The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-28
EVENING STORY
Found Wanting.
(By Susan Sherrill.)

Lower Lawton was typical of those
small, ricn, stagnant towns where no
body has business enough of his own
to prevent a lively interest in the af-
fairs of other people.
Gossip has lightning's quality of
striking high, likewise lightning's
knack of being carried away harmless
by a proper conductor. The Belling-
hams had been such a conductor time
out of mind The richest family, af-
fably kind to high and low, there res
ident for three generations, and given
to developing surprises of every sort,
it had provided sensations and occu-
pations equally agreeable to the con-
crete town mind, yet escaped even a
suspicion of unpleasantness by habit
of going away when such conduct
could not be reasonably expected,
staying indefinitely and coming back
when it chose.
Since it was now away for goodness
knew how long-it had taken both
cars, both chauffeurs, Higgs, mad
ames indispensable maid, and Joyce,
the factotum, even more indispensable
since the house was shut tight and
the mouth of Lawyer Main was shut
even tighter, needs must Lower Law
ton talk of something else. What so
worth its while as the affairs of kath-
leen Weare? For instance-was she
really first cause of the Bellingham
hegira? They had seemed to be more
than fond of her-especially old John,
the bachelor, thus distinguished from
his nephew, young John. Any girl
might have been glad to take him.
He had money, and he was so very
kind Madame, his brothers wife, had
begged Kathleen to go along with
them-that didn't look as if there were
any plot to keep the money for her
children. Kathleen needed money
from some Source-and needed it bad
ly. Without 1t in a little while the
Weare house would be tumbling down
on the heads of its occupants.
Next it was the girls business VEN
ture that Lower Lawton talked about.
She was actually a market middle
woman. Lower Lawton had for the
most part its own gardens and or
chards, upon the same rich soil that
spread into truck farms a little fur
Their on. 1t was Upper Lawton on the
hill top, a high place socially as-well
as geographically, that all but walled
for fresh things. The truck farmers
who specialized would not supply the
individual customer, but chose rather
to sell in bulk under yearly contract
to city dealers, from whom Upper
Lawton's huckster wagons, in the end,
got their supplies. Thus its house
wives had to put up with things wilt
ed or half spoiled-things grown I'M
der their very noses. Naturally can
ned stuff, vegetables and fruit, be-
came their rock of refuge They hat
ed lt-but were at first doubtful when
Kathleen showed them a way out.
Her way was the simplest way pos
sible. They were to give her orders
by the month for average require
ments. They were TO give no money
but a strict guarantee of payment at
the monthend, balanced by a guaran-
tee of satisfactory wares That SEEM
ed safe enough-besides, they could
fall back on the cans. Still, the first
batch of orders were so nearly mig
gard that kathleen shook her fist at
the book of them as she totaled up
their amount.
1t would have been even harder
with the farmers, if they had not
known her so well, through kindness
rendered in sickness or trouble.
When she said frankly: Il can't af-
ford Tom and Jerry any longer unless
L can make them earn their keep
and mfne," she got a sympathetic
hearing. The pair were her pets, the
last and best of a long succession. The
Weares had been well off and would
be still if the old major had not been
forever going security for somebody
who failed. Kathleen, his sons or
phan daughter, never reminded him
of the fact, although his three old
maid daughters daily bemoaned it in
her hearing. They bemoaned further
her sex, seeming to hold it against her
that she was not born a boy. Weak,
fond, intensely fearful of the future,
they quarreled steadily-with Fate
and each other
Kathleen might have provided for
them comfortably as Mrs Old John
Belhngham. She had not the least in
tention of doing this, partly because
she was Weare, partly also, it must
be admitted, because she had a dim
hone being a oh ale
Since she would not make the provi-
dent marriage. she must do something
else. Hence the undertaking that set
Lower Lawton all agog She herself
was doubtful over it-she paid cash,
increasing potential profits. also in
creasing long chances of loss. But
before midsummer the work had out
grown her and she saw she must cut
her route in three and serve it with as
many wagons
That was a safe enough requirement
if she could have likewise three selves
That being impossible. she trembled
at the risk The untarnished Weare
credit made buying easy-but how
keep it SO when those dear depen-
dents. in the joy of profits they had
declared impossible, began to put
forth a hundred small wants hitherto
denied?
Their wants were trifles all-but
trifles mount up. Kathleen smiled and
paid, but lay awake, wondering if she
dared go in debt. She herself spent
nothing. How could a working wo-
man care for gauds and gewgaws?
Such things We're essentials to her
elders who had only themselves to
contemplate and consider. Moreover
they felt right to their small extrav-
-agances-it was Kathleen's fault
wholly that they had not all their
hearts desire. She made no conf
dences-but they knew. Indeed, they