours-this making a little garden
cottage in the midst of the city.
wonder whether there aren't other
places that could be transformed"
Norma told him there were. Just
that morning. she said, real estate
| dealer. hearing of Norma's assistance
from the wel-known woman of
wealth, had tried to induce her to
property a block away. But the
work had been begun on the first
place and the lease was signed.
You could perhaps get that place
| for me. l am sick to death of sub
ways. A place like this could be made
IDEAL
Norma thought for moment eff
/ you would pay for the time I've spent
and the club a bonus, and assume all
| the indebtedness for this place you
for the girls with the bonus from you
| to help clear their initial debt"
So they struck a bargain.
/ In two weeks the work of finishing
Mr.. Ma5Ors's house, which had been
| sandwiched in evenly with the work
on the new clubhouse, had been COM
! pleted. Sometimes with Mr.. Majors to
| help her and sometimes alone Norma
ndu bought, now at quaint little sec
ond-hand stores, now al antique shops
of greater pretensions. here at an
auction and there at department
store. furniture that fitted in with
lines of the old house. For Norma
i had the innate eye of a decorator
and a home maker. She had been
too full of joy of the undertaking to
realize that Mr.. Majors was really
more interested in the girl who fur
nished the house than he was in the
house.
Then when the task was completed
and Norma led him thru the rooms
each one fitted out under his direc-
tions but according to Norma's taste
and judgment. they stood speechless.
Norma in sheer happiness over her
task completed. You see. I've had
lots of troubles" Majors was telling
her. "One was the voice at the end
of the telephone. I couldn't get you
back so l came to you. There was
the problem of the subway and you
| solved that for me. And there's still
sam Yong. OF course. he's good in his
way-but I want this place to be a
home and you're the only girl I ever
knew that could solve that problem
for me-
And SO terminated Norma's career
as a furnisher of houses down town,
! and so terminated also Mr. Majors
desire to induce Norma to come back
to be the voice at the other end of
the wire-(Copyright. 1917, by the
Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate)
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