The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-10-17
EVENING STORY
Gregory Fuller, Model.
(BY OSBORNE Jones.l

,
all the way from the 6-year-old lassie,
who sat bolt upright, with her chubby
bare legs crossed tailor fashion under
her, as she laboriously piled the
stitches of a wash cloth with her rosy
fingers, down. or rather up, to Mrs
Van der Hayden, who looked as we who
have never seen a duchess at close
range imagine ducheSSeS of three
score and more all do look-portly
and naughty and serene. She was
knitting an aviator's helmet. All in
ALL there were twenty-four needles
clicking, and, save when some one
stopped to count stitches, there were
half as many tongues gently Wagglng-
No wonder, then, that the two I'M
attached males whom unkind fate had
condemned to abide in the one board
ing house in town preferred to smoke
their pipes and read their papers on
the wooden settle down by the gate of
the old house. Except for the fact
that they were doomed to share the
same bench in this .ostracism, there
was little in common between Gregory
Fuller and the other young man, who
sought to entertain and impress Greg
DRY with his social conquests in his
home town.
Still, when the young man went for
a weekend to that home town, pre-
sunably to score a few more triumphs,
Gregory felt doubly oppressed in his
how things stood between Gregory and
Margery Drake-the little 20-year-old
school teacher that sat up there in the
third chair from Mrs. Van der Hayden
and knitted sleeveless sweaters-you
might have wondered why he did not
seek some other place to spend his
Saturday afternoon than down there
on the hard wooden bench by the
fence, with only a magazine and
pipe to console him. Down there at
least he was unobserved, or drought
he was, and he could be sure that
son to feel jealousy, for, except for his
erstwhile companion who had gone
home for the weekend, Gregory was
about the only eligible male in the
community.
DO you know, I think there must
be something wrong with these di-
rections." 1t was the shrill treble of
Mrs Smith-the angular blond lady
with the bediamonded fingers who sat
next to Margery II have followed
them faithfully-bound off thirty-two
stitches for the head, knitted five
ribs, and then set on thirty two
stitches again, and will you look at the
size of the neck?"
Margery beside her compared her
own nearly completed sweater with
her neighbours Mine is just the same
size. 1 took it for granted that the
rules were right"
But 1 can't get it over my head
at ALL" exclaimed Mrs. Smith as she
seized Margery's sweater and tried to
pull it over erdblond pompadour.
"Of course you can't" reproved the
duchess, pausing as she counted
stitches ..'thenty-three, twenty-four,
twenty five-with your hair done over
rat of course your head is larger
than a man's.''-'
You don't suppose 1 do such
thing" gasped Mrs. Smith. Though
will admit that my hair is very thick
and that may take up more room.
But even if my hair is full, don't you
think mans ears are big and would
take the extra room in slipping it on?
| always think mems ears are very
big"
Il have noticed that Mr.. Smiths
are" agreed the duchess, still count
ing. qs
IF we could only try the sweater
on a real man." sighed Mrs Smith.
It's too bad my husband is a trav-
cling man. He's the only husband in
the house and he is away"
But there are other men," sug-
gested Mrs. Van der Hayden
Not Mr.. Fuller" gasped Margery
PLEASE don't let's ask him" She had
seen at least eight pairs of eyes cast
in the direction of the little wooden
bench and it's solitary occupant 1t
was too late and useless to protest
for the portly Mrs. Van der Hayden
had risen and beckoning with her large
angular hand, she called: Young
way" and then, feeling that her word
was law, she sank down into her chair
again; seventy eight, seventy-nine,
eighty" she counted on.
Gregory rose and came up the steps
to the porch and, as the twenty four
needless ceased to click and half as
many pairs of feminine eyes were lev
eled upon him, he felt the color rise
! in his cheeks and under his collar.
You are an average sized young
man, aren't you? H queried the Ouch
ess as if she We're asking a new gar
dener whether he would cut the grass.
We'll, then will you let these ladies
try their sweaters on you %
Then the fitting process began and
the only consolation that came to
: Gregory was the knowledge that Mar
gerry was blushing confusedly and be
cause he knew that the first sweater
that was tried on. him was made by
Margery's fair hands
yes, I think tfis ears stick out a
bit, too" commented Mrs. Van der
Hayden. but then 1 suppose the aver
age soldier might have the same de-
feet 1 remedied the trouble in my
boys-made them sleep in ear bon
nets when they were little Here
she tugged regardless of Gregory's
features and got the sweater over.
Then taking it off again-"and now
my Soou man will you wait minute
| till try this helmet on you. First, 1
must count the stitches to make sure
L haven't lost one"
Would you awfully mind taking
off your shoe" quiet little lady in
black piped up. I'm not at all sure
about the length of this sock"
Gregory was still obliging, and tried
Z on several pairs of socks and then a
pair of wristlets, and finally Mrs Van
der Hayden's helmet. while his dark
locks, usually lying as close to his
head as a ducks feathers to it's back.
were disheveled and touseIed, and he
was lfmping with one shoe off for
! the duchess had given him no time to
put his shoe back again
It's funny we never thought of
/ getting you to do this before" Mrs
smith said cheerfully. You have