The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-29
EVENING STORY
The Old Maid.
BY GERALD ST. ETIENNE.
1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Snydicate.)


Copyright, 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Snydicate.)
After washing out her ink-wells,
sharpening all her lead pencils, which
she placed in a row, and changing all
the nibs in her pens, Pearl Carrot
looked at the tidy desk before her with
a smile of satisfaction. She would
leave everything scrupulously neat
as she mad kept it for the past ten
years; it would be a good example to
/ the girl who was taking her place, she
thought. New girls, especially ones
fresh from school, were always I'M
tidy about their desks-the ones she
had come in contact with were. at
any rate. She could pardon anything
in a gill but UntidineSs and she knew
from experience that the manager,
Mr.. Louis Larkin, was as particular
in that respect as she was herself.
| AS she thought of Mr.. Larkin, a feel
ing of regret came over her. He had
become SO used to her in the ten years
that she had been his bookkeeper,
ard had depended so much upon her,
| it would make him uncomfortable for
a while until the new girl was broken
into his way, rather hers
(Pearrs). Whoever the new girl was
she would have to be a pretty good
one to get along with Mr.. Larkin-
not that he was a crank, but he did
| like to have everything move smooth
she had ever given him.
Leaving, Miss Garrett he had ex-
claimed incredulously. Whatever is
the mltter?''
Then Pearl had explained her rea-
son.
Her young brother had been draft
| ed and mis- small poultry farm just
| outside the city needed looking after
and there vas none who could 1ood
after it but her. 1t was her patriotic
n ch falf m
keeping up the producing resources
oil the country and production as
! going TO count for whole lot in win
| ming the war.
! Il have been here so many years
and have done nothing but keep books
Mr.. Larkin,' she had said Year after
year, morning and night l have done
| the same thing. L was just fresh from
school when 1 came here but 1 liked
the work so well l stayed. There are
| plenty of girls who can keep books as
well as L have done, and we are slack
now in the factory, anyway. The coun-
| try does not need boilers to win the
war, but it does need poultry and eggs,
| and L m going to put my efforts where
they are needed. 1t will be hard for
me at first, but I like hard things. 1
couldn't stay here all my life. Old
| maids soon became nuisance around
and office and 1 realize that 1 have
reached the stage where I am conSid
| eTeU an OfO maid. m not cOmplal
mig, tho. / like being an old maid"
| But when Pearl left the office she
wasn't quite sure that she like being
an old maid. The first year she had
| been there she had dreamed of the
| time when she would leave the en-
ploy of the Larkin company. to get
married. There would be a presen-
tation to her just as there had been
to her predecessor when she left to get
married. The real leaving was as far
different from the dream as most
realities are from dreams. She wasn't
| leaving to get married and there
wasn't any presentation. The en-
| ployees had come to look upon her as
a fixture and were too surprised at her
! leaving to think of anything like that,
or if they had thought of it they could
MT think of suitable present to give
to girl that was leaving to take
charge of a p ultry farm.
| Three months after Pearl left the
offices she made up her mind that she
| hated being an old maid. Single bless
edness was all right when she had had
the companionship of Mr.. Larkin at
the office. but on the poultry farm
there wasn't anyone to talk to. Hens
weren't very sociable 1t had taken her
about three months to get the farm
on a working basis 1t was a small one,
but it required all her attention and
the assistance of a small boy after
school hours.
When the price of milk went up,
Pearl bought a COW. Milking was the
worst proposition she had ever tackled.
The COW refused to be MIXED BY in
= experienced hands. After a wild strug-
gle with the determined Pearl. it
jumped the fence and started down
the road toward the city, its mistres
or rather its owner, in pursuit. The
more Pearl called 1t. and pleaded with
it, the faster it walked. How far it
would have gone it is hard to say, but
4 IN Il
and caused it to start back toward
home. Pearl jumped back to let the
COW by.
why, Pearl, it's you'll" the sole oc-
/ cupant of the car cried.
Louis, it's you!" Pearl echoed. for
getting in her surprise that it was the
first time they had called one another
by their Christian names.
! rs that your cow" he asked.
Yes" Pearl answered, "she jumped
J the fence
Get into the car and we'll drive
her home,'' he suggested.
Pearl jumped in beside him and the
car started off. The cow kept light
in front of them all the way. The
boy was waiting at her gate and drove
| the COW in.
| I'm sorry 1 bought her." Pearl con-
fessed. II can't milk"
II cam he said confidently, as he
assisted her to alight. I'll teach you"
| Pearl had never taken long to learn
anything. especially when Mr.. LarkiIl
had been her teacher, and she learned
how to milk in record time.
/ 1T is so easy when one knows how,
she smiled she took the pail of rich
milk from TIL ground. How did you
learn?'
Il was brought up on a farm" he
! answered, taking the pail from her
and starting toward the house. Pearl
leading the way.
Mr.. Larkin looked about the house
admiringly.
I Everything is so neat here-so
homelike," he said You always were
neat
That reminded Pearl of the office.
Does the new girl suit?" she asked.
i Suit" Leonard snorted. she's the
most untidy girl ever saw and she's