The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-21
EVENING STORY
By Capture.
(By Martha McCulloch William

said to her gossip Sister Willy. There
were seven Sisters Brown in Pea RiUge
church, differentiated according to
husbands past or present. Sister 10
was u widow, with an only and be-
loved son, by way of makeweight to
houseful of daughters. Half the
girls had married, the others had en-
braced the policy of watchful wait
ing.
Octavius, son and brother, was SEN
SitiVe over their methOdS-SO much so
that he fought shy of asking men
friends to the house. He was indeed
shy over most things-the reverse,
quite, of his masterful mother, who
felt herself able at the slightest no.
tice to second the plans and expound
the purposes of anything from the
state legislature to divine Providence.
Hence, with her wisdom admitted at
fault, the case must be desperate. In
Leda, her daughter. Rather helpless,
both of them-because Aunt Susan
had always taken care of them. Now
she was dead and the bank had fail
ed, SO there was only their place to
depend on. 1t was a small place, with
a good house, to be sure, but only a
garden, a paddock, bit of orchard
and few acres in grass. 1t would
hardly yield a living to an Industrious
farmer able to work it early and late.
greater than rent to a couple of wo-
men who had neither strength nor
knowledge?
Oddly nobody thought of matrimony
as an ark of refuge, Notwithstanding
Leda was pretty and amiable. She
wasn't a bit capable-besideS, there
was the burden of her mother. A
woman who cared nothing for house
wifery, even scorning patchwork and
embroidery, must be a sort of saw
l. i e n
was always pOttering with flowers
no matter what the weather. Every
window was full of house plants the
winter through and she had denied
herself new bonnets all of five years
to get a skinny bit of greenhouse
True, she always had early vegetables
long before anybody else, and flowers
galore, and she loved to give them
away. Leda was just the same. Doubt
less, now the pinch had come, she
would lament having been Ounce
at school, hence wholly impossible
as a teacher.
Leda was properly penitent. Both
women cried no little over their help
lessness, and sat at home thro Christ
mas and New Year, trying not to be
hurt by the unusual largesse of their
neighbors.
I'VE are not starving-yet," Leda
said, choking, as she put away the
third batch of pies they had received
IN one morning, besides the loaf of
and the wedges of plum
cake. only 1 nope they will spare US
broken bits of food, nanny It's all
wrong-not being grateful-but some
how. 1 wish they had at least waited
Don't fret, daughter. Our turn
will come" Mrs. Ware said, but with
a sinking heart for all her brave words
To comfort herself she went out and
lifted the sash of the smallest pit. 1t
was sacred to early bulbs-jonquils,
hyacinths, narcissus. She forgot her
troubles instantly in her joy at finding
at least dozen unexpectedly in flower
-jonquils and Roman hyacinths Ex-
citedly she shipped each blossom, ran
inside, laying them delicately together,
and calling, lie! LIE! Come take these
to Miss Allen! Don't let her think
it's to pay for her mincemeat-it isn't
she sent it just as we would have
done, being as poor herself. But she
loves flowers. Make haste, child. And
hurry back. I want you to help me
lift the heavier SASH
Miss Allen was the dressmaker.
Leda, hearing Miss Allen was busy, did
not see her, but sent in her gift by
her knees, shipping and pin
ming and squirting at a very fine.
frocks. draping a very fine lady-Mrs.
Carr, of the Glen, who had ordered
the 1rOck from the city, ana upon Sel-
ting it had changed her mind as to
how she wanted it trimmed in parts.
FLOWERS this time of the year!
You're extravagant, Miss Allen she
said with a certain good-natured hau-
teur upon seeing the cluster. When
their source was explained she looked
thoughtful. Il wonder-could / get
some for my table? You know we have
a dinner party Saturday." she said.
Those I order are always so fragile
they wither while you look at thine
TN find out said Miss Allen.
She did. And thus began the rift in
the cloud for the Wares. They had
enough to live on a year. by very close
pinching. By the end of it they had
violet frames full of flowers, pitfuls
of early bulbs and roses ablow in the
greenhouse. Mrs. Carr was interested
in them, holding them her discovery,
therefore her protegees. As such she
took it upon herself to make a match
betwixt Leda and Octavius Brown
or. rather. to attempt it. He was will
ing, rather more-but shy. Leda was
as distinctly unwilling. so the poor lad
had a rocky road in love.
Mrs. Carr had house party at the
new year holidays. Therefore she
took all the flowers the Wares could
cut, and asked further that Leda
should come up and arrange them
about the rooms. Leda hated to go,
but could not refuse, so went, calling
herself a fool for her hesitation. What
did it matter that she once would
have gone a guest instead of a hire
ling? Tho there had never been in
timacy, Mrs. Carr. newcomer in town,
had all but fawned upon the Wares
before the deluge- This perhaps ac-
counted for the reservations in her
present kindness-she felt she must
make sure there would be no presum-
ing on it,
Leda was almost thru her task. She
yet must set the tall roses blushing
singly in gold and crystal vases. where
they would show best and be least in
the way of the dancers. In the mid
die of the long, lofty room she stopped,
looked all about, puckered her brows
then, humming lightly, began dane
ing, noting with a professional eye the