The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-07
EVENING STORY
An Independent Girl.


road which led to the village and the
with a suitcase.
That's Mrs. Robertss second girl,
and she has quit her place" unused
Miss Effie, as she caught sight of the
traveller.
Miss Effie was cutting and trimming
with praiseworthy energy and won
dering whether Mrs. Roberts had got
angry and discharged Julia or whether
Julia had got angry and discharged
her mistress. when the suitcase halted
at the gate and a snuffiing voice said:
Its all on your account, Miss
Rayl!"
why, Julia, is it you?"
''Y-yes'm."
And you are going to the store
after something"
NO.
But you are not going homer"
Yes. 1 am, and it's on your ac-
count"
But it can't be. I hardly know
Mrs. Roberts, and this is the first time
L have ever spoken to you"
Yes; but she is always criticlsing
you and L was always standing up for
you. That has been the trouble. Every
time she has said a word against you
L have answered her back and that
has kept her mad at me. This morn
ing, when she said you wore a rowdy
hat and tried to look tough and L an
swered her that if some other folk
know of would wear the same kind of
hats it would improve their looks, she
told me to get out of the house
Miss Effie was an only child. Her
father was an easy going man, who
meddled neither with the affairs of
the house nor matters of dress. The
mother was a home body, caring little
for fAfx
and seldom advising. AS a natural
consequence the daughter had grown
up to think her own way was the best
way, if not the only way 1t was nat
ural that conceit should get a foot
hold and that a certain spirit of indie
pendence should prevail.
1t had come to that point where the
girl considered herself about perfec-
ton, and while she reserved the right
to criticise right and left no one must
discourage her. 1t was therefore with
anger in her eyes and tones that she
turned to Julia and queried:
SO Mrs. Roberts says my hat is
rowdyish?'
she do, miss"
And does she find fault with the
way l drive my runabout?''
She says it S shameful"
And does she have anything to say
about my bulldog"
She says it is a beast that ought
to be poisoned off,
But she has never dared to criti-
else my looks?" asked Miss Effie with
some hesitation.
"Oh, she hasn't, Ell? She hasn't
skipped them, you may be sure. She
says one has but to look at you TO
know that you are conceited and stuck
up and it's over nothing at ALL
How dare she,"
her that same question several times"
f'And has she had anything more to
say
well, miss, as L am going away l
might as well tell you that she says
you never had a beau, can't get one
and will probably die an old maid. [
must hurry along now or [ will miss
my train"
Why should Mrs. Roberts criticise
Miss Rayl at all? Why have the bad
taste to do it to a servant if she fell
that she must speak?
Miss Effie didn't stop to figure out
an answer. She might have recalled a
little incident of three months previ-
Gus. She was out with her runabout
and came within an ace Of running
down the girl Julia. She did not apol-
ogize, and the girl vowed to herself:
IN stay out here in the country till
L can get even with that mink of a
girl
Mrs. Roberts hadn't talked. She
hadn't criticised. She had discharged
the girl for insolence and inefficiency.
Julia had got even.
Are you going for a ride ?" asked
the mother as Miss Effie came in IRON
the gate.
"A short one" was answered.
You look awfully sober about it"
And I'll make some one else look
sober before | get back"
And she would say no more but got
ready and drove away.
Miss Effie was dressed in her best,
but as she started to enter the ma
chine she tripped and rolled on the
grass. That rumpled her clothes and
ruffled her spirit.
Half a mile from home she encoun-
tered a farmer driving load of hay.
He deliberately planned that they
should meet in narrow spot. and that
the runabout should be crowded into
the ditch, and that its occupant should
be half smothered with the hay car
ried along by the big car. The Incl
dent ruffled Miss Ellie again.
When you arrive at the residence of
the woman you are going to lay down
the law to, it is due you to make what
stage folk call an entrance You
trip up the walk and the steps and
ring the bell, and if it is in the fore
noon the lady herself may come to the
door. You bow coldly. You look her
up and down. In tones to remind her
of the north pole, you lead off with:
Madam, I would like a few words
with you,'
Miss Efffe was ready to follow this
program, but no madam appeared
She rang again. The cook was heard
singing Happy Days" at the rear end
of the house; but there was no sight
or sound of Mrs. Roberts.
After waiting for five or six minutes
the girl turned away. OF course, she
thought, Mrs. Roberts had seen her
arrival and her guilty conscience had
driven her to hide under a bed. She
might escape that way this morning.
but there were other days coming!
Miss Effie started down the three
or four steps, but missed her footing
somehow and pitched head-first into
a rose bush. She screamed. of course.
That scream brought somebody from