The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-01
EVENING STORY
The Hand of Fate
BY HILDA MORRIS.


busting, cleaning, sewing. all the tasks
demanded by the care of her brother
Toms new house. BUT she was bored
Girls of twenty-five want more than
than blank gray landscapes to look
out upon
Toms house was a new and attrac-
tive one, built at the very edge of a
new addition" Blank flats of ghostIy
streets, designated by white signs bear
ing grandiOse names, stretched about
it on all sides. Some day, OF course,
there would be other bungalows, color
full and bordered with trim lawns
Cissy stopped to lean upon her
| broom and wipe away a tear as she
gazed out at the flat prospect. If only
something would happen! Anything
to break the monotony. She strained
her eyes to look down the road that
led toward the city. If someone would
even drive past it would be something.
And she looked as she saw the faint
| speck of an approaching automobile.
1t was miserable day to be abroad.
| the roads were deep with mud and
| came on at good pace, apparently
! disregarding anything so trivial as the
weather.
why it's Morton sims's carr" cissy
said aloud to herself. "I wcnder what
he's doing out here"
Morton Sims was the brother OF
Toms fiancee. cfssy hat met him
| once or twice in town. He was tall.
brown-haired fellow with piercing
1 brown eyes that always made her drop
her own. for some strange reason. He
| must be going to the Country club or
| to Milton. Quite safe in the assur-
ance that he would pass her by. Cissy,
| apron-clad. still leaned upon her
broom and watched.
But he did not pass by He would
| have done so had it been possible, but
the mud, like some OBTAINING messen-
ger of Fate, held him fast outside the
door.
He got out and pulled and puffed;
| he got in again and tried to override
Fate; he got behind and tried to push,
but the car stuck fast, Cissy watched,
in a growing flutter lof interest and
| determination.
IF he can't get 1t out" she muir
INJURED to herself, perhaps he'll want
to come in here to phone or some
thing. I ought to ask him to-"
Hastily she took Off her apron and
| slowed away the broom, throwing an
I other log on the fire that blazed cheer
lily in the big fireplace. She glanced
about the cosy living-room. 1t was
all in order and very attractive. He
couldn't say, If he came in, that she
was not a good housekeeper. Or that
she didn't look neat herself. either.
Her pink morning gown was crisp and
as bright as the color in her cheeks,
and the damp weather made the little
eurls about her face more enticing
than ever. Very shyly she opened the
front door and called to him.
You seem to be stuck" she said,
knowing very well that it was a rath-
er stupid thing to say, in face of the
evidence. Would you like to come in
and 'phonefor another car to pull you
why, Miss Morrowi" he exclaimed,
turning from his inspection of the yell
low ear. 81 didn't know that you lived
here! Yes, do seem to be stuck fast.
and should like to use your phone.
T If you don't mind"
Cissy fluttered back to the fire while
he used it. SO, when he was thru
'phoning, he found her seated there
with the red glow on her face. the
high back of a quaint old chair franz
ing her yellow head.
They can't send out another car
for an hour or So" he explained. 81
don't want to be nuisance, Miss Nor
/ row. I'm afraid"
'Oh, you muct stay here by the
!, fire" she exclaimed quickly. You
look soaked thru now. Why do you
drive on such an awful day. any
He laughed a little bitterly.
Because I was bored. This is a
holiday, you know. and the Office is
closed, and my rooms are awfully
: bleak and gloomy on a day like this
: A fellow gets lonely sometimes"
! Yes, know" she assented quickly
+ and then there fell an odd silence be-
, tween them, as tho each had revealed
, a little more than was quite neces
1 sary. When he spoke again it was
: after his wandering eyes had taken IL
. all the coy comforts of the home.
/ like room.
s You have a pleasant place here
t he commented. It's Toms, I sup.
5 pose. Christine has told me about it
4 was. Christine is awfully in love with
D your brother"
8 "Of course! Who wouldn't be?'
3 she laughed back. And Tom is aw
4 fully in love with your sister, too
s And so am L.
I'm sure you'll get on together"
z "Oh, yes, but 1 shan't stay will
T them. 1t wouldn't be right. Yount
: married people ought to have theil
. MONIES to themselves. I'shall go away
:, "Where?" he asked. as if It were
u matter of vital concern to him.
t Oh 1 don't know yet. To be I
q nurse, perhaps, or a teacher
Cissy's eyes were on the fire, ant
: she did not know that he was watch
r ing her, noting the little culver of he
,. chin as she spoke. He thought tina
e he had never seen a girl before VIII,
d was so dainty. SO like flower in tn,
dark forest of a gloomy day. He ha,
k watched her many times before whel
;, she did not know it. But he ha,
e never lima gined her so lovely as sh
! appeared before the fire. What an at
y mosphere of rest and quiet, of homel,
a comfort, she had made in this littl
h room! What a feeling of comfort sh
d could bring into a fellows life! Sh
r would furnish it with new ideals, new
t thoughts, as bright and fine, as care
|. fully placed, as the colorful furnish
II fngs of her house. And to think tina
n she was going away, that her Chi