The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-11-17
EVENING STORY
When Johnny Arrived.
(Ry Dorothy pouglas.)


be at home when she returned from
her day at the factory. She had
hardly realized what a difference it
made to her Homecoming to- have that
small. clipper boy there to greet her
until the night when he was not in
sight.
It seemed so good always to reach
home after working hard at ma
chine all day. The two small rooms
which her meager salary afforded her
were dainty only because Aice's taste
and ingenuity made them so. With
odd bits of chintz and madras which
she was able to get for practically
nothing at the factory, she had made
a coy little home for herself and her
small brother.
In the evening Alice fashioned
many shirtwaist boxes, sewing stands
and other small things which she solo
to the small shop around the corner
and augmented her salary by some
times five, sometimes only two or
three dollars a week.
But all of her toll, her cozy home,
seemed so futile when Johnny was
missing Johnny was all that Alice
had to love il the world, and without
him nothing was worth while.
Again she gazed anxiously up the
crowded street. her mind prey to
And out in the street, some ten
blocks away, Johnny certainly had
met with a mishap. 1t was not, how
ever a tragic mishap, but one which
upset his entire little world of assis-
lance to his loved sister.
Johnny had been out as usual, after
school hours, with his improvised
wagon hunting for bits of wood and
boxes that helped Alice with her work
in the evenings He had been farther
\ l. h hit hut
newly erected apartment house with
it's waste of Iathes and small boards
had lured him on.
Johnny had a splendid wagonload
of small timber and was pulling like
young truck horse along the middle
of the road when a great car with
shining enamel sides whizzed too close
to Johnny'S wagon.
The small boy looked around at the
disaster and had he been other than
manly 10-year-old, would have burst
| into tears. His precious cart was in
ruins. The back wheels had been
flung from their axle while his des-
! perately acquired bolts rolled into the
drain pipes and were lost. The wood
he had SO carefully selected for Alice
was in a heap along the roadside
| The young mn in the big touring
car let no time escape before he went
running back along the road to see
what damage he had done.
Johnny looked up from the re
mains of his wagon at the approach
! of the young man.
! I'm SO sorry, kiddie-you're not
! hurt, are your" Larry McVane
stopped solicitously down and gazed
at the small boy and his dilApidated
! wagon, I'D no idea I was so, close"
/ Larry did not think it necessary to
J tell Johnny that his mind had been
darkly wool gathering over the charms
of a certain young lady who had but
an hour before blasted his matri-
monial hopes.
said Johnny; but my wagons
conner and now I can't get this wood
to Alice and she needs it."
! Larry had bent down to see if there
| was a chance to mend the little
wagon that quite took him back to
! just such one. He glanced across
the street at his great touring car and
wondered if the small boy would one
day own one also. Larry hoped so. In
1.-THE meantime he was slightly puzzled
as to how best to repair the damage
| his carelessness had caused.
| DO you live far from here?" he
questioned.
About ten blocks, and Alice will
be worried about me now-it must be
past time for her to come home"
I'll tell you what" said Larry,
you pile into my car and Wen take
along your cargo-if we can"
Johnny's eyes opened wide when he
saw the well-dressed Larry pick up
/ great bundle of sticks and make for
/ the car. He, too, carried some and
| together they heaped them on the
| leather seat.
| Il say, sonny-who is Alice and
what does she do with these bits of
| wood?" asked Larry finally as the car
glided smoothly away from the scene
| of disaster with its unusual load.
! Johnny was almost too excited by
the wonderful ride he was having to
| make lucid answer.
| 'Alice's my sister-she makes fan
cy boxes and covers them with fiowery
| cloth. Yes, down that street-there's
| Alice in the window now! Alicei oh,
| Alice!" The small boy called excited
! ly and waved a frantic hand to the
/ fair-haired girl in the window far
above.
! Larry. too, cast a swift look up
ward. The setting sun was shining
full on that golden head. Larry liked
the effect.
Hes not hurt?" she questioned
swiftly from her lofty window.
The car had stopped and Larry
called up a quick answer. After that
he helped Johnny out. There seemed
no reason why he should not help the
small boy up those long flights of
stairs with the precious wood, so up
he went He felt strangely elated
that he should be doing a slight ser
vice for someone. It's quite true the
entire blame was his but many men in
his position would have sent the boy
off with a dollar or two and let him
get home as best he could
When they reached the top landing
there Alice was waiting. Larry was
quite out of breath. 1t didn't matter
in the least that it took him a moment
to catch it for Alice had swiftly
wrapped her arms about Johnny as
if she never again would let him out
of her sight.
However, Larry was soon invited
within the dainty little home. The
story was all told and afterward Larry
was shown the tiny kitchen where
Alice sawed her bits of board and
nailed her boxes together and cooked