The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-05
EVENING STORY
Something to Her Advantage.
(By Hilda Morris.)


hOspitable table full of magazines, its
big base-burner with a fire glimmer-
ing red thru the mica windows. its
well-1ined shelves, and case full of
fascinating displays of paper, pens
and other literary appliances made 1t
a popular place for evening gather
ings Young Ellis had been brought
up in that bookshop: he loved the
very sight and touch of a book. So
when ambition drove him to the city
with a little capital it was natural
that he should start a bookshop of his
own. This was a modest place at
first, but it grew rapidly, as some |
shops have way of doing. There was
no baseburner in young Ellis store,
but there was a warmth of courtesy
and the sort of hospitality which |
leaves one free, to browse among the
shelves undiSturbed. People loved to
drop in and scan the contents of the |
latest magazines. If they had pencils
or writing paper to purchase Stevens's |
store was the very pleasantest place |
to go for them, because one could |
spend half-hour or so among the |
latest books for the price of very
small purchaser even for nothing (
at ALL if one chose.
There was one young girl who came
into the shop rather often. Ellis had |
noticed her once or twice-she seemed |
to be always reading magazines tho
she seldom bought more than a pen |
or an eraser. She was a pretty young |
thing, with bright color and simple !
clothes which lacked the city instinct |
for style" She looked like girl |
from the country. Ellis Stevens, |
watching her on a particular morn |
ing when there were few other GUS
toners, felt growing conviction that |
he had seen that girl before. some |
where. There was something about
the turn of her head and the springy |
way she walked-he was sure he had /
seen her before. Why, even her smile |
was familiar, and her voice when she |
thanked him for the change from her |
small purchase. He stared after her
as she left the shop. Where had he |
known that girl? In Stanton? 1t
was possible.
lowed, Ellis kept wondering He could |
not forget the girl-her rosy face kept |
re-appearing in his minds eye, laugh |
ing, tantalizing, as if teasing him to |
Guess whoi"
The girl did not re-appear that day |
however, ana Ellis made a discovery. I
She had forgotten something. On the |
counter near where she had stood lay
a book, a well-thumbed copy of PEN
dennis. And on it's fly-leaf was writ
ten Rose Maxwell, Stanton. New
York" Rose MAXWELL He remem-
bered now. She was one of the in
Vulnerable Maxwell family who lived |
in the old gray farmhouse out on the
Greenville road. He had seen her in
school, perhaps, or at the church af-
fairs Or it was possible that he had
seen her sisters, there were so many
of the pretty Maxwell girls, and it was
the family resemblance which had
puzzled him. At any rate he wanted
to see her again-not the sisters, but
this particular Rose with the merry,
country tinted face. She would come
back for the book, of couse
But the weeks went by and Rose
Maxwell did not return to the shop. 1t
was strange-she had been. in the |
la pit of dropping in every day or SO,
before. Ellis wondered whether she
were i'll or whether she had left the
city. He searched the directory, blu.
there was no Rose Maxwell. He even
made tentative inquiries among the
other habitues, but none of them had
ever noticed the girl The city had
swallowed up Rose Maxwell
A month or so later Ellis made q |
tying visit to Stanton, and there he
learned that Rose Maxwell had not
returned nome. She was writing short
stories, 1T seemed; one of her prodGc-
tons was in last months Spectrum"
Ellis got her address from friends
without any trouble, and hurried back
to town. He meant to find Rose Max
welI-of course it was his duty to re-
turn that book
So the following Sunday Ellis Stew
ems, carrying "Pendennis" called at |
Rose Maxwell's boarding house. An |
incongruous landlady met him at the |
brownstone entrance Miss Maxwell |
present address. No, she couldn't give |
him any idea as to where to find her; |
she had moved some weeks ago.
Disconsolately Ellis went home, and |
depositing the copy of -'Pendennis'' on |
his study table, he sat regarding it |
mournfully. He might advertise That |
was something he had not thought of /
before. To be sure, he would adver- |
tise. So the following morning this |
notice appeared in the columns of a |
daily paper:
IF the young lady who left a COPY
of 'Pendennis' in Stevens's book store /
at Eighty-third street will come to !
claim her property she will learn of |
something to her advantage
II was rather a remarkable adver- /
tisement. but it brought results. Ellis |
waited anxiously all day, and a num-
Der of customers thought him abb |
stracted and a little less courteous |
than usual, but he could not help |
watching the doorway. And at length. |
late in the afternoon, Rose Maxwell |
came. Ellis was busy with an old |
gentleman who was fussily purchas- |
/ ing an edition of the English poets /
Fand it was some time before he could |
speak to Rose. But she did not seem |
to notice. She went directly to the |
magazine counter and began to read, |
as usual. 1t was just as if she had |
never been away from the shop.
! After an interminable while the old !
gentleman departed. and Ellis ap-
! preached the girl. She was still read |
| ing, but she looked up with a smile. |
Ellis thought she was pale and a little |
thinner Perhaps she had been i'll, |
after all.
WAS it you who advertised my |
! 'Pendennis' % she asked 1T was L |
who left it here, several weeks ago"
Il know it was" he answered. II |
thought you would come back after |
it. / waited and waited before 1 ad-
vertised-because-
Because - she repeated curiously. |
Because 1 thought I'd find you |
Miss Rose Maxwell. You see knew
L. L