The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-23
EVENING STORY
A Son of the Soil.
(By Izola Forrester.)

Agatha ha0 round MIN pore, ana
usually his little impromptu disserta-
tons amused her. She leaned back
now in the winged armchair and
closed her eyes to shut out his eager
young face. Surely energy was one OF
the most firing things in the world.
Just when they had all wanted to
relax and listen to Ovens beautiful
music he had insisted on talking of
subsoils and fertilizers.
THE government is just. beginning
to realize that its wealth lies in its
SOIL proclaimed Paxton. I've got a
little old ten-acre lot up in Rhode Is
land that 1 haven't even looked at in
years. Now I'm shipping up some
seed potatoes, and I'll probobly follow
them in another week.
Just at this point the slender girl in
the odd dress leaned forward from her
chair
What kind of seed potatoes, Mr..
Paxton?" she asked with sudden in
terest, just as if Agatha's beautiful
studio and its occupants had suddenly
slipped from her range of vision, leav
ing only Steve Paxton.
Don't notice her, Steve,' interrupt
ed Charlie.
Charlie was Agatha's husband used
principally as a background for her
artistry. She is not interested in the
culture of the soil. She is probably
only studying the marvellous display
of expression on your mobile coun-
tenance. This artless-looking child is
one of our best-known illustrators"
But 1 am in earnest this time.
Charlie" the girl insisted, land think
that Mr.. Paxton is, too. Besides, he
hasn't good face at all for sketching.
Hist brow is too expansive. 1 think
he's too much in earnest"
Ills a rare trait nowadays, my
child" responded Charlie. Steve is a
good boy. He was in Rhode Island,
and much of its soil adheres to him
still, theoretically"
What part of Rhode Island 90
asked the girl, insistently.
Paxton was trying to remember
where he had seen her before-not in
that lizard-colored dress with tulle
scarf and sequinned belt, but some
where in the open.
-Four miles from Neponsit, and
then you take the, boat over to Fare
we'll Island. There used to be a little
school there"
Il know it." sighed the girl. laugh
ing, too. New York is the funniest
little provincial place 1 ever lived in.
You're always running into people
you've known som ewkere else. Do
you remember me?"
Il do" answered Steve promptly.
Il met you on the northwest corner
OF the rainbow tack in the golden
age"
You did not she retorted. Here
in New York 1 sign my stuff Sheila
Gardy, but I'm Lidy Peck"
My dear" called Charlie, .forbear
You're doing this of your own free
will"
"Oh, don't care" Sheila answered.
Wits the truth. Do you remember me
now, Steve?" Steve promptly got
down from his perch on the window
seat and eliminated the rest of the
party from his consciousness. They
talked of home until Agatha laugh
ihgly said she had not dreamt that
little s"Rhody'' could possibly have
produced two such geniuses
hat are you doing here? ?" asked
Sheila eagerly.
Steve looked thoughtful and Agatha
rtimpled up his hair with a maternal
touch.
lie has not found his meter as vet.
he graciously consents to give a few
hours each day in working for the
, press"
''Writing?" asked Sheila
NO, multigraphirg,' responded
Steve gloomily. In, a little dinky
printing house over here ou University
place. 1t pays my room rect, and I've
saved enough for those seed potatoes
I've been trying to get up courage fo1
weeks to go back up there and live
on the old farm. Maybe I'd really
| find time to write, if l did,
The next day Agatha had a lone
talk with the girl they called Sheila
telling her of Steve and of all that he
seemed to miss in life.
! Charlie and l have been SO inter
ested in the boy. All he needs is en-
enlargement. Some one to believe in
him. don't you know"
| mo, 1 don't" replied ST ella, fatty
Il don't believe in proppine and shor-
|
/ say up home to wait patiently after
the eggs were Matched instead of try
/ ing to guess what rey were before
| hand If he's a swan. so much the
better; but if he's a turkey he belongs
in the barnyard. 1 think New York
is deadly in its effect on mere gen.
fuses. 1 don't think he's getting any
where working that multigraph ma
chine when he's dying TO write. II
/ he'd go up home and pu, as much
/ energy into the place up there he'd
still be earning a living and still have
time to work on something he real
| ly wanted to-"
"Oh, but there's no atmosphere
there, dearie," said Agatha
"Oh, yes, there is" laughed the girl
You just try to cross the Hogsbacb
at high tide and youth ge+ all the at
! mosphere you want That the sand
| bar below the old Paxton farm. hope
he has the courage to follow those
( potatoes.
! They were riding on a Riverside
bus together just two weeks later
! When two are from the same towr
| understanding and intir lacy ripper
marvelously in a short time. 1t was
a wonderful day.
! isn't it rather late for your pota-
| toes?" asked Sheila a lite teasingly
They're in long ago. You know
why rye stayed on here It's just or
| account of you-because 1 wanted tc
! do big things for you 1t isn't an cas-
| thing to try to fill the measure wo-
man like you demands of man. You
| know, Sheila-'
"Oh. drop that, and call me Lidy as
you used to do" she laughed. They
was very much surprised to see tbs
| biting bugs, but when he heard wha
the mosquito captain said he knew