The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-14
EVENING STORY
For Service.
BY S. B. HACKLEY.


Across the window OF Pierre Cabins
tiny fruit shop there wei-t a flash
of bright red and a shadow of dark
blue. The flash was the bunch OF
red gladioli that Bessie Damours car
ried; the shadow was Bob Heathman,
towering healthy brown giant above
the vivacious little laundry worker.
with whom, when he vas off duty as
engineer on the r. NJ. railroad. he
| managed to spend much of his spare
time
AS the red and the blue vanished,
| Pierre was seized with a great tremb-
| ling. He knelt in haste behind his
| grape-coyered counter, and. leaning
his head on a crate of fragrant musk
melons, spread out his hands in weari-
ness OF soul.
"Babette! Babette!" he whispered
in French. my petite-how 1 love
how 1 love-and she with no care for
me in her heart!"
| In her fourth year in America with
her aunt and uncle, Julie and Louis
Flavien-twenty years away from
Vile to work in the big laundry there.
and at the same time Pierre Cabin,
armed with the small stock OF English
| and money he had acquired in his six
months stay in the United States. had
set up in business for himself" his
dream before he had left France.
! For two years now Pierre had
| loved Babette, or Bessie, as she called
herself in her girlish desire to be
American, and Bessie had seemed to
care for him until Bob Heathman be-
gan to stay in Marshville.
| Bob spent his engineers wage reck-
lessly on the bonbons, flowers. plays
and auto rides that Bessie loved. and
| to put back in the trade and to add
to the little sum toward the home he
had planned to buy for her ever since
he'd first seen her in the little Cath
Ole church in the town.
But now, every time he ventured
timidly to ask her to go { 1T with him.
she'd IAN engagement with Robert
Heathman," or Terry Thatcher the
young lineman. or Charlie Hensley at
| the telephone exchange.
But the little demoiselles going to
school would be along directly with
their pennies for apples: one could not
neglect ones business even tho the
heart were breaking. Pierre got up
and rearranged his shelves and coun-
tiers. At noon dozen girls from the
laundry on Magnolia street poured in
the little shop. demanding grapes and
bananas. There was another fruit
shop just across the street from the
laundry building, but Tony Ferraro
was middle aged and married. Pierre
was neither. and in addition possessed
a handsome face, very fine eyes and
the most delightful manners.
Mrs. Adelaide Mercer. the richest
and proudest lady on Maple avenue,
who bought her baskets of fruit from
the young Frenchman, was not ac-
corder more Difference oT courtesy
than Molly Semms, the homeliest of
the laundry girls. when she bought her
daily five cents worth.
The girls fingered and chartered as
they went out.
isn't he handsome he heard the
red-headed one saying. DO you think
he's as good looking as Bob Heath
man, Lou?"
"A hundred times better looking"
the dark girl answered positively.
land a thousand times more polite.
If he'd only take notice. Say. Nan, I
believe Bob Heathman's going to
marry that pretty Bessie he's going
with"
"Gosh." cried Nan. Don't tell me
you believe that. I had few hopes
that way myself"
After the girls disappeared up the
street Pierre sat very still. stupidity
staring at nothing. He did not want
to live If Bessie. his Babette, became
Heathman's wife.
A tarantula hidden in a bunch of
bananas had bitten him the summer
before. A customer had discovered
him lying in a faint. He'd called for
help and a doctor, and they'd revived
him and found and killed the giant
, spider. T.
Pierre wished that they had let him
, die. He had meant to write in the
, fall to his old cousin in France, Barbe
Piardet, his nearest relative, that he
|, was married to the good French girl
she'd told him to marry. rather than
an American. who might also be a
good girl. but who would not have any
, memories of La Patrie.
But now he'd nothing Of happiness
| IN xvrifa fo e>oOd old Rarhe When Ii
was dusk and there were no more
, customers he shut the shop and took
out of the drawer the little revolver
. Bayne Carly, the towns chief Of po-
Z lice. had persuaded him he ought to
keep in the little shop.
He brought it back in his tiny bed
, room and laid it down on his pillow
: One shot and his heart would cease
, its awful ache. Surely the Bon Dieu
, would pardon-would pardon
: 1t was a hot night, he had closed
Z only the screen door and his cat was
clawing at this. He opened the door
. to let the cat in. The morning daily
he had forgotten lay on the steps,. He
/ always read the paper. He had learn
. ed English that way. He opened and
r read it now.
"War in Europe! Germany to fight
: France-Belgium invaded" read the
headlines. Further details of tina,
, evil advance stared up at him.
; France-la belle France-invaded
, by the old enemy! The paper dropped
to the floor. Pierre sprang to his 1eet
He seized the little revolver and re.
I moved the cartridges.
81 Forgive me, mon Dieu!" he eried
' There is no happiness, but there is
/ need for servicei"
At noon the next day, when the
!, young laundry workers came into this
little fruit store, they found big Tony
e Ferraro there loading the fruits ir
4 wagons. Pierre. a changed, excited
r Pierre, helped him. ~
e you trade wis me now" Tony
= grinned. "I have buya his fruita and
4 his trade"
Where are you going, Mr.. Cabin p
: chorused the girls.
Pierre held up his head-his eye.
9 very bright