The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-14
EVENING STORY
The Love Letter.
(By Louise Oliver.)

N6y Louise OnVer.
The young man in khaki stopped |
before little brick building, in the !
wide window of which hung a modest |
sign, Public Stenographer. Soldiers |
Free"
1t was exactly what he was looking |
-for-not the Soldiers Free" part, ex-
actly, for as lieutenant in the army 7,
he had hard time getting rid OF his |
pay, as it was. 1t seemed that every
body wanted to do something for
nothing for a soldier. and the govern |
ment was boarding him and sheltering
him in a manner that left room for no
extra expense.
So why should q little hard-work-
ing, self-supporting, and perhaps fam
y-supporting stenograher want to do
work for nothing for a big, husky SOL
der like himself? But he smiled as
he opened the door. He like the pa
triotic spirit of that sign.
AS he entered, the swapping of
typewriter ceased and a young woman
rose from her place behind a desk and
came forward. Certainly if she were
self supporting, she did it well. The
lieutenant, soldier that he was, could
not help admiring her independent air
and busineSs-like bearing. Her eyes
were brown, her hair was drawn back
in soft waves from a-smooth white
forehead, and a firm little chin tilted
out rather assertiVely over high
| white stock collar and neat black tie.
Good morning." she said. All, that
was better!
When she spoke and smiled and her
lips formed themselves into various
curves over her even teeth, the look of
independence was not so prominent.
And the lieutenant, being man, liked
that. He smiled his entire approval. v
Good morning." he answered,
| opening a brown bag in search of
some papers. He felt that his apprais-
al had lasted long enough for good
taste, altho for some reason he was
! ioath to turn away from those eyes.
They seemed to hold something he did
| not understand They gave him the
| feeling that he wanted to look and
I look again to find out what mystery
! lay in their depths.
Il left home in a great hurry" he
| explained, and had to leave some of
some letters here 1 have written in
camp and 1 should like to have them
| typewriter, one carbon of each,
| please.
She waited without answering while
| he found the. papers, and counted
| them out, when he handed them over.
when do you want them % she
asked.
whenever it's convenient to let
me have Them he returned
Tomorrow morning at ten ?"
THAT will do nicely
And the lieutenant took his depar-
| ture reluctantly, as lie had not found
out what it was the eyes contained.
The next morning at ten he pre-
scented himself for the documents, this
time armed with a few leading re-
marks that might make conversation.
Nice little place here he began.
ITS very comfortable she return
ed demurely.
Been here long?"
Just a month
And then the conversation refused
to grow further and the soldier was
on the point of asking how much she
| owed, when the girl held up a sheet
4 of paper on which he recognized his
own hand writing.
Il didn't know about this" she
said. Whether you wanted it type
written or not. Perhaps 1 shouldn
! have read it, but 1 was half way
it evidently did not belong with the
rest of the work. I didn't do it be-
| cause-Well, as a rule one doesn't
send sentiment done in type
He took the paper and glanced over
it hurriedly. This is what it said:
| Dearest: Here I am at last. a thou
sand miles away, il a country that
| would be paradise on earth were you
! here. But when [ look at the noun
/ tains [ see only your dear face, the
of your eyes. The sun on the pine for
ests is your hair and the whole sweet
ness of the country is your smile-you
dearest girl, my beloved Angela
There was more, but just here the
soldier looked up, the red mounting
| slowly to his temples.
Il don't know how this got in he
said. Il don't suppose you'll be-
heve me when I tell you
Certainly a letter like that re-
quires no apology" she smiled inter
ruptins him. L have been wonder
ing just how it would be to get one
like that from someone you thought
a lot Of
But I want to tell you about it
this letter is Just part Of"
/ She held up a hand. Don't spoil
the illusion for me. please she snil
ed. "I like to think of some girl get
ting a message like that. And besides
I'm not so sure that she'd want it ex-
planned to anybody else. I know 1
shouldn't
Again there was that battling ex-
preston in her eyes-not wholly
amusement-no, not amusement at all
And again the young soldier felt that
he wanted to look and look and look
again, to find out just what it was, an
inward rage slowly growing that that
silly letter had got in with the rest
of his stuff.
He had to submit to her attitude of
dismissal, however, and made no fur
J Their attempt at an explanation. So
he paid his bill-he insisted on that
and departed.
John Warren, a brother officer, was
strolling with the lieutenant along the
main street of the little town that
night. Away to their right lay another
town of wood and canvas housing
twenty thousand men in training.
Bob" said Warren suddenly. slip
ping a hand thru his companions arm,
come along and see what Mary's do
ing. I've got the most loyal sister in
the world"
And in a few minutes the two men
were standing before the little brick
building with the sign, Public Stem
ogra pher. Soldiers Free
Your sister," exclaimed our lieu
tenant